Second Committee, 3rd plenary meeting - General Assembly, 81st session
General Assembly
Date: 5 October 2026
Language: English
Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/en/ga/c2/81/3
Transcripts available through this tool are created by using automatic speech recognition and are not official records nor official documents of the United Nations. Official records and official documents are available on the Official Document System of the United Nations.

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Albania · Chair [17:42]:

Good afternoon, colleagues. The third meeting of the Second Committee is called to order. This afternoon, the Committee will continue its general debate under the theme, "Financing Sustainable Development in a Changing Global Economy to Accelerate Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals." Before we go with the first speaker on the list, allow me to remind you The time limits that we have for national statements, it's five minutes. And to assist speakers in time management, a countdown clock will be projected on the screen. The clock on the speech timer will start blinking red to indicate that the speaker has one minute left to conclude her or his statement. And please note that the microphone will be automatically deactivated in case speakers exceed the time limit. With these comments, I now would like to give the floor to the Permanent Representative of Switzerland. Ambassador, you have the floor.


Switzerland · Permanent Representative [18:50]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. Allow me, first of all, to congratulate you on assuming the chair of this committee. A new session of the General Assembly has opened, once again in an unstable and deeply worrying world. The triple planetary crisis is persisting, with very high levels of inequality, poverty and hunger, which remain stubbornly high. The effects of climate change are no longer a distant threat. The steady rise in temperatures and the growing number of droughts in Switzerland and elsewhere are proof of this. The proliferation of conflicts is continuing, and we know that peace and sustainable development are intrinsically linked. The United Nations remains the only organization able to tackle challenges that no border can contain. Yet, multilateralism is under strain. It is being violated. There are violations of principles on which multilateralism is based. Switzerland calls for an urgent recommitment to these principles. We support the United Nations UN80 reform program of the Secretary General, as well as the recent revitalization of this committee, which has markedly improved its working methods. Madam Chair, this committee must provide political direction to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs. Every State present here has the responsibility to implement the SDGs through targeted and effective national policies. Switzerland is playing its part. It has presented its fourth voluntary national review at the HLPF, the first State and World Development, in July. Switzerland welcomes the SDG Summit next year, which should give new momentum and direction towards the post-2030 agenda. During the upcoming negotiations, Switzerland will support the principles anchored in the 2030 Agenda, our common roadmap. Given the scale of the challenges, we will need to engage in constructive dialogue and seek compromise. Switzerland will oppose any attempt to weaken or remove references to fundamental principles and documents. Switzerland will promote in particular ambitious language in the areas of the environment, climate, water, food systems and gender. Science, high quality data and digital cooperation and AI will also be among our priorities. Switzerland is also honored to facilitate once again the resolution on operational activities for development. The 2030 agenda requires an efficient and transparent international financial architecture. Switzerland therefore commits to working on financing issues such as debt, international taxation, the fight against corruption, and the strengthening of cooperation for the recovery of illicit assets. Switzerland would also stress the need to avoid duplication and to ensure effective division of labor in accordance with the respective mandates and competencies of international organizations, forums, and financial institutions. Thank you for your attention.


Albania · Chair [22:32]:

Thank you, Ambassador, for your statement. Now I would like to invite the distinguished representative of Croatia to take the floor.


Croatia [22:47]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. Let me first congratulate you and the members of the Bureau on your election. We look forward to your guidance as you steer the Committee this year. Croatia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and would like to emphasize a few points in its national capacity. Financing sustainable development in a rapidly changing global economy requires a more coherent, predictable, and strategically aligned multilateral system. As we move closer to 2030, the pace and scale of SDG implementation must accelerate. This demands financing approaches that mobilize long-term resources, strengthen national ownership, and ensure that the UN system delivers with greater impact on the ground. Croatia's own experience demonstrates what determined national action can achieve. As one of the top performers on the SDG index, Croatia has advanced the 2030 agenda through strong institutions, targeted reforms, and sustained investment in people and communities. Our national priorities, particularly the green transition, renewable energy expansion, circular economy development, digital transformation and climate resilient infrastructure show how strategic financing can drive both sustainability and competitiveness. Croatia's post-earthquake reconstruction aligned with SDG 9 and SDG 11 illustrates how investments can simultaneously strengthen resilience, accelerate decarbonization, and improve quality of life. In this regard, let me underline three points we deem important. First, we must expand innovative financing instruments that unlock affordable capital for sustainable development. Blended finance, guarantees, and risk-sharing mechanisms can help channel private investment into climate adaptation, resilient infrastructure, digital transformation, and social inclusion. International financial institutions must align their operations more closely with nationally defined priorities ensuring that financing supports structural transformation rather than fragmented projects. Second, strengthening domestic resource mobilization is essential. Countries need support to expand fiscal space through fair taxation, improve public financial management, and measures to reduce illicit financial flows. And third, financing must be paired with a more effective and coherent UN system. Croatia welcomes the important improvements in the working methods of the second committee. Streamline the debates, a realistic submission deadline, strengthen text based consultations and improve documentation can significantly enhance efficiency and predictability. These reforms matter because they directly strengthen the link between the committee's decisions and operational activities for development on the ground. Clearer mandates. More concise resolutions and better coordination help UN country teams deliver more coherent, integrated support aligned with national priorities. Croatia is proud to support mandate discipline and efforts to make resolutions more action-oriented and aligned with the 2030 Agenda. These reforms improve financing outcomes by reducing duplication, improving coherence, and enabling more strategic resource allocation. Through these combined efforts, we can build a financing ecosystem and a UN system fit for purpose, fit for the future, and capable of delivering the SDGs at the speed and scale required. Croatia remains committed to working with all Member States to ensure that this Committee produces outcomes that are not only adopted in words, but implemented in practice, driving tangible progress towards the 2030 Agenda. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [26:38]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Croatia. Now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Singapore.


Singapore [26:50]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. Singapore congratulates you and the members of the Bureau on your election. You have our full support. Singapore aligns itself with the statements made on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, AOSIS and ASEAN. Four years remain to deliver the 2030 Agenda, but the world we find ourselves in, it is not the one in which we set out the Sustainable Development Goals. Trade is fragmenting, the cost of capital has risen, Official development assistance has dropped sharply, and too many developing countries now spend more on debt servicing than on healthcare or education. We do not lack solutions, nor do we lack capital. Our challenge is ensuring that the solutions and capital reach the places that need it most, at a cost they can afford. Singapore would highlight three priorities. First, we must make public money work harder. Public finance, including ODA and concessional finance, remains indispensable, but every public dollar must be deployed to draw in several more by absorbing risks that investors cannot yet price, building pipelines of bankable projects, and by giving investors the policy predictability and confidence they need to commit for the long term. The severe commitment already sets out the agenda; what remains is implementation. Singapore has already put into action catalytic instruments such as our Financing Asia's Transition Partnership, FAST-P blended finance facility, which aims to mobilize up to US$5 billion in collaboration with public, private, and philanthropic sector partners to de-risk and finance green and transition projects in Asia. In May 2026, the Green Investments Partnership, *** under FASPI, achieved $800 million in committed capital to support investments in renewable energy and storage, electric vehicle infrastructure, sustainable transport, water, and waste management. Second, digital technologies and artificial intelligence in particular will only advance development if it reaches the last mile. Much of the global conversation on AI centers on the large and frontier models. For many developing countries, a more useful question might perhaps be what smaller, targeted AI models and solutions can do, models trained on local languages and data, able to run on modest infrastructure, and built to solve specific problems for a farmer, a clinic, or a small manufacturer. Such tools can lower transaction costs, improve access to finance and public services, and make small firms visible to lenders who cannot yet assess the risk. Singapore will continue to work with our partners to make our AI models accessible and offer practical solutions for local conditions. Third, we must start the conversation on what comes after 2030 now, not in 2029. The SDGs have given the international community a common language for sustainable development. that is worth keeping. But we should be candid on two counts. First, measurement is lacking. Too many targets still cannot be assessed for lack of data. Investing in national statistical systems provides us with high return on spending. Second, focus is lacking. The SDGs are integrated, and that is precisely why some investments in energy access, digital connectivity and education have such a multiplier effect. When official resources are shrinking, trying to do everything everywhere all at once spreads them too thinly to make a real difference. Capital should go where it catalyzes most, guided by each country's priorities and comparative advantages. We must begin this discussion in earnest ahead of the 2027 SDG Summit, including during this Main Committee session. Madam Chair, Singapore will continue contributing through partnerships, innovation and capacity building. We should use the remaining years to accelerate what works, while also preparing the foundations for sustainable development beyond 2030. Thank you.


Albania · Chair [31:17]:

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Singapore, and now I would like to invite the Distinguished Representative of Poland to take the floor.


