– As delivered –
Statement by H.E. Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
2 October 2020
H.E. Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr., Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines,
H.E. Enrique A. Manalo, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations,
H.E. Ant¨®nio Guterres, Secretary-General, of the United Nations
Excellencies,
Thank you for the opportunity to address today¡¯s Ministerial Meeting.
I only wish we could be together, in the same room.
The loss of contact, however, is only one of the many casualties of the global pandemic, which this week hit the sobering mark of one million lives lost.
COVID-19 has shaken our world. In addition to the many who have suffered and suffer, many countries are now facing severe challenges to their economies and social systems.?
Even the finest of healthcare systems and social safety nets have been tried and tested by this pandemic. Where does this leave those who were already behind?
Unfortunately, as is so often the case, it is the most vulnerable that are hit hardest.
Middle-income countries are no exception and have the unique challenge of being caught somewhere in the middle ¨C excuse the pun. They are both economic powerhouses and struggling with inequality; they are home to abundant resources and innovation, and yet must fight their way through global financial and economic systems that are not always designed in their favor.
MICs made remarkable progress against the Sustainable Development Goals. COVID-19, however, is setting back these gains.
Middle-income countries are no exception and have the unique challenge of being caught somewhere in the middle ¨C excuse the pun. They are both economic powerhouses and struggling with inequality; they are home to abundant resources and innovation, and yet must fight their way through global financial and economic systems that are not always designed in their favor.
In addition to health and well-being, the pandemic is exacerbating poverty, limiting economic growth, elevating debt levels, and limiting access to education, to name but a few.
Coupled with multidimensional poverty, vulnerability to shocks, and significant debt burdens, COVID has reinforced the prospect of a ¡®middle-income trap¡¯, exacerbating already formidable development challenges.
In this context, I encourage the IFIs to consider factors other than GDP per capita for assessing access to finance.
I am confident that we can seize this moment to convert crisis into opportunity; to accelerate progress on the SDGs throughout the Decade of Action; and to adopt innovative policies and strategies that properly and adequately address the needs of MICs.
I am confident that together, at the High-Level Meeting on Middle-Income Countries, which I am mandated to host during the session, you will present practical proposals to this effect.
Excellencies, there is no linear path to sustainable development ¨C no one size fits all ¨C we must endeavor to make flexible and adaptable the international systems and tools that support countries in their development goals. Particularly now, in their time of need.
I look forward to working with you on this and I thank you very much for having me in this meeting.