Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly
23 June 2022
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Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
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I would like to start by thanking the Government of Rwanda and the Commonwealth Secretariat for convening this Forum.
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As a Commonwealth citizen, I am honored to participate in this first meeting since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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I particularly welcome this year’s theme: Delivering a Common Future: Connecting, Innovating, Transforming, with a focus on “A Global Reset”.
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This topic is dear to my heart and particularly resonates right now, as we strive to build a more resilient future and recover from Covid-19.
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As we are all aware, the pandemic has been devastating for our global economy – the backlash of which has been particularly acute for small island states and developing countries.
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For this reason, I have made recovery from Covid-19 a priority during my Presidency of the General Assembly.
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Excellencies,
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However perilous our road has been, we find ourselves in an opportune moment to build back better.?
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This moment is one we must seize; we must learn from this and attempt to tackle the myriad challenges we face in addition to Covid-19: climate change being one of the most pressing.
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We cannot let this moment pass us by.
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I urge the international community to accelerate SDG actions to build back better, stronger, greener, and bluer.
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The pandemic has shown us that science and innovation are at the heart of this effort to transform our world for the better and achieve our 2030 Agenda.
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This was evidenced by the rapid and joint development of novel vaccine technology.
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We cannot let our ingenuity stop there.
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We must lean into our innovative capacities, strengths, and skills, while ensuring no one is left behind.
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We must transform our production and consumption patterns to be more sustainable and resilient.
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We must alleviate the digital inequalities causing a rift between developed and developing countries.
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Friends,
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In this journey, business leaders and the private sector have a key role to play.
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As central actors of the global economy, you are in a unique position to invest in innovation and play a crucial role in shaping a more sustainable and resilient world.
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This requires adoption of sustainable and responsible business models, ones in line with the Ten Principles of the 蘑菇视频 Global Compact.
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These principles drive competition while bolstering equity, inclusion, and climate resilience.
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The private company Zipline is an example to look to. Its role in both Rwanda’s national blood delivery network and Ghana’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution is an instance of successful partnership between public and private entities, and demonstrates the use of innovation for common good.
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Excellencies and friends,
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Achieving our complete recovery from Covid-19 and our SDG targets is conditional upon our prioritizing those most vulnerable. This includes women and young people.
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Inclusive and multilateral discussions are the only blueprint for a more resilient and sustainable world, guided by the SDGs.
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Today’s panel illustrated both the challenges ahead and the innovative solutions we have at our disposal, to resolve and overcome them.
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Let us seize the opportunity to build a new world – one built on science, innovation, and creativity.
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Let us truly build back better.
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I thank you.