Poland [31:32]:

Now it works. Madam Chair, first let me congratulate you and other colleagues on their election to the Bureau. Best of luck on our part. Poland fully aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union. At the same time, we would like to underscore a few considerations that we deem particularly important, also in the context of Poland's joining to a close ECOSOC membership. First, We all need to keep in mind strong interconnections between peace, political stability, respect for human rights, and economic development. Ongoing armed conflicts and their consequences remain among the main obstacles to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Second, Poland is concerned about repeated attempts to use food security as a weapon. Vital agricultural and commercial routes must remain open so as not to spread the consequences of conflicts on a global scale, while they usually hit the LDCs the hardest. We believe that the UN system has a key role to play in developing and upholding arrangements to protect ports, shipping lanes, grain corridors, agricultural infrastructure, and cross-border humanitarian supply chains. Madam Chair, when it comes to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, the challenge has now become not only to move forward, but also to maintain the achievements. It requires strong commitment of all stakeholders to combat hunger, poverty, and inequalities, inequalities, obviously. Equal opportunities, in particular for women and men, are not a goal in itself, but also the avenue to attain SDGs. Along with supporting the economic growth of developing countries, we must focus on building their know-how and capacity in the long run to generate domestic revenues, including increasing the efficiency of their tax systems, or to support their green transition. We see great potential in new technologies here, especially regarding better access to public services, including healthcare and education, as well as the reduction of inequalities and gaps. At the same time, resilience building, disaster risk reduction and investments for prevention should be mainstreamed as part of taking more strategic and holistic approach to sustainable development. Poland remains determined to advance the 2030 agenda and implementation of the CEEA commitment. The outcome of FFD4 provides an important framework for strengthening sustainable financing and mobilizing the resources needed to accelerate SDG implementation. At the same time, financing for development is also about creating the institutional and human capital foundations that enable countries to use those resources effectively and translate them into lasting development outcomes. Madam Chair, climate action and gender equality serve as cross-cutting objectives of the initiatives undertaken within the framework of Polish aid. Our development cooperation also seeks to improve quality of life and access to healthcare, particularly for those in the most vulnerable situations, including children, persons with disabilities and victims of violence and conflicts. This approach is particularly reflected in Poland's engagement with our key partners. In our efforts, we combine bilateral cooperation with support channeled through international organizations, Polish and partner country NGOs, as well as our diplomatic missions. Across these partnerships, we focus on areas such as crisis management, healthcare, education, entrepreneurship, and social inclusion, guided by the principle of leaving no one behind. We believe that the UN development system has a central role to play in advancing the 2030 Agenda, and the UN80 initiative provides an opportunity to build on the achievements of the 2018 reform, address remaining gaps, and strengthen the UN's ability to deliver coherent, effective, and country-owned support. In closing, let me state that we are convinced that multilateral cooperation, including through the work of the Second Committee, should aim at ensuring security, prosperity, and respect for human rights of all people. Coherent implementation of all SDGs is essential to this end, as they are complementing and interrelated. And we have already witnessed the stagnation or regression in the implementation of one of them may hinder the progress of the others. To respond timely and adequately to modern challenges, we must agree on multilateral solutions for security and prosperity of present and future generations while protecting the planet. Poland is committed to further constructive engagement and cooperation with other UN member states during 81st session of the General Assembly and the second committee work. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [35:57]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Poland and now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Senegal.


Senegal [36:07]:

Thank you, Madam Chair, Excellencies, Distinguished representatives, many. At the outset, I'd like to congratulate the Republic of Albania and all the members of the Bureau of the Second Commission following their election for the 81st session, conveying every wish for the full success in the conduct of their work and the full availability of my delegation. We align ourselves with the declarations made by the African Group and the G77, and in our national capacity, we'd like to deliver the following message. The theme for this year is particularly important and should give us all pause. Less than four years from the final date of the 2030 Agenda, the international community must face more than ever up to urgent, complex and interconnected challenges. The fruits of economic growth remain fragile and unequally shared. The economies of developing countries are facing structural obstacles that get in the way of sustainable growth, industrialization, the implementation of viable infrastructure, job creation and resilience to climate change. According to the most recent estimates of the World Bank, Around 464 million Africans were living in extreme poverty, monetary poverty in 2024. If we take into account the multidimensional poverty index, the number of people concerned rises significantly. It's 593 million Africans. These difficulties are exacerbated by many internal and external factors, including the historic decrease in official development assistance. According to the OECD, ODA fell by 23.1% in 2025 and was only 0.26% of the combined GDP of the member states and associate states of the Development Assistance Committee. It is our responsibility to promote sustainable and inclusive development. That calls for not just coherent, suitable and ambitious measures, but also at the national level and the international level. On the national level, We must significantly improve the mobilization of internal resources through, among other things, the modernization of the tax system, the enlargement of the tax base, and the progressive integration of the informal sector into the tax system through simplified regimes. The desired modernization could be brought about through the digitalization of the tax administration by giving the physical physical and legal persons concerned, the elements to make their declarations and payments electronically. In Senegal, the reforms needed are implemented through the Centax system. That's an online system of the General Directorate of Taxes and Remains, which allows taxpayers to report and pay their taxes in all security. The efficient mobilization of internal resources also requires an improvement in governance and to fight more effectively against illicit financial flows. money laundering, tax fraud, corruption, and the deviation of public funds. To meet these challenges, our legislative and regulatory mechanism in Senegal is based on the national self, the treatment of international financial information, the national counter fraud and corruption office, and the financial judicial pool. The progress made by Senegal meant that it was withdrawn or taken off the list of jurisdictions under enhanced surveillance on 24th October 2024. On the international level, it's also necessary to provide the relevant solutions to mobilize concessional financing and private capital, including through multilateral development banks and mixed financing. It's also important to implement the reform of the international financial architecture through particular attention to the representation of developing countries in decision-making bodies. In any case, the Seville commitment has set a clear and coherent framework which corresponds to the legitimate aspirations of developing countries. We must collectively enhance international cooperation, bring together strategic partnerships, but also make best use in a responsible way of science, technology and innovation with a view to resetting the world's economic trajectory and put it resolutely into the prospect of inclusive and shared prosperity. Thank you very much.


Albania · Chair [40:34]:

Thank you, distinguished representative of Senegal, for the statement. And now I'd like to invite the permanent representative of Namibia to take the floor. Ambassador, the floor is yours.


Namibia · Permanent Representative [40:43]:

Thank you, Mr. President. Excellencies, Namibia congratulates you and the Bureau on your election and assures you of our full support and cooperation. We align ourselves with the statements delivered on behalf of the G77 and China and the African group. We convene at a pivotal moment where the world grapples with unprecedented challenges, from economic shocks to environmental degradation, from social inequalities to geopolitical tensions. In this context, it is in this context that we gather under the theme, financing sustainable development in a changing global economy to accelerate SDG implementation. This theme is not just timely, but necessary. It challenges us all to forge a path that is inclusive, sustainable, and adaptable to the constantly evolving global landscape. Chair, the Pact for the Future provides the framework for stronger global cooperation and collective action towards addressing today's challenges, particularly the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and further reinforced our commitment to multilateralism. At the core of this effort is a recognition that global transformation is not just a goal, but a necessity. This is not merely about rebuilding trust in multilateralism, but it is about recognizing one another as equal partners in the fight against poverty, inequality, and injustice. Namibia has made considerable efforts in mobilizing domestic resources. We collect roughly a third of our gross domestic product in revenue. Yet our fiscal deficit remains significant and public debt is approaching 70% of the GDP. Our experience demonstrates a simple point. Domestic resource mobilization is indispensable, but it cannot on its own close development financing gap. In July 2025, Namibia was reclassified by the World Bank from upper middle income to lower middle income country status, reflecting slower growth and revised population estimates following our census. Yet, the change in classification did not change the underlying financing realities we face. Access to affordable developing finance remains a challenge. Our experience reinforces a wider point. Access to development finance should reflect the realities countries face, rather than income per capita alone. Vulnerability, inequality, and exposure to climate shocks must also form part of that assessment. We therefore encourage international financial institutions to consider a multilateral, multidimensional vulnerability index alongside gross national income per capita, as per the General Assembly's decision in its resolution 78/322. Furthermore, financing is also about what a country can earn. Namibia introduced restrictions on the export of certain unpossessed critical minerals in 2023 to encourage domestic value addition. Countries must be able to deliver, to derive greater value from their resources, create jobs and strengthen their productive capacity. In 2024, global debt reached $102 trillion. Developing countries paid a record $921 billion in net interest that year. 61 of them now spend at least a tenth of the government revenue in interest alone. And 3.4 billion people live in countries that spend more on interest than on health and education. UNCTAD reports that since 2020, developing countries have borrowed at rates two or four times those available to the United States. In this regard, Namibia supports the UN framework, including the Borrower's Platform and the Sevilla Commitment on debt reduction. Finally, Madam Chair, the test of this session is not how many resolutions we adopt. It is whether our decisions improve the price and availability of finance for the countries that need it most. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [45:27]:

Thank you, Ambassador, for your statement. Now I would like to give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Rwanda.


