New York
UN
Deputy Secretary-General's remarks at the Closing of the Special Session on Advancing Sustainable Development in Complex Settings [as prepared for delivery]
Statements | Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General
Statements | Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Sustainable development cannot wait.
In a world facing compounding crises, we cannot wait until the situation has stabilized before advancing development ambitions.
The 2030 Agenda cannot wait for a sunny day.
We must act now.
Two billion people live in conflict-affected states.
They deserve access to education and adequate healthcare, like everyone else.
150 million people are directly affected by disasters every year.
110 million people have been forcibly displaced.
They are already bearing a heavy burden.
They should also not be excluded from the 2030 Agenda.
That is the essence of our meeting today.
How can we deliver sustainable development in communities affected by crisis, conflict and humanitarian disasters?
How do we invest in pockets of peace and build bridges out of chaos?
The situation in Sudan illustrates this challenge.
With untold levels of violence targeting civilians, we have already seen more than 5 million people being forcibly displaced.
More than one million of them have fled across international borders to neighbouring countries, seeking safety and protection.
Chad is one of those neighbouring countries.
Already hosting more than 580,000 refugees before the outbreak of fighting in Sudan, Chad today hosts almost 1 million refugees from neighbouring countries, notably Sudan.
Sudanese refugees fleeing Darfur arrive in Adre and other border towns in Chad traumatized, tired and hungry – in search of safety. Local and national authorities as well as host communities, with the critical support of humanitarian and development actors, have provided emergency support.
The fighting in Sudan did not only create a humanitarian crisis in Chad.
It also disrupted trade between the two countries, significantly impacting the socio-economic situation of host communities who have opened their doors to refugees.
I want to commend President Deby, his government and the Chadian people for their remarkable hospitality and generosity towards refugees, which I have witnessed first-hand during my recent visit to the country.
But no government can do this alone.
I call on all development actors, and our International Financial Institution partners, to stand in solidarity and expedite a strong resilience and early recovery component.
Delivering sustainable development in complex settings will only become more important.
Our future will include more frequent and more extreme events, as the impacts of climate change are increasingly felt.
If we cannot find a way to advance development priorities in crisis settings, the Sustainable Development Goals will not succeed.
Today, we will hear promising developments and initiatives from Chad that can deliver impact.
I welcome the presence of civil society, academia and businesses.
The role of the private sector in meeting humanitarian needs is often overlooked.
We can do more to partner with key private sector actors to deliver development at pace and scale throughout the world, including in complex settings.
In this respect, I am pleased to announce today the Public Private Partnerships Action Dialogue, an initiative of the Special Adviser of the Secretary General on Public-Private Partnerships and Islamic Social Finance.
This Dialogue will leverage private sector contributions to address global challenges, with a strong focus on sustainable development and humanitarian support in emergency settings.
Mastercard, Schmidt Futures, the US Council of International Business and the International Organisation of Employers have played a leading role as the first private sector partners of this Dialogue.
I am looking forward to seeing innovations and tangible results coming out of this Dialogue.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have spoken with countless young girls and boys living in areas struck by conflict, including with those in Adre and Frachana in Eastern Chad.
Invariably, their requests are simple.
Like any other child, they want to play with their friends.
They want to learn, to grow and to expand their freedoms.
They want development.
For too long, we have delivered acronyms where we need to see action.
We have offered tangled terminology when we need transformation.
My commitment, and the commitment of the United Nations, is to change this, to leave no one behind, and to deliver on the ambition of the 2030 Agenda for all.
Thank you.
Sustainable development cannot wait.
In a world facing compounding crises, we cannot wait until the situation has stabilized before advancing development ambitions.
The 2030 Agenda cannot wait for a sunny day.
We must act now.
Two billion people live in conflict-affected states.
They deserve access to education and adequate healthcare, like everyone else.
150 million people are directly affected by disasters every year.
110 million people have been forcibly displaced.
They are already bearing a heavy burden.
They should also not be excluded from the 2030 Agenda.
That is the essence of our meeting today.
How can we deliver sustainable development in communities affected by crisis, conflict and humanitarian disasters?
How do we invest in pockets of peace and build bridges out of chaos?
The situation in Sudan illustrates this challenge.
With untold levels of violence targeting civilians, we have already seen more than 5 million people being forcibly displaced.
More than one million of them have fled across international borders to neighbouring countries, seeking safety and protection.
Chad is one of those neighbouring countries.
Already hosting more than 580,000 refugees before the outbreak of fighting in Sudan, Chad today hosts almost 1 million refugees from neighbouring countries, notably Sudan.
Sudanese refugees fleeing Darfur arrive in Adre and other border towns in Chad traumatized, tired and hungry – in search of safety. Local and national authorities as well as host communities, with the critical support of humanitarian and development actors, have provided emergency support.
The fighting in Sudan did not only create a humanitarian crisis in Chad.
It also disrupted trade between the two countries, significantly impacting the socio-economic situation of host communities who have opened their doors to refugees.
I want to commend President Deby, his government and the Chadian people for their remarkable hospitality and generosity towards refugees, which I have witnessed first-hand during my recent visit to the country.
But no government can do this alone.
I call on all development actors, and our International Financial Institution partners, to stand in solidarity and expedite a strong resilience and early recovery component.
Delivering sustainable development in complex settings will only become more important.
Our future will include more frequent and more extreme events, as the impacts of climate change are increasingly felt.
If we cannot find a way to advance development priorities in crisis settings, the Sustainable Development Goals will not succeed.
Today, we will hear promising developments and initiatives from Chad that can deliver impact.
I welcome the presence of civil society, academia and businesses.
The role of the private sector in meeting humanitarian needs is often overlooked.
We can do more to partner with key private sector actors to deliver development at pace and scale throughout the world, including in complex settings.
In this respect, I am pleased to announce today the Public Private Partnerships Action Dialogue, an initiative of the Special Adviser of the Secretary General on Public-Private Partnerships and Islamic Social Finance.
This Dialogue will leverage private sector contributions to address global challenges, with a strong focus on sustainable development and humanitarian support in emergency settings.
Mastercard, Schmidt Futures, the US Council of International Business and the International Organisation of Employers have played a leading role as the first private sector partners of this Dialogue.
I am looking forward to seeing innovations and tangible results coming out of this Dialogue.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have spoken with countless young girls and boys living in areas struck by conflict, including with those in Adre and Frachana in Eastern Chad.
Invariably, their requests are simple.
Like any other child, they want to play with their friends.
They want to learn, to grow and to expand their freedoms.
They want development.
For too long, we have delivered acronyms where we need to see action.
We have offered tangled terminology when we need transformation.
My commitment, and the commitment of the United Nations, is to change this, to leave no one behind, and to deliver on the ambition of the 2030 Agenda for all.
Thank you.