The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) reaffirmed its proposal for economic and social transformation to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, during the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (FPAN)which runs until Thursday, July 18 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, Executive Secretary of the regional organization, actively participated in several plenary sessions and side events of the global forum, in which he shared his vision for moving towards a more productive, inclusive and sustainable development model in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The highest representative of ECLAC participated on Tuesday, July 16, in the segment entitled Messages from the regions (Messages from the regions) where he presented his recommendations to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
During his speech, the Executive Secretary of ECLAC referred to the means of implementation necessary to achieve the SDGs. He specified that ECLAC has analyzed the six transitions The report identifies key areas that can have catalytic and multiplier effects on the SDGs and a huge determining impact on the achievement of the Goals. For each transition, it identified three areas of implementation: i) The strategies, policies, plans and programs observed in the countries to drive each transition; ii) The institutional arrangements used to drive and coordinate implementation; and iii) Investment and financing needs.
“These three elements must be strong and well aligned. Financing is key, but it is not the only thing that matters; it is also important what policies and programmes countries have, as well as what institutional arrangements and capacities they have to manage the transition,” he said.
He also warned that, with regard to financing, it is important to remember the high levels of debt, debt service and limited fiscal space faced by many countries.
“In Latin America and the Caribbean, several countries are using up to 5 points of their GDP to pay the interest on their debt. Countries should not have to choose between servicing their debt and responding to urgent development priorities. We have called this uncomfortable dilemma ‘development distress’,” he said.
At the session, Ambassador Maritza Chan, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations, in her capacity as Vice President of the Forum of the Countries of Latin America and the Caribbean on Sustainable Developmentshared the key messages of the document Latin America and the Caribbean face the challenge of accelerating the pace towards the fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda: transitions towards sustainabilitywhich is the seventh report on regional progress and challenges of the 2030 Agenda in the region and was presented to the countries last April.
Within the framework of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, ECLAC organized two parallel events. In the first of these, held on Monday, July 15, authorities officially launched the initiative Network of Future Commissions of the parliaments of Latin America and the CaribbeanThe meeting was chaired by ECLAC Executive Secretary José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, who presented the “what” and “how” to move towards a more productive, inclusive and sustainable development model. The meeting was attended by Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policies of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (OESG); Paula Narváez, President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council and Permanent Representative of Chile to the UN; José García Ruminot, President of the Senate, Chile; Juan Antonio Coloma, President of the Commission on Future Challenges, Science, Technology and Innovation of the Senate of Chile; Rodrigo Goñi, President of the Future Commission of the Chamber of Deputies of the Congress of Uruguay; and Daniel Zovatto, External Consultant of ECLAC.
The ECLAC chief also headed the side event entitled Critical minerals for the energy transition to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which took place on Tuesday, July 16 and was attended by the Executive Secretaries of the UN Economic Commissions for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana; Western Asia (ESCWA), Rola Dashti; Europe (ECE), Tatiana Molcean, and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Claver Gatete. At the event, which was moderated by Thilmeeza Hussain, Director of the Regional Commissions Office in New York, participants examined the different regional perspectives, as well as the economic and development implications of the extraction, processing and industrialization of critical minerals.
The participation of the Executive Secretary of ECLAC in the most important Political Forum of the United Nations included a variety of events. In his capacity as Coordinator of the Regional Commissions, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs spoke on Monday, July 8, at the Plenary Session Strengthening the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple criseswhere he shared messages from the five regions on innovative solutions and key investments to achieve the SDGs.
That same day, he held a meeting with ambassadors of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean Countries (GRULAC) to present ECLAC’s vision on regional development and to make available the experience and support of this regional commission. Along the same lines, on Tuesday, July 9, he participated in the conclave of ambassadors of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), where he emphasized that high debt and debt service payments significantly consume the fiscal income of Caribbean countries, limiting resources to finance development.
On Wednesday 10th, for his part, the Executive Secretary of ECLAC, spoke at a side event on global energy interconnectivity and transition towards the SDGs, while on Thursday 11th he participated together with the highest representatives of the Regional Commissions, in the event Implementing the UN Decade for Sustainable Transport. That same day he was one of the keynote speakers at the HLPF plenary session entitled Middle-income countries: Overcoming obstacles to achieving the SDGs.
On Friday 12th, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs took part in a side event that analysed the role of civil society and the strengthening of regional processes to achieve the SDGs.
On Monday 15th, meanwhile, he participated in a meeting organized by the Permanent Mission of Colombia to the United Nations on the expansion of debt swaps and innovative financing mechanisms based on results for climate, nature and food, while on Tuesday, July 16, he spoke at the UN Water Executives Meetingwhere he highlighted the organization of the ECLAC Regional Water Dialogues in Latin America and the Caribbean and the establishment of the Regional Action Agenda for Water.
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