Rwanda [45:35]:

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Allow me to congratulate you and the Bureau and assure you Rwanda's full cooperation and constructive engagement throughout the session.

Rwanda aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of Group 77 and China and the Africa Group.

Madam Chair, we begin this session at a consequential moment for global development agenda.

With less than four years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, progress remains far too low. Climate shocks are reversing development gains.

High debt servicing costs are constraining fiscal space and geopolitical tension and conflicts are disrupting trade, food and energy systems. For many developing countries, these pressures are no longer separate challenges. They are converging at the same time and limiting the resources available to invest in development. Against this backdrop, Rwanda believes that the work of the Second Committee must remain firmly focused on closing the gap between the commitments we have made and their implementations. We already have important frameworks to guide us, including the 2030 Agenda, the Pact of the Future, and the severe commitment on financing for development. The task before us is to translate these commitments into meaningful progress at country level.

Financing must therefore remain central to our work.

Developing countries need adequate fiscal space and greater access to affordable, predictable, and long-term financing. At the same time, development cooperation must support investment in productive capacities, infrastructure, human capital, and technology that enables countries to create decent jobs, strengthen resilience, and progressively.

Finance more of their own development.

This also requires an international economic environment that supports, rather than constrains, national development efforts. Madam Chair, we must equally make better use of the knowledge and solutions that already exist across developing countries. South-South and triangular cooperation can strengthen the exchange of practical experiences in areas ranging from digital transformation, public finance management, to agriculture, health, and investment. Earlier this year, Kigali hosted the inaugural convention on South-South and triangular cooperation, bringing together more than 300 participants to consider how cooperation can become more practical, structured, and result-oriented. For Rwanda, South-South cooperation complements rather than replace North-South cooperation and existing international commitments.

Madam Chair. Across the agenda before us, from sustainable development, poverty eradication, to climate action, food security.

And financing for development, our discussions should ultimately be judged by whether they advance implementation. This will require genuine dialogue, constructive negotiation, and willingness to build consensus around the priorities of developing countries. This session also carry particular significance for Rwanda as we prepare to take the chairmanship of Group 77 and China in 27.

We are grateful for the confidence placed in Rwanda by the membership.

As we prepare for this responsibility, we will use this session to listen carefully, engage constructively, and help build bridges around our shared priorities.

Madam Chair, we have identified the challenges, we have agreed on the framework, and we have made commitments.

Our responsibility is now to deliver. Rwanda stands ready to work with you, the Bureau members, and all member states throughout this session to translate our collective commitments into tangible results and accelerate the progress towards the 2030 agenda.

I thank you.


Albania · Chair [49:27]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Rwanda and would like to invite to take the floor the distinguished representative of Belize.


Belize [49:42]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, Belize congratulates you and the Bureau and assure you of our support. We align ourselves with the statement delivered on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, CARICOM, and the Alliance of Small Island States. For Belize, the task before this committee is to ensure that international cooperation gives developing countries the means to improve lives and protect development gains. With four years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, implementation must command our attention. The commitments we have adopted must translate into affordable financing, stronger national institutions, and tangible benefits for our people. As a small island developing state, Belize faces structural vulnerabilities that income per capita alone cannot adequately capture. Climate impacts, exposure to external economic shocks, and high cost of resilient infrastructure places persistent demands on small economy. Chair, the Seville Commitment offers an opportunity to address the financing constraints that impede sustainable development. Belize calls for affordable, long-term finance, greater grant and highly concessional resources, and simpler access procedures. We note with concern the significant decline in official development assistance. Therefore, development partners must reverse this trend and honor their commitments. The Abbas for SIDS provides a clear framework for resilient prosperity. Its implementation must be embedded in UN cooperation frameworks, the development partners programs, and country strategies of the IFIs. Belize calls for sustained support for the SIDS Center of Excellence, including practical assistance with data, project preparation, and investment and debt sustainability. The MVI must inform access to concessional finance, allocations, and financing terms. Belize's access to the IDA financing under the expanded small states exceptions demonstrates that eligibility frameworks can reflect vulnerability. This approach should inform wider reform. Repeated borrowing for disaster recovery reduces resources for prevention and development. Belize supports climate resilient debt clauses, timely liquidity aftershocks, and debt assessments that reflect vulnerability and resilient investments. The SIDS Debt Sustainability Support Service must have the resources to provide effective assistance. Belize's experience with Blue Bond illustrates the potential to link debt operations with sustained financing for marine conservation. Such instruments should deliver clear fiscal and environmental benefits with transparent terms and manageable transaction costs. Chair, Belize calls on countries to fulfill their climate commitments and align implementation with the Paris Agreement 1.5 degrees to go. This must be accompanied by accelerated support for adaptation and responding to loss and damage. Climate finance must reach communities faster through simpler procedures, direct access and project preparation support. Grants and highly concessional resources must enable states to protect lives without deepening debt vulnerability. Resilient water systems, coastal protection, and climate-resilient agriculture require sustained investment. Chair, United Nations reform must strengthen delivery, national ownership, and accountability. Belize calls for an adequately and predictably funded resident coordinator system with country support tailored to national circumstances. A one-size-fits-all approach cannot meet the diverse needs of small states. Any proposed reallocation, therefore, or reconfiguration of UN offices must involve early and meaningful consultation with every affected government. Reform cannot be reduced to a balance sheet exercise. Savings must be weighted against their consequence for development delivery. Accessible country-led capacity remains indispensable. Belize will engage constructively in this committee to advance these priorities. Our immediate responsibility is to accelerate the 2030 agenda. Success must be evident in the resource available to countries, the resilience of our communities, and the opportunities open to our people. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [54:07]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Belize and invite to take the floor the distinguished delegate of the United States.


United States of America [54:26]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. During the previous session, The Gambia and this Committee's Bureau led the Second Committee through a long overdue reckoning. Through the passage of the decision on revitalization of the work of the Second Committee, this Committee has proven that institutional reform is possible. We strongly urge all the other committees from first to sixth to look to the second committee and follow this lead in eliminating waste. But now comes the real test. We must ensure these efforts were not in vain. We're at the starting line, not the finish line. The United States strongly supports continued common-sense reforms that prioritize efficiency, accountability, and good stewardship of resources. For too long, the UN has drifted from its core mission, bogged down by a culture that prioritizes process over performance, paperwork over real-world economic results. The second committee has become a factory for zombie resolutions that reflect outdated economic paradigms and risk infringing upon national sovereignty. Business as usual is a luxury this institution can no longer afford. Moving forward, this committee must enforce efficiency across four non-negotiable pillars. First, radical consolidation. This committee must end duplicative mandates that belong elsewhere, leave technical work to specialized agencies in Rome, Geneva, and Nairobi, and merge fragmented resolutions into lean omnibus frameworks. Second, end the annual machine. The committee must shift stable items to multi-year reviews. This is needed to break the cycle of the perpetual drafting machine. Third, text streamlining. The committee must enforce hard page limits, strip repetitive preambular clauses, and move historical references older than five years into footnotes. We're not historians. We're here to deliver measurable results. And fourth, stop mandate creep. Each resolution must fall into this committee's core mandate on economic and financial issues. But this mandate has its limits. The UN must stop playing shadow regulator and respect the independent governance of the World Trade Organization, international financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF, and sovereign national regulatory bodies. These four pillars are not mere suggestions. They will define our engagement in this session. During the session, the United States will engage selectively on resolutions, and we encourage others to do the same. Member states should not feel pressured to engage or rubber stamp every resolution raised in the session. We will continue to oppose resolutions that promote social engineering, push divisive political or social issues, or infringe on sovereignty. We will oppose resolutions that position this Committee as an administrative delivery mechanism for central planning or top-down global development targets. Decades of government-to-government aid have often produced dependency, inefficiency, and corruption, rather than lasting prosperity. As Secretary Rubio has stated, we must prioritize trade over aid, opportunity over dependency, and investment over assistance. Real human flourishing comes from sovereign nations mobilizing their own resources, establishing the rule of law, protecting intellectual and physical property rights, and creating pro-growth, free market environments. It is private business that builds successful economies, not U.N. decrees. Expanding trade opportunities is a proven pathway to prosperity. By fostering fair and reciprocal trade relationships, we empower nations to attract investment, create jobs, and unlock private sector-led growth. In short, the Second Committee must pivot from managing dependency to fostering dynamism. The United States stands ready to work with delegations that seek to unlock private capital, champion innovation, and empower entrepreneurs. Madam Chair, colleagues, we look forward to working with you in the weeks ahead.

I thank you.


Albania · Chair [59:17]:

I thank the distinguished representative of the United States, and I would like to invite the permanent representative of Tajikistan to take the floor. Ambassador, you have the floor.


