Making the United Nations Relevant to all People– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the 73rd Session of the 蘑菇视频 General Assembly
11 March 2019
Your Excellency, Mr Koji Tomita, G20 Sherpa for Japan,
Your Excellency, Mr. Koro Bessho, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations,
Mr. Liu Zhenmin, 蘑菇视频 Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs,
Excellencies,
I am delighted to welcome you to this briefing.
In 2017, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 71/327, welcoming the practice of informal engagement between the United Nations and groupings such as the G20, whose decisions can have significant impact on global political, social and economic developments. This is something I fully support.
The General Assembly is the most representative and democratic organ of the 蘑菇视频. You may have heard me refer to it as the “parliament of humanity”. So, I believe it is crucial that the Assembly actively engages with all groups of countries.
This briefing is intended to support Resolution 71/327 and I hope it will serve to strengthen dialogue between the G20 and wider 蘑菇视频 membership.
Dear friends,
More than ever, we need to intensify global cooperation in all its forms.
We need to work together to harness the opportunities and avoid the pitfalls of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We need to work together if we are to meet the Sustainable Development Goals and avoid catastrophic climate change – and the clock is ticking.
We need to do much more, as we will hear this week, to empower women and girls, which is crucial to all our endeavours.
And we need to strengthen multilateralism, at a time when collective action is needed most.
Excellencies,
The G20 is a key player in all these areas. It accounts for about 85 percent of global GDP and some two-thirds of the world’s population. It is responsible for about 80% of international trade, and roughly the same percentage of carbon emissions.
Clearly, what the G20 does, matters. So, I trust I can count on your active engagement this September: at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, and at the High-level Dialogue on financing for development.
I also hope you will contribute positively to the High-Level Meeting on Climate Change and Sustainable Development for All that I will host later this month, on 28 March. The meeting will place special emphasis on intergenerational dialogue and action.
Japan’s “Society 5.0” initiative, which I hope we will hear more about today, is exciting and much-needed. The world is going through a period of rapid technological change – changes that are so deep and so fast that we are yet to fully grasp the challenges and opportunities. We need to ensure that our responses put people front and center.
Young people are way ahead of us in their understanding of the urgency of climate change. We must listen to them. We must work with them.
In between these events, of course, Japan will host the G20. And I already know that the Osaka meeting will be remembered as the summit that sparked data governance around the world. Better data – and better analysis of data – is crucial if we are to achieve Agenda 2030.
Japan’s “Society 5.0” initiative, which I hope we will hear more about today, is exciting and much-needed. The world is going through a period of rapid technological change – changes that are so deep and so fast that we are yet to fully grasp the challenges and opportunities. We need to ensure that our responses put people front and center.
This is especially important as we plan for the future of work, and I hope G20 countries will bring their experiences and insights to our discussions in the meeting I am holding on 10 April on decent work for all.
It is also important as we enter the era of megacities. Here too, the G20 can make a vital contribution by sharing their own learning and experiences of urban planning at mass scale.
So, I convey, in advance, my best wishes for a productive and successful Osaka meeting. And I look forward to continuing this important dialogue.
Thank you.