Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly
6 June 2022
Colleagues,
I am delighted to convene today the Fourth Meeting of the Board of Advisers on Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Today¡¯s discussion falls under my 3rd Ray of Hope: ¡°Responding to the Need of our Planet.¡±
This discussion is quite timely. Our world continues to face the threats of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution ¨C particularly in our ocean ¨C and it is LLS countries which are bearing the brunt of impacts.
Excellencies,
I just came back from Stockholm+50, where we celebrated five decades of global environmental action.
Stockholm+50 offered opportunities to build lasting coalitions for the environment, and fostered stronger partnerships for, and with, future generations from all over the world.
To build the future we want, we need to listen to these voices.
This rings true in our efforts to protect our planet.
On climate change, we must faithfully implement the outcomes of COP26 and we must keep the 1.5 degree target alive.
In terms of life on land, the recent COP15 in Abidjan highlighted the continued threat of deforestion and land degradation, and proposed concrete solutions to protect the very land upon we live.
This would complement the proposed post-2020 Framework on Biodiversity, hopefully to be agreed during the continuation of COP15.
At the same time, the upcoming Ocean Conference in Lisbon is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to tackling the threat of plastic pollution and other threats, and to protect this vital resource.
Excellencies,
As can clearly be seen, both the drivers and impacts of environmental degradation are interlinked.
From climate change and the ocean, to deforestation and biodiversity, it is all interconnected.
This means that the successful achievement of global commitments in one area depends on the successful delivery of commitments in other parts.
For this reason, I will convene a ¡®Moment for Nature¡¯ High Level Thematic Debate on 19 July.
Now more than ever, we must pursue the level of cohesion needed among the global environmental work streams.
The Moment for Nature will be an opportunity to reflect on how to achieve greater synergies between the key environmental conferences during the 76th session, namely, the 3 COPs on Climate, Desertification and Biodiversity; and the ?Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ conferences on the Ocean; Sustainable Transportation; Food Systems; Energy; ?the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Environment Assembly and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵEP @ 50 as well as Stockholm +50.
This Debate will promote solutions to common bottlenecks and structural barriers affecting the entire environmental agenda, accelerating progress on the SDGs and enabling a resilient recovery from COVID-19.
Excellencies,
Reflecting on the perspectives of LLS countries, and presenting innovative solutions and best practices tailored to their national experiences, will be our priorities for today¡¯s meeting.
I would therefore greatly welcome your inputs, on the messages I can bring to the Moment for Nature.
And as always, we are kindly reminded today of our collective responsibility to ensure that ¡°no one is left behind.¡±
Thank you all for joining us for today¡¯s event.