Tajikistan · Permanent Representative [59:29]:

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Tajikistan align itself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. I congratulate you and the Bureau and assure you of our full support. The SDG report 2026 indicates that only 36% of accessible targets are on track or making moderate progress. The poverty eradication must remain, therefore, central. Developing countries need affordable and concessional financing, debt sustainability, technological transfer, and capacity building. We support the reform of the international financial architecture to respond to their needs. Landlocked developing countries need connectivity, resilient infrastructure, and stronger productive capacities. These same priorities should guide the UN80 initiative. It should strengthen development delivery, respect the UN intergovernmental character, and reflect upon countries' needs. Against this backdrop, let me highlight following three areas. First, water is essential to implementing the 2030 Agenda. Building on the outcome of the fourth Dushanbe Water Conference, we look forward to contributing to the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. Looking ahead, we welcome adoption of resolution 80/304 on the modalities of the UN Water Conference, which will take place in Dushanbe from 4th to 6th of May 2028. The conference is envisaged to adopt by consensus the Dushanbe Water Framework, an intergovernmentally negotiated outcome document. This would be the first dedicated intergovernmental outcome on water in the current generation of the UN water conferences. Therefore, we invite member states to take this into consideration and strive towards its successful adoption in 2028. Second, water availability is directly affected by climate change. For Tajikistan and Central Asia, glaciers retreat threatens freshwater availability, food security, energy, and livelihoods. The International Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences 2025-2034 provides a platform for sustained scientific cooperation. To translate this scientific cooperation into action, we call for stronger international support for glacier monitoring, data exchange, research, and early warning systems, alongside predictable and accessible adaptation financing. This support is essential for developing mountain countries to translate scientific knowledge into practical measures and strengthen community resilience. Third, harnessing AI for inclusive sustainable development. Science and technology are also essential to strengthening productive capacities. AI can accelerate SDG implementation, provided developing countries have equitable access to its benefits. including through digital infrastructure, computing capacity, skills, and technology transfer. Resolution 79/322, initiated by Tajikistan, advances regional cooperation on AI. Under construction, IT Hub Dushanbe will bring together a regional center for AI, an IT school, an IT park, and a business center to support research, digital skills, and entrepreneurship. We have also initiated resolution 80/302, proclaiming 31st of August as the International Day of Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence. Beginning in 2027, the international community will observe the first AI day during the current session. On 30th, 31st of October, AI conference in Dushanbe will bring together policy makers, researchers, and businesses from more than 50 countries. Discussion will address AI in education and public services, investment, computing infrastructure, and governance. We invite partners to participate and build practical cooperation. Madam Chair, our common responsibility is to translate commitments into results. Tajikistan is looking forward to working with all delegation in advancing the work of the second committee during the 81st session. Thank you.


Albania · Chair [1:04:08]:

Thank you, Ambassador, for your statement. Now I would like to invite the distinguished representative of Mongolia to take the floor.


Mongolia [1:04:18]:

Madam Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, at the outset, allow me to congratulate newly elected Bureau, as well as Her Excellency, Ms. Soula Giannina, in your role as a chair of the Second Committee. My delegation stands ready to work closely with the Bureau and all delegations to advance our common priority. Mongolia aligns itself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of group of G77 and China. Madam Chair, due to the challenging global macroeconomic and geopolitical environment, we share the same concerns of the developing countries facing extraordinary challenges that hinder progress across all areas of financing for development, including constrained domestic resource mobilizations and subdued FDI, a sharp decline in ODA, trade turbulence, and high cost of capital and historically high debt service of burdens. With the 2030 deadline for SDGs fast approaching, financing for development is no longer merely an economic imperative. It's in the heart of our collective aspiration to build a future in which all countries can thrive, trade, and prosper together. Therefore, this is a critical moment for us to take a stock of where progress is lacking and which countries require greater international support. In this regard, Mongolia attaches particular importance to two areas that require greater attention in the allocation and mobilization of development financing. First, Land restoration should be viewed not only as environmental imperative, it is estimated that every dollar invested in a land restoration yields social return of $8. Yet, achieving the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, land restoration and drought related targets will require an estimated 355 billion US dollar in annual investment, leaving the financing gap of approximately 278 billion US dollar per year. Bridging this gap will require increased investment from the private sector, IFIs and the stronger partnerships. During the Mongolia's presidency of UNCCD COP17, we remain committed to working with all parties and partners to advance an investment-oriented approach to land restoration. Second, Mongolia has remained steadfast in advocating for development aspirations of LLDCs and advancing their common interest within the United Nations. for LLDCs, mobilizing the financing needed to develop and also maintain sustainable infrastructure remains a critical bottleneck. In this regard, Mongolia welcomes the Secretary General's report on the establishment of infrastructure investment finance facility for LLDCs, which finds such a facility to be both justified and technically feasible. Hereby, we would like to encourage all the relevant stakeholders to follow up on this and to join hands together to deliver tangible results. Madam Chair, Mongolia remains firmly committed to 2030 agenda and to accelerating implementation of SDGs. Guided by the four paths to freedom and four unlocking policies, the government of Mongolia is implementing comprehensive reforms focused on unlocking economic opportunities, regulatory reform, and the green development and anti-corruption measures. As part of its unlocking economic opportunity agenda, the government recognized that private sector investment can serve as a catalyst for development financing. to helping to mobilize additional resources and support sustainable investment in the critical sectors. In closing, Mongolia stands ready to work constructively with all delegations to advance the work of the Second Committee and deliver meaningful progress towards sustainable development all. Thank you.


Albania · Chair [1:08:33]:

I thank the distinguished delegate of Mongolia and would like to give now the floor for his statement, the permanent representative of Ecuador. Ambassador, the floor is yours.


Ecuador · Permanent Representative [1:08:44]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. The development pillar is in an emergency situation with a financing deficit every year that is more than $4 billion to achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda. This requires decisive action to reverse that trend and ensure that the severe commitment is reflected in concrete progress, financing and supporting the efforts of states to achieve concrete results that will benefit people. To that end, we need to find strategic partnerships involving all stakeholders, including international financial institutions, world institutions and regional ones. Poverty reduction, the creation of decent work and better opportunities in education is what in general our societies are seeking. These elements are central and they must guide the international development agenda and consequently the work of this committee. This question is particularly relevant for middle income countries like Ecuador, which are going through structural challenges, and it is therefore necessary that access to cooperation and financing considers broader criteria and fairer ones. In this session, we must make progress towards that objective and promote the agenda of the middle-income companies, without ignoring, of course, the needs and priorities of least developed countries and and those of relatively lower economic growth development. As financing gaps are increasing and it's getting more and more difficult to find sustainable financing, there is an increase in international organized crime. The cross-border nature of this crime means that we need effective cooperation across borders to guarantee an effective response to this situation worldwide. Transnational organized crime is not simply a security question. Its effects are economic, social, and institutional. It diverts resources, affects development, and affects institutions, weakens them. This session is an opportunity to make progress in international cooperation and strengthen the mechanisms that facilitate access to information to track and freeze those flows. We must not ignore the fact that there can be no prosperity without guaranteeing security. Madam Chair, colleagues, another of the central elements of this way to development is facing climate change, which is undermining the capacities of countries to attain their objectives. It's essential that we comply with the climate change goals and we increase resilience of more vulnerable countries. Adaptation to climate change has the same importance as mitigation for developing countries. So resources must be mobilized for adaptation. As an extremely diverse country with fragile ecosystems, Ecuador is promoting the conservation and restoration of sustainable use of biodiversity and continues to implement actions in line with the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Global Biodiversity Framework. the Kunming-Montreal framework. I would like to conclude by reaffirming Ecuador's commitment to advancing the agenda of this committee, taking on the basis of differentiated but common responsibilities, which take account of the varying needs of our countries. Of course, I want to congratulate you, Ambassador, for your election, and I want to assure you that you have the support of my delegation in carrying out your work. And I say that not just as a simple courtesy, a diplomatic courtesy, but as a true commitment of the Ecuadorian delegation, so that our work is successful, that we avoid duplication, and that we meet the challenges that this organization is definitely facing. I think we all here, all those present, can contribute to that work. and contributing on a day-to-day basis with serious deliberations, with effective deliberations. By doing that, we can make that contribution not just to the work of this committee, but to the work of the organization and consequently to multilateralism. Thank you very much.


Albania · Chair [1:13:23]:

Ambassador, for your statement. Now I would like to invite the Permanent Representative of South Africa to take the floor. Ambassador, the floor is yours.


South Africa · Permanent Representative [1:13:34]:

Thank you, Madam Chairperson.

My delegation congratulates you on your election as Chair of the Second Committee for the 81st session. We have no doubt that you and your Bureau will guide us to the successful conclusion of our work. South Africa further aligns itself with the statements delivered by Namibia and Uruguay on behalf of the African Group and the G77 and China, respectively, and wishes to add the following remarks in its national capacity. The world faces multiple challenges, and the promise of sustainable development is getting out of reach, with more than 60% of the SDGs currently off track, and setbacks in the fight against hunger, extreme poverty,

and rising inequalities.

