SDG16+ Highlights: UN General Debate 76

Read key messages and highlights from some Pathfinder countries stepping up for peace, justice, and inclusion:

• Argentina acknowledged that the world faces the challenge of building a new beginning in favor of fairer, more inclusive, and egalitarian societies. It recognized that climate justice would be unreachable without global financial and tax fairness, contributing to social justice. It expressed support to the idea to promote an inclusive multilateral agreement capable of fully addressing the issues related to the restructuring of sovereign debts. It added that it is also necessary to deepen the debate on the new global minimum tax.

• Canada reinforced its commitment to human rights and justice, within and beyond its borders. It committed to removing barriers that prevent women from fully participating in the workforce and our economy, such as working to provide affordable, $10 a day childcare for every young family in Canada. Furthermore, it stated that addressing growing inequalities due to the pandemic and fostering a more robust spirit of global solidarity in the face of these challenges reflects both Canada’s and the UN’s values and interests.
• Colombia stated they are working to implement the 2030 Agenda, focusing on social policies, putting the most vulnerable at the forefront. For example, they will maintain a basic emergency income, called Solidarity Income, until December 2022, reaching more than four million vulnerable households providing direct economic support to more than 25 percent of our population.

• Costa Rica advocated for the COVID19 vaccines to be available to everyone as a global public good. Through its leadership on the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Costa Rica proposed the creation of the Fund to Alleviate the COVID-19 economy. This fund will provide long-term loans at fixed rates to countries in need, allowing them to respond to the crisis and stay on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. It mentioned that they advocate for peace, reiterated their desire for a world without nuclear weapons, and called on countries to join the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
• Czech Republic mentioned that as part of Team Europe, it will have donated over two million doses of vaccines by the end of 2021, mainly through the COVAX facility. It added that protection and promotion of human rights is a cornerstone of Czech foreign policy. It also welcomed the Secretary General’s recent report “Our Common Agenda.”
• Dominican Republic noted that the country is a strong advocate for democracy and human rights and expressed its commitment to ensuring the independence of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and other control agencies, as well as the reform of the National Police to guarantee the rule of law and citizen security.
• Germany underlined that strong common security and foreign policy in Europe was needed, as only a strong Europe could expect others to contribute to a strong, rules-based peaceful order. It also expressed support for the UN’s COVAX initiative and cautioned against the politicization of vaccine distribution.
• Ghana highlighted that COVID-19 provided a great chance to rethink global economic cooperation, based on the principles of mutuality, equity, sustainability, and collective prosperity envisaged by the Sustainable Development Goals. It presented that it has been advocating for innovative financing to address structural challenges beyond responding to immediate fiscal needs, by providing mechanisms to facilitate investments in health infrastructure, technology, the environment, and people that would bolster resilience and equitable recovery.

• Guatemala presented various policies and ambitious actions it has been taking, including the fight to eradicate hunger and to achieve food and nutrition security through the Great National Crusade for Nutrition strategy, with an emphasis on the most marginalized and at risk of being left behind. Other actions include policies to achieve security and tackle organized crime, economic growth, protection of the migrant population, the right to health, and the conservation of the environment.
• Ireland noted that the world cannot succeed in addressing global challenges without a strong, effective, and the fair multilateral system. It underlined that vaccine inequity is a moral test for the global community and called all UN Member States to continue to support the COVAX mechanism. It mentioned that women, young people, and civil society must be at the center of the work to build and maintain peace and that the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda is a golden thread throughout their work.
• Liberia stressed that sustainable recovery from the pandemic must be based on the principle of inclusiveness and solidarity and within the context of leaving no one behind. It expressed Liberia’s commitment to the sustenance of democracy, justice, and the consolidation and maintenance of peace and security in the country, understanding that growth and development are always enhanced by the existence of peace and security.
• Norway noted the existing inequity in vaccine distribution and stated its pride to co-chair the ACT-Accelerator, which promotes equitable access to tests, treatments, and vaccines. It acknowledged that respect for human rights is essential to build prosperous and free societies, as well as the basis for equitable and stable societies. To reach the Sustainable Development Goals, Norway highlighted conflict prevention, peacekeeping and disarmament are vital.
• Peru noted its commitment to democracy and social justice. It expressed its support to the UN Secretary General’s call for a renewed social contract to address the unequal wealth and resource distribution. Regarding vaccine distribution, Peru committed to being an active and dynamic actor so that all countries have inclusive, equitable, and non-discriminatory access to all diagnoses, medicines, vaccines, and technologies that are required in the response to COVID-19.
• Republic of Korea noted its efforts to defeat the pandemic through the Korean New Deal. They are reinforcing employment and social safety nets and expanding investment in people under the Human New Deal to realize an inclusive recovery that puts people first. It affirmed that the Republic of Korea will take an active part in the international order of solidarity and cooperation to be led by the UN, and take the lead in putting forward a vision for partnership and co-existence that can be shared by both developed and developing countries. It committed to delivering on its 200-million-dollar pledge to COVAX AMC.

• Sierra Leone explained that through the Quick Action Economic Response Programme, it is building fiscal resilience by investing in agriculture, human capital development, and expanding productivity through economic diversification. It also underlined that it has expanded legal aid services to poor and under-served persons and established special courts to fast-track cases for sexual offenses, social security, corruption, and small claims among others.
• Spain called for the defense of robust States, with resources able to guarantee the wellbeing of their citizens according to the values of justice, progress, and equality. It also called for the defense of international cooperation and multilateralism as the only way forward to provide real solutions to today’s global challenges. It welcomed the agreement on international taxation reached at the beginning of July to fight poverty and exclusion in all its forms, calling all countries to join and implement the agreement.

• Sweden noted that one of its priorities is to ensure that vaccines are equally accessible to everyone. It announced that, as the largest per capita contributor, Sweden will increase its support for global access to vaccines. It also presented the network of leaders to support the UN Secretary-General in taking Our Common Agenda forward which Sweden is co-chairing with Spain and expressed eagerness to bring future generations at the center of these efforts and to contribute to the preparations of a ‘Summit of the Future’ in 2023.
• Switzerland expressed its commitment to an effective and efficient United Nations. It said it supports reforms aimed at improving conflict prevention, strengthening the UN development system, and modernizing management methods. It noted the importance to ensure that vaccines are accessible to everyone in the world, and announced its commitment to ensuring fair and affordable access to vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics. For example, Switzerland contributes to the Vaccine Alliance and supports the COVAX AMC initiative for low and middle-income countries with USD 155 million (CHF 145 million).
• Timor Leste welcomed the report and recommendations of the UN Secretary-General on Our Common Agenda to best respond to our current and future challenges. It added that the government of Timor-Leste has contributed a sum of 50,000 thousand USD to support the Secretary General’s efforts. It reiterated that SDG16 shall be the catalyst for development, given that peace, justice, inclusion and strong institutions would create the conditions for economic growth and are the foundation for decent work, health education, and prosperous nations.