Attachments
Excellencies, Ladies, and Gentlemen. Thank you for joining us today.
I am pleased to welcome you all, those in the room here in New York, and our colleagues joining us online from Geneva, to this joint briefing on preparations for the ECOSOC Meeting on the Transition from Relief to Development, scheduled for 20 June 2023, in Geneva, which my team and I have been working on closely with my colleague, Ambassador Massari, and his team, and with the support of the UN Secretariat here in New York.
As you know from last year, the Transition Meeting has been revitalized in format and approach, in accordance with General Assembly Resolution 75/290. Today, I am here to brief you on preparations thus far, following from the ECOSOC decision adopted on 5 April 2023, on the theme for this Meeting: “Transition from Relief to Development: taking action to promote resilience, sustainable solutions and recovery in climate-related disasters and crisis contexts”.
The objective of the ECOSOC Meeting on Transition from Relief to Development—to come together and make the changes countries and communities facing the compounding effects of conflict, climate change and the recovering from the global economic downturn spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus of this year’s ECOSOC meeting on transition from relief to development could not be more timely – we need an urgent call to take action to promote resilience, sustainable solutions and recovery in climate-related disasters and crisis contexts – to drive meaningful action towards resilient rehabilitation and recovery to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in these crisis contexts, while also meeting and reducing immediate humanitarian needs, risks and vulnerabilities.
As we prepare for the important meeting, we see it as a good opportunity to discuss how best to translate the “new way of working” into reality through better linkages between humanitarian and development work.
Guided by the theme of the meeting, as Co-Chairs, we expect the discussion at the Meeting to be centered on the linkages between humanitarian and development activities, and the importance of promoting resilience through investments in inclusive and sustainable development. The meeting should, at the same time, showcase examples by development and humanitarian actors, working together, in accordance with their mandates, towards collective outcomes with the aim of reducing need, vulnerability and risk over multiple years.
It is concerning that the meeting will take place against the backdrop of an increase in the complexity and duration of humanitarian crises, which requires us to work together to find solutions and end humanitarian need. In the course of 2022, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance and protection rose by 52 million -- from 274 million to 326 million.
Already, 2023 has shown us that conflicts are worsening or re-igniting. Climate-driven events continue their relentless impacts on countries around the world, with things likely to get worse in a predicted severe El Nino/La Nina year ahead of us. We do not have the luxury of time. We cannot wait for things to get worse.
As the Vice President of ECOSOC responsible for the Operational Activities for Development Segment, I have made sure that the programme of the OAS, goes a long way in ensuring that we position the UN Development System, led by empowered Resident Coordinators, to be better able to support countries in a world in crisis. Rescuing the SDGs is more important than ever, as we see most of them moving backwards because of the accumulation of crises we are facing. So, to rescue them, must be our highest common priority, in the face of mounting humanitarian needs.
My overriding message to you is this: we must back up our calls for better prevention, more effective response, earlier action for recovery and development with real actions. We have, with the benefit of experience and hindsight, be better prepared to prevent and respond for future shocks.
Let me now set out the structure of the meeting itself.
The opening session and first panel will focus on “Preparing for and addressing current and future challenges – taking stock and actions for promoting resilience and sustainable solutions in crisis contexts, including in climate-related disasters.” It will provide an overview of the current and future challenges that are affecting communities and countries caught in multi-dimensional crises, including recurrent and protracted crises and those driven by the climate crisis. It will take stock of progress made to date to build resilience, manage disaster risks, and prevent cycles of recurring disasters, and what else is needed to promote resilience, sustainable solutions, rehabilitation, and recovery and reduce risks, vulnerabilities, and need.
It will bring together the latest analysis on current and future trends across regions. In the last year alone, we have seen the devastation wrought by Cyclone Freddy in sub-region I come from, Southern Africa, the longest and deepest drought in the Horn of Africa, unprecedented floods in Pakistan, and the earthquake in Turkiye and Syria, floods, and hurricanes through Central and South America, and volcano and cyclones in the Pacific. Every context is different but every context, also, needs support for resilience and recovery to buffer and prepare for the next shock.
This discussion will look at how the UN and other stakeholders are working together to deliver for the most affected and vulnerable communities and what more needs to be done. It will, also, distill key learnings and actions from recent high-level discussions on disaster risk reduction, on climate action, lessons from COVID for resilient health systems and for prevention, preparedness and response to epidemics and pandemics. It will consider how climate change compounds and exacerbates risks and vulnerability; how humanitarian, development, and peace efforts are adapting to address those challenges; and consider actions to promote more effective resilience, sustainable solutions, and recovery in countries affected by humanitarian crises. It will consider actions to support inclusive disaster- and climate-resilient recovery and get back on track to achieve the SDGs, including the role of international financial institutions and regional and multilateral development banks. It will also look at actions to advance and enhance closer collaboration across humanitarian, development, and peace efforts to make a real difference for peoples’ lives and to progress towards sustainable development.
In accordance with the mandate for this meeting set out in GA Resolution 75/290, the meeting will also focus on the pressing situations in the Sahel, Haiti, and South Sudan over 3 separate panels as follows:
Panel 2: Experience in the Sahel: Addressing needs, risks, and vulnerabilities, and promoting resilience and sustainable solutions – what will it take to help achieve the 2030 Agenda
Panel 3: Experience in Haiti: Facing urgent challenges, particularly to health, food security and protection concerns
Panel 4: Experience in South Sudan: promoting resilience and sustainable solutions in a complex and protracted crisis
Each of the three sessions will give particular attention to the specific situations, challenges, and possible transformative solutions in each of the three contexts of the Sahel, Haiti, and South Sudan.
The in-depth discussions in these panels are envisioned to delve deeper into the UN system’s cohesive response as it seeks to deliver better results for countries in situations of conflict, postconflict countries, and countries facing humanitarian emergencies and other crises. The discussions will identify recommendations to promote coordinated support by the UN system and partners at the country and regional levels.
Each panel will focus on the multidimensional and interconnected challenges unique to each context and draw cross-cutting lessons. Each will take stock of and draw lessons from current experience in reducing needs, risks, and vulnerabilities, and include discussion of lessons from closer humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding collaboration. They will include a discussion of key actions and partners – including international financial institutions and regional and multilateral development banks. The panels will also examine partnerships and actions which can help meet needs and help achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The outcome of the Transition Meeting will be a summary prepared by the ECOSOC VicePresidents in charge of the Humanitarian Affairs Segment and the Operational Activities for Development Segment.
Thank you.