The climate crisis is deepening this trajectory, with extreme weather events leading to severe human and economic consequences, particularly across Africa and other climate-vulnerable regions. Without decisive progress on development finance, the goals of the 2030 SDG will not be realized. In the African context, the objectives of Agenda 2063 will also face similar prospects. To ameliorate this situation, South Africa proposes the following. First, we must scale up and accelerate access to affordable financing within the framework of the Seville commitment. At the same time, efforts to strengthen domestic resource mobilization should be intensified through stronger tax systems and effective measures to combat illicit financial flows. In this regard, it is vital that the United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation and its two protocols are finalized expeditiously. Second, Debt sustainability remains a pressing challenge for many developing countries. Numerous countries continue to face unsustainable debt burdens and shrinking fiscal space as rising debt servicing obligations divert scarce resources away from critical development priorities. In this regard, multilateral development banks and international financial institutions, the Borrower's Platform and the G20 Common Framework for debt treatments beyond the Debt Service Suspension Initiative, all have important roles to play in supporting timely, effective and durable solutions to debt vulnerabilities. Third, public international finance must remain at the core of the global climate finance architecture. South Africa reaffirms that climate finance is a critical enabler of global climate action and a key element in achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement. South Africa thus wishes to underscore that climate finance is not merely a matter of support, but an obligation arising from international commitments. Fourth, we must continue efforts to reform international financial and trade systems to make them fairer, more equitable and inclusive. The Secretary-General's observations that inequality is not merely an economic challenge, but fundamentally a question of power power over opportunities, resources and voice is thus instructive. Collectively, we must identify and advance policies that address the scourge of inequality, which remains a significant impediment to the achievement of the SDGs. It is for this reason that South Africa, together with Brazil, Norway and Spain, are proponents for the establishment of an International Panel on Inequality. We encourage Member States to support this important initiative. In conclusion, enhanced global political cooperation is essential for advancing sustainable development. Such collective and decisive action will contribute to poverty eradication and foster a more equitable, inclusive, and development-oriented international financial system that serves the interests of all countries. We look forward to working with you, Madam Chair, your Bureau, and all esteemed delegations of this committee to advance the development pillar of the UN.

I thank you.


Albania · Chair [1:17:53]:

I thank Your Excellency for the statement. Now, I would like to invite the Permanent Representative of Panama to take the floor. Excellency, you have the floor.


Panama · Permanent Representative [1:18:05]:

Gracias.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to echo your congratulations on your election to lead the Committee on Economic and Financial Matters. Madame Yu and the other members of the Bureau have the support of the delegation of Panama. My delegation aligns itself with the statements made by the G77 and China on behalf of the middle income countries, friends of middle income countries. In my national capacity, I'd like to share a few reflections on the debate that has brought us together today. 11 years ago, we set 2030 as the deadline for reducing poverty and increasing opportunities and protecting our planet. With that deadline, which is coming closer and closer, Achieving the goals that are left to be achieved is also a matter of trust, confidence and commitment to multilateralism. As recently stated by our President before the General Assembly, that trust is gained when institutions keep their promises. For people, keeping those promises means that every family must have the real opportunities to get out of poverty. that our communities have water, safe water, and our young people can build their own futures. Financing development is making those aspirations reality. Achieving that means that we need resources, we need rules and concrete results, and redoubling national and international efforts and enhancing international cooperation and financing. Madam Chair, Panama knows at first hand that behind the averages, there are still inequalities. There are communities that are left behind, and there are vulnerabilities that need attention. We therefore reiterate the need to overcome barriers to access to financing and to continue development above GDP. We also need to correct unjust practices like discriminatory lists that affect the reputation of countries. the investment and access to financial services. We have criteria and objectives that are equitable and transparent to recognise our progress. The negotiations that are ongoing as part of the United Nations body on tax cooperation is an opportunity to improve the international tax system and make it more equitable, but also in accordance with the needs and circumstances of each country. Madam Chair, the Panama Canal, with 112 years at the service of international trade, depends on water, which our communities also need to survive. The droughts that can affect the canal's functioning show that climate resilience and hydric water security are essential to world trade. As a carbon negative country and a member of the G0 Forum, we know the value of biodiversity and preserving systems. In September 2020, Panama sought to promote more ambitious compromises on global challenges that affect biodiversity. health, and the economy. Together with France and Tuvalu, Panama leads the coalition of countries that pioneer high seas cooperation for the Conference of States Parties next year. These commitments are born from a single conviction: our development depends on a healthy nature. Therefore, and in accordance with the statement of our President during the GA, we commit to building together the basis of a future protection of nature, and we invite the Member States to support us in our efforts in this initiative to continue preserving life and protecting our common future. We thank the Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, for his continuous commitment to the principles and we trust that the person who becomes Secretary General next will continue ensuring that this organization continues on a road of openness to new ideas to transform what needs to be changed. Thank you very much.


Albania · Chair [1:22:59]:

Excellency, for your statement. Now, I'd like to invite to take the floor the distinguished representative of Guyana.


Guyana [1:23:17]:

Madam Chair, delegates, Guyana aligns itself with the statements delivered on behalf of G77 and China, AOSIS and CARICOM, respectively. I take this opportunity to extend congratulations to you, Chair, and the other members of the Bureau on your appointment and to offer best wishes as you guide the work of the Second Committee for this 81st session of the General Assembly. I assure you of Guyana's support. I also reiterate our appreciation to the members of the Bureau of the 80th session under the leadership of The Gambia and commend their capable stewardship, including importantly, the work to advance the revitalization of the Committee's work. Chair, we meet again in this Economic and Financial Committee, confronted by the context of a world where the numbers tell us that there is economic growth, But where the reality is that the world has experienced another year of protracted and new armed conflicts, energy price increases, ever-increasing food prices, and the consequential food insecurity, and the ongoing inability to adequately address the climate crisis. New and emerging technologies such as AI offer opportunities to address these challenges. but can also serve to compound and further exacerbate existing vulnerabilities. The development of appropriate guardrails for AI is therefore an essential part of any discussion on economic and financial development. As has been acknowledged by speakers throughout our debate today, these challenges are just some of the headwinds with which we are confronted in the efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda. We also know that the biggest roadblock To confronting these challenges is not a lack of political will. In fact, just by the statements we've heard today, it is clear that there is a shared sense of urgency and concern across the board. Our greatest roadblock to accelerated progress is the annual $4 trillion SDG financing gap. As highlighted in the 2026 SDGs report, just 36% Of the 139 assessable SDG targets are on track or making moderate progress, and 15% have gone into reverse. This is happening in an environment where official development assistance fell by a record 23% in 2025. Donors provided just 0.26% of GNI, far below the UN target of 0.7%. This is unsustainable. I stress now just as I did while addressing this committee one year ago, that while the gap for SDG finance is growing and can sound overwhelming, it is not insurmountable. The solutions exist. We know what they are, and we must now figure out a way to overcome our differences on how best to execute these solutions. It is time to move from rhetoric to action. We urge our development partners to deliver on their pledges. Concurrently, there must be reform of the international financial architecture to better support developing countries. Each of our governments must also strengthen domestic resource mobilization, investing in education, health, and agriculture. In this era of unprecedented technological development, we must also harness these technologies to spur development. This will require both public and private sector partnership. Chair, implementation of the 2030 agenda remains urgent to see the development we want for our countries and the world. With just four years remaining until 2030, we must confront the reality that full achievement of the SDGs is no longer a realistic target. However, we cannot afford to abandon these ideals. I must instead each pledge to do as much as we can to achieve as much as is possible for the prosperity of our people and the world. Ghana remains committed to advancing sustainable development and to multilateral cooperation in the pursuit of solutions to our shared challenges. Leaving no one behind must remain imperative. Progress is possible through a combination of political will, innovation, sustained investment, and all of society, all hands on their cooperation. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [1:27:49]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Guyana. And now I would like to invite the permanent representative of the Republic of Korea. Excellency, the floor is yours.


Republic of Korea · Permanent Representative [1:28:00]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. Let me begin by congratulating the incoming Bureau and thanking the outgoing Bureau for its dedicated work. The Republic of Korea stands ready to fully support the Bureau and constructively engage in the Committee's discussions. My delegation believes that UNADH presents an opportunity to enhance coherence and efficiency across the UN system. In line with the resolution on the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly and the subsequent decision of the Committee, It is essential that the committee's work is strengthened and streamlined, making the United Nations more effective and people-focused. Excellencies, international development cooperation is under growing pressure. Geopolitical tensions and climate crisis hold back progress toward our common goals, while tight fiscal conditions limit resources for development activities. To address these challenges, we already have a clear guide, the Sabil Commitment. Our task is to translate it into concrete action. Tapping into diverse sources of financing is not an option, but a necessity for the future of development cooperation. That said, ODA must play a core role in supporting the most vulnerable in essential areas. such as public health, food and agriculture, and education. It can also act a catalyst, drawing in domestic resources, private capital, and innovative financing. Equally important is securing greater result and impact from the resource at hand. In this regard, I'd like to share three points. First, on effective development cooperation. Our resources will deliver more when they are fully aligned with country priorities and when partners work in a more harmonized and inclusive way. In this vein, the Serville Commitment gave emphasis to development effectiveness. This is a common agenda for all. The four principles, country ownership, focus on result, inclusive partnership, and transparency and mutual accountability will help us navigate the road ahead. As a co-chair of the Group of Friends of International Development Cooperation Effectiveness, the ROK is ready to engage with other members to raise awareness of this agenda and promote related dialogues. Second, on climate crisis. The recent glacier flooding in Nepal was a stark reminder that climate crisis is not a distant risk, but a present danger. Building preparedness and resilience against crisis is essential to making the most of our resources by breaking the vicious circle of repeated disasters and recurring recovery costs. The ROK is actively contributing to the global climate efforts. We are putting 2035 NDC into practice and speeding up the energy transition toward carbon neutrality. To make this transition just and sustainable, my government is advancing green transformation across industries, continues its voluntary contributions to the multilateral climate fund, such as Green Climate Fund. to stand in green solidarity with countries most exposed to the climate crisis. Last but not least, on artificial intelligence. AI brings both benefits and risks. It offers a path to growth and prosperity, yet it may widen inequality if we are not prepared. Used properly and safely, AI could become a force multiplier to achieve the 2030 agenda. President Lee Jae-myung of the Republic of Korea, in his address to the 81st session of the General Assembly, highlighted our vision of a global AI universal basic society, where no country or individual is left out from the basic benefits of AI. This echoes the UN's promise to leave no one behind. The ROK is cooperating with international relations and multilateral banks to build the global AI hub platform. Through this partnership, we envision leveraging AI in responding to the challenges we face.


Albania · Chair [1:33:02]:

I thank Your Excellency for your statement. Now, I would like to invite to take the floor the distinguished representative of Brazil.


Brazil [1:33:11]:

Thank you. Let me begin by congratulating you, Madam Chair, on your election to preside over this second committee. Brazil aligns itself with the statement delivered by G77 in Uruguay and would like to make some comments on our national capacity. Brazil attaches great importance to the work of this committee, defending the centrality of economic and social development in multilateral debates and affirming that neither peace and harmony nor human rights can exist without sustainable development. Preserving the balance among the three pillars of our organization is not merely a political choice. It is necessary for each of the pillars to be sustained. Naturally, the necessary acceleration of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda depends on many factors, including a conducive international environment. Our commitment to ending hunger, poverty, and homelessness means nothing if we tolerate the destruction of the very conditions that make human life possible. Humanitarian assistance must never become a bargaining chip, nor food security an instrument of coercion. Madam Chair, finance is probably the key reason for the sluggish implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Therefore, the theme of this year's debate, financing sustainable development in a changing global economy to accelerate implementation of the SDGs, could not be more appropriate. The Compromiso de Sevilla offers a crucial roadmap for enhancing and improving financial flows to support the 2030 Agenda. Domestic resource mobilization is increasingly presented as the solution to development financing challenges. If that is indeed the expectation, then developing countries must also have the tools to make it a reality. In this context, the negotiations of the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation and its two early protocols take on particular significance. After all, While developing countries are often reminded to rely on their own resources, they should also be afforded a fair opportunity to mobilize them. We therefore encourage all member states engaged in these negotiations to approach them with consistency and ambition so that the final outcome genuinely supports domestic resource mobilization rather than merely reaffirming its importance. Furthermore, Brazil remains deeply concerned by the persistent decline in official development assistance. We regret that ODA continues to fall short of longstanding commitments, precisely when we require greater rather than diminished international solidarity. South-South cooperation is an increasingly relevant modality of development cooperation, but it is and must remain complementary to North-South cooperation. Madam Chair, on artificial intelligence, the scientific panel's first report was unequivocal. We are possibly heading towards a loss of human control over technology. We must urgently establish incredible internationally auditing standards. Regarding information integrity, we must speak clearly. Regulation and institutional frameworks are positive and essential for the technology's secure and long-term development. Finally, in the Seville Commitment, we decided to take action to reduce inequalities, both between and within countries. Effective delivery requires reliable data, comprehensive diagnostics, and evidence-based policy recommendations. To support this effort, Brazil, together with Norway, South Africa, and Spain, is proposing the establishment of an international panel on inequality, grounded in neutral, science-based, and objective analysis. We therefore invite all member states committed to addressing the pressing challenge of inequality to join us in this endeavor. I thank you, Madam Chair.


Albania · Chair [1:37:43]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Brazil.

And I would like to invite the permanent representative of Burundi to take the floor. Excellency, you have the floor.


Burundi [1:37:55]:

Madam Chair, my delegation congratulates you on your election to the chair of the second committee and would like to assure you of its full support during your mandate bundi bundi lines itself with the statements made by Uruguay Namibia and Gambia on behalf of the group of 77 China the African group and the least developed countries Madam Chair, we are meeting in an international context which is marked by profound economic transformations and geopolitical and technological transformations. Crises are proliferating, vulnerabilities are becoming more marked, and the room for budgetary manoeuvre of many developing countries remains limited. The theme of this session, financing sustainable development in a changing global economy to accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, is for Burundi of particular importance. For our country, development financing is essential to fighting poverty, creating jobs, strengthening resilience, and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs. Madam Chair, Burundi wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the 2030 Agenda and to multilateralism. However, the current pace of the implementation of the goals remains insufficient, given the considerable needs in terms of infrastructure, education, health, energy, food security, and adaptation to climate change. It is therefore essential to transform international commitments into concrete, predictable, accessible and affordable resources. Brunei welcomes the efforts to enhance international cooperation in development financing and attaches particular importance to the effective implementation of the SVEIA consensus. We call for an international financial architecture that is more inclusive, equitable, and adapted to the realities of developing countries. Debt today is a major challenge. and we want to enhance concessional financing and give access to developing countries so that they can preserve the budgetary space they need to achieve these SDGs. The mobilisation of domestic resources is also important. It must be accompanied by the strengthening of tax administrations, fight against illicit financial flows. At the same time, ODA has become indispensable. It must be preserved and strengthened for the most vulnerable countries. Madam Chair. For Burundi, agriculture and food security must have a central place in our development efforts. We call for more investment in an agriculture that is resilient to climate change, irrigation, rural infrastructure, storage, food processing, and access of small farmers to markets and financing. Access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy is Also essential, Burundi encourages investments in energy infrastructure, in particular renewable energy, and access to the technology and financing needed for a just energy transition. As a landlocked developing country, Burundi attaches particular importance to transport infrastructure, the facilitation of trade, and regional integration. The enhancement of regional corridors transport infrastructures is essential to reduce the costs linked to our landlocked status and to allow us to participate in regional and global value chains. In that regard, we reaffirm our commitment to African regional integration and to the African Continental Free Trade Area. Madam Chair, the digital transformation offers new possibilities to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs. However, Rwanda encourages investment in digital infrastructure, access to the internet, digital skills, digital public services. At the same time, climate change is a major constraint on our development. We call for increased, simplified and predictable access to climate financing, in particular for adaptation and strengthening resilience. Madam Chair, the achievement of the SDGs also calls for a renewed partnership between States, international financial institutions, the private sector and other development Burundi reaffirms its determination to continue national efforts, calling upon the international community to respect its commitments and to enhance international solidarity. Burundi remains convinced that a global partnership based on solidarity, equity and shared responsibility is essential to accelerating the implementation of the SDGs. Thank you very much.


Albania · Chair [1:42:49]:

Your Excellency, for the statement. I now would like to give the floor to the distinguished representative of Spain.


Spain [1:42:57]:

Muchas gracias.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And I would like to begin like other delegations by congratulating you and by all members of the Bureau for your election. And I'd like to reiterate our full support and our readiness to work constructively with all of you for the success of the work of this committee. In accordance with the statement of the European Union statement. We align ourselves with that, and I would like to make a few points in my national capacity. We are at a decisive moment in sustainable development, less than four years from 2030, and with our sights set on the 2027 SDG Summit, it is time to accelerate implementation and to reflect what's been agreed in concrete results. In this context, the Seville commitment on development financing and the Seville Platform for Action give us a renewed opportunity to transform the international financial architecture and mobilize the necessary resources to achieve the SDGs. For Spain, Seville is not the end point of a negotiation, it's the start of a new stage of implementation. We must therefore implement what has been agreed, mobilize national resources, international resources, enhance the propel of multilateral development banks, face up to debt vulnerabilities and improve access to predictable and affordable financing for sustainable development. And we must also broaden our concept of progress. GDP remains an important economic indicator, but it can't in itself measure the well-being of our societies or reflect all dimensions of development. We need to make progress towards frameworks that also include inequalities, well-being, inclusion, sustainability, and the value of human capital, social and natural capital also. Gender equality must also be mainstreamed in all the work of this committee. It can't just be a question that we address in some areas in isolation. It must be integrated into our policies in financing, debt, climate change, digital transformation, decent work, social protection, and sustainable development. Because gender equality is not just a question of rights. It is essential for more prosperous, inclusive and sustainable societies. There can be no sustainable development without the full, effective participation of women and girls on an equal footing. The social dimension must also have a central place. The commitments of the Doha Declaration on Social Development must guide our efforts: the eradication of poverty, reduction of inequality, decent work and Robust social protection systems are not secondary objectives, they are at the very heart of sustainable development. The social and solidarity-based economy is a priority for Spain as a tool for decent work, inclusion and the just transition. Madam Chair, the environmental emergency and the triple planetary crisis require multilateralism, science and ambition. The decisions that we will be taking in the next few years will be crucial to determining the future of our planet and future generations. The conferences of the parties of what are known as the Rio Conventions, which are being held this year, are an opportunity which we must take in the same way as Spain considers it is a priority to effectively implement the BBNJ Agreement. AI is another of the great transformations, changes of our time. It can contribute decisively to accelerating progress on the SDGs, but we must guarantee that its benefits are shared and that its risks are also addressed collectively. We need inclusive, safe, reliable, people-centered AI, and we must ensure that developing countries can participate fully in this technological transformation. Spain will also continue to work in essential spheres like food security, sustainable agriculture and the enhancement of South-South and triangular cooperation. Lastly, In the context of the UN80 initiative, we must carry on working for a second commission that is more strategic, effective and implementation-oriented. And you can count on the commitment of my delegation in this regard. Thank you.


Albania · Chair [1:47:18]:

For the statement, now I'd like to invite the Permanent Representative of Thailand to take the floor. Excellency, you have the floor.


Thailand · Permanent Representative [1:47:25]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. Thailand aligns itself with the statements delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the Group 77 and China. and by the Philippines on behalf of ASEAN. The global economy is changing rapidly. Geopolitical tensions, strategic competition, and repeated shocks, both man-made and natural, putting our hard-earned development gains at risk. And this comes at a crucial time as we enter the final years before 2030 with an annual SDG financial gap of around $4 trillion. Against this backdrop, Thailand would like to highlight three points. First, we need to revitalize financing for development so that countries can better respond to today's complex challenges and build greater resilience for the future. The CFI commitment gave us a clear way forward. Developed countries should honor their ODA commitments and reverse the decline in development assistance. At the same time, developing countries must have the resources and support they need to implement their development priorities. Thailand, for its part, is strengthening its role as an emerging development partner. We also need to address the structural challenges in the global financial system. Reform of the international financial architecture should give developing countries greater access to affordable finance and stronger voice and representation. We must also do more to curb illicit financial flows, including those linked to online scams, which indeed drain valuable domestic resources. Second, we need to make better use of sustainable and digital finance to increase the impact of our development efforts. Climate finance must be scaled up to reach 1.3 trillion US dollars per year by 2035 for developing countries in line with decisions under the UNFCCC COP30. Developing countries also need greater support to deliver on the commitment to triple adaptation finance and to fully operationalize the loss and damage fund. At the same time, we should give greater attention to disaster risk reduction so that countries can build resilience before disaster strike. Thailand is doing its part. We are scaling up climate finance and green investment through the Thai ESG Fund, sovereign sustainability-linked bonds, and the Thailand taxonomy. These efforts will be further strengthened once Thailand's first climate change act is enacted. Digital finance also has enormous potential. It can expand financial inclusion while lowering transaction costs. MDBs and IFIs can play an important role by helping developing countries invest in safe and interoperable digital financial infrastructure. Thailand's experience with PromptPay and Thai QR payment shows what this can achieve. Our real-time digital payment system has made financial services faster, easier to access, and more affordable. Third, we need stronger partnerships to turn commitments into results. Partnerships can help mobilize resources and bring together governments, the private sector, civil society, and other stakeholders. Thailand strongly supports whole government and whole society approaches that connect national priorities with local needs, strengthen local ownership of the SDGs and encourage greater engagement from the private sector and philanthropic organisations. Thailand will also continue to advance South-South and triangular cooperation as a complement to North-South cooperation in support of our shared development priorities. At the regional level, we will deepen our cooperation, particularly through ASEAN-ESCAP. We will also strengthen cooperation across regions and through other relevant frameworks, including through Thailand's ongoing OECD accession process. Madam Chair, in less than one week, Thailand will host the 2026 IMF World Bank Group Annual Meetings. We see the meetings in Bangkok as an important opportunity to advance the conversation on financing for sustainable development and on how we can collectively respond to a changing global economy. Thailand remains committed to working with all partners Tibet a more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable future for all. Thank you so much.


Albania · Chair [1:52:22]:

I thank His Excellency for the statement. Now I would like to invite the distinguished representative of China to take the floor.


China [1:52:32]:

Chair.

Congratulations on your election as the chair of the Second Committee of the 81st session. You can count on China's full support for you and the Bureau in your work. China aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of Uruguay on behalf of G77 and China. China is a country of action in implementing the 2030 Agenda. We attach great importance to strategic planning and see a blueprint through to the end. Through successive five-year plans, we have sustained our efforts and are vigorously advancing Chinese modernization. We uphold the people-centered development philosophy and always regard the people's aspiration for a better life as the goal of our endeavors. We have historically resolved the problem of absolute poverty, contributing more than 70% to global poverty reduction. We persist in pursuing solid work and practical results, upholding the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. We have promoted the transformation of economic growth from resource-dependent to innovation-driven. blazing a successful path in which economic growth and environmental protection advance in parallel and reinforce each other. We uphold a global vision and pursue win-win cooperation. The Global Development Initiative has gained the support of more than 130 countries and international organizations, and cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative has expanded to more than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations, increasingly becoming important public goods provided by China for common global development. Chair, at present, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda is seriously lagging behind. The development gap between the North and the South is widening, development resources are insufficient, and development momentum is weakening. The international community needs to demonstrate ownership and inject new impetus into the revitalization of global development. First, we should firmly maintain the strategic direction and always place development at the center of the international agenda. We should closely integrate the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda with the actual conditions of countries, improve medium and long-term strategies, and maintain policy continuity and stability. We should deepen UN reform. Development agencies should improve quality and efficiency, help countries strengthen their development plans, and establish long-term, stable mechanisms for implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. Second, we should respond to the aspirations of the people and increase investment in areas concerning people's well-being, such as poverty reduction, food and energy security, and environmental protection. Emerging fields, such as AI, the digital economy, and green energy, should remain people-centered and serve the common good, so that the fruits of scientific and technological innovation truly benefit the world. China's initiative to establish the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization aims to support capacity building in the Global South and bridge the digital and intelligence divide. All parties are welcome to participate actively and share the benefits of AI. Third, we should pursue practical cooperation and an action-oriented approach, confront difficulties head-on, and address the bottlenecks and key issues constraining global development cooperation. Developed countries should earnestly fulfill their commitments on development financing and climate finance. Substantive progress should be made as soon as possible in reforming the international financial architecture, and the representation and the voice of developing countries should be enhanced. The WTO dispute settlement mechanism should be restored to normal operation, and WTO rules should be advanced in keeping with the times. Fourth, in the spirit of pulling together in the same boat, we should build a global development partnership that is united, equal, balanced and inclusive. We should oppose decoupling supply chain disruptions and trade protectionism and promote economic globalization that is inclusive and beneficial to all. Chair, this year marks the fifth anniversary of the Global Development Initiative. In a congratulatory letter to the high-level dialogue commemorating the fifth anniversary, President Xi Jinping proposed working together to advance the Global Development Initiative in a deeper and more substantive manner and transforming the vision of the SDGs into a tangible and accessible reality. which demonstrates China's commitment as a major country to advancing global development cooperation. China stands ready to continue working with all countries to advance cooperation under the Global Development Initiative, support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and make greater contributions to building a prosperous and better world.

Thank you, Chair.


Albania · Chair [1:57:10]:

I thank the distinguished representative of China for the statement. And now I'd like to invite the permanent representative of Maldives to take the floor.


Maldives · Permanent Representative [1:57:19]:

Thank you, Chair.

The Maldives aligns with the statements delivered by Uruguay on behalf of G77 and China and Palau on behalf of.

AOSIS.

I congratulate you, Chair, and your Bureau on your election. and reiterate our continued support for a successful conclusion of the work of the committee. Development succeeds when countries emerge from cooperation more capable than when they entered it. That capability must be built organically. Capacity that leaves with a foreign expert was never truly built. Sustainable development, therefore, must expand a country's freedom and capacity to shape its own future. Achieving this requires three things.

First, finance must expand policy space.

As ODA declines and concessional finance becomes more difficult to access, developing countries, especially small island developing states and middle-income countries like the Maldives, are forced to borrow for development. Today, most developing countries have no choice but to spend more on debt servicing than on education and health. Innovative debt mechanisms and accessible, affordable, and adequate financing provides countries with space, opportunity, and ability to choose. The choice to invest in education, in health, and in resilience. Second, development cooperation must help strengthen national institutions. The UN development system and other development partners are not a replacement for national institutions. As resources diminish, we must become more efficient, more precise with where and when assistance is provided. In program countries like the Maldives, the UN development systems and other development partners must increase their coordination and reduce duplication to provide necessary support for national institutions to build their capacities. They must strengthen their presence in program countries. With the right tools and space, the national institutions can and will strengthen their capacities. Capacity to obtain and manage finance, capacity to develop better development plans, and capacity to strengthen resilience to shocks. Third, support and cooperation must reflect the needs of developing countries. Three decades ago, we recognized SIDS as a special case for sustainable development based on their geography, scale, and exposure to shocks. Support provided to these countries must be tailor-made to address these challenges. Programmatic support for SIDS like the Maldives must be guided by the Antigua and Barbuda agenda for SIDS and their national priorities. This program of action and national development priorities must reflect countries' aspirations. They are more focused and reflect domestic context better than more generic and broader programs. The Moldovans have set the ambitious goal of becoming a developed country by 2040. Achieving this goal requires finance that creates space for choice, development support and cooperation that strengthens national institutions, and targeted, tailor-made support. As 2030 approaches, the question this committee and our development partners in the UN system must ask is, has our cooperation left countries more capable of choosing, acting, and delivering for themselves?


Chair [2:01:05]:

I thank you. I thank your excellency for the statement. I would like to invite to take the floor the permanent representative of Argentina. Excellency, you have the floor.


Argentina · Permanent Representative [2:01:19]:

Thank you very much, Ambassador. We congratulate you and the members of your Bureau on your appointment, and we wish you every success in your work. The beginning of a new session opens up an opportunity to seek common ground for a more efficient and effective multilateralism, connected to the realities and problems of Member States, and one that respects the sovereignty and national development priorities of each country, a multilateralism that works. It is also an opportunity to demonstrate in practice what we advocate under the UN80 initiative: shorter resolutions, clear and more concrete mandates, avoiding duplication and overreach of certain agendas, an analysis of budgetary implications, and evaluation of results. Madam Chair, we are going through a period of profound reflection on the role of the United Nations. For Argentina, The international order must be founded on a defined moral conviction. We define life, liberty, and property. Therefore, we are pursuing a path based on the principles of free markets, trade, investment promotion, responsible macroeconomic policies, legal certainty, dialogue with the private sector, and full integration into the global economy, boosting exports with added value. We believe it is necessary for the work of this committee to reconnect with these principles, because where there is economic growth, investment, and free trade, there is peace and security. Peace is not merely the absence of conflict. It requires prosperous societies. Therefore, initiatives arising from the UN should not restrict the capacity of states to unleash their productive forces, attract investment, and promote trade. On the contrary, they should promote them as they represent the most successful path to generating employment and reducing poverty. Nor should we suffocate transformative tools with regulations, particularly those tools that will allow us to generate significant technological and productive advances, such as artificial intelligence. we must take advantage of its potential for growth and development through innovation. Madam Chair, it is for these reasons, among others, that Argentina disassociated from the Pact for the Future and its annexes and considers that the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development consists of legally non-binding aspirations that each state, in the exercise of its sovereignty, has the right to interpret and pursue freely. Accordingly, Argentina reserves its national position on these aspects, as well as on the topics of climate change, gender, artificial intelligence, and all other elements that are contrary to our foreign policy principles. Madam Chair, the Commission's agenda, while noble in its intentions, often duplicates topics that already have their own foreign political spaces. whether that be in the Bretton Woods institutions, the World Trade Organization, multilateral environment agreements, and other four bodies of the system that has headquarters in Geneva, Vienna, Rome, and other cities. It is also working on issues that fall under the sovereign jurisdiction of each country, such as tax matters. At the same time, we see overlapping approaches and efforts with other areas of this headquarters, such as ECOSOC, the High-Level Political Forum, and other committees. These duplications and overlaps dilute the efforts that are being undertaken to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness. Madam Chair, regarding the thematic approach to our work, we must avoid imposing global or supranational slogans that overstep their objectives and restrain individual or commercial freedom, or undermine the natural rights of citizens. We also call for prudence in creating mandates with budgetary implications and, above all, mandates that aim to increase the Secretariat's bureaucracy. We must respect the subsidiary role of international organizations in relation to national efforts. To conclude, Madam Chair, it is necessary that we regain focus. The essential mandate of the UN is to preserve international peace and security. Our work in this committee should complement and strengthen that objective. The delegation of Argentina will participate in good faith and constructively in the debates. Thank you.


Chair [2:06:14]:

I thank His Excellency for the statement. And I would like to invite to take the floor the distinguished representative of Saudi Arabia.


Saudi Arabia [2:06:25]:

Madam President, at the outset, we would like to associate ourselves with the statement of the G77 and China. We congratulate the Chair and the members of the Bureau. We affirm our keenness to cooperate for the success of the Committee's work. As 2030 approaches, our responsibility to turn what we have agreed upon into tangible results grows. in terms of job opportunities, quality of services, and communities' abilities to build their futures. Sustainable development requires a comprehensive approach that takes into account the economy, society, and the environment at the same time. In this regard, we stress the importance of strengthening international efforts to combat poverty and achieve food security, nutrition, and agricultural development to enable developing countries to build their capacities and ensure that communities have access to adequate food. In its Vision 2030, the Kingdom is investing in people, linking economic diversification to improving the quality of life. By empowering women and youth and enhancing the role of private sector and developing national capabilities, the Kingdom is working to expand participation in development and benefiting from its outcomes. This experience underscores the importance of basing international partnerships on clear national priorities and that they support countries' ability to choose their own development paths. digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence have become important tools to improve services and enhance productivity. We therefore emphasize the need to strengthen cooperation to narrow the digital divide, facilitate access to technology and capacity building, and enable developing countries to actively participate in relevant international debates while respecting national sovereignty and promoting trust and security in digital use. We stress the importance of maintaining a rules-based, multilateral trade system with the WTO at its core. It should be responsive to the needs of developing countries and support the diversification of their economies and production capacities. Madam President, economic gains are not sustainable without maintaining the resources on which they are based. Protecting water, soil, and vegetation contributes to stabilizing income of farms as well as food security and community health. Our Kingdom's experience in sustainable rural development highlights the importance of supporting small-scale producers and linking them to value chains. Strengthening these efforts requires investing in agricultural innovation, reducing waste, improving production and consumption patterns, protecting biodiversity, and countering land degradation. The Kingdom's efforts in monitoring dust and sandstorms also demonstrate the importance of scientific cooperation in protecting resources and livelihoods. The Green Saudi and Green Middle East initiatives support this path. Energy remains the basis for these activities, from food production to operating factories and delivering services. We stress the importance of energy security safety and access. This requires protecting supply chains and guaranteeing the freedom of navigation and the safety of vital sea routes in accordance with international law. This has a direct impact on the stability of energy supplies and global trade. Development remains incomplete when people are deprived of their resources. We therefore renew our firm position regarding the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources and regarding their access to their natural resources, as well as the need to protect them from exploitation and destruction in accordance with relevant UN resolutions. We look forward to a more coordinated and efficient United Nations development system that is state-led and responsive to states' demands. We look forward to a cooperation that allows for the exchange of experiences and complements broader international cooperation. Improved program planning and the work of the Commission should contribute to channeling resources, maintaining transparency, inclusiveness, and the intergovernmental nature of the negotiations. In conclusion, we look forward to joint action that transforms commitments into broader opportunities and enhances the ability of countries to implement their priorities and achieve tangible progress and ensure that no one's left behind. Thank you.


Chair [2:10:41]:

I thank distinguished representative of Saudi Arabia. And now I'd like to give the floor to the permanent representative of Guatemala. Your Excellency, you have the floor.


Guatemala · Permanent Representative [2:10:53]:

Madam Chair. Guatemala congratulates you and the other members of your Bureau on your election and assures you of its full support and cooperation throughout your term. This statement aligns itself with those delivered on behalf of the groups to which Guatemala belongs. With four years remaining until 2030, significant gaps persist and hinder the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the areas of financing, capacity building, and access to technology. In this context, Guatemala continues to advance concrete actions aimed at accelerating the implementation of the SDGs and promoting sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development. Guatemala recognizes that development must translate into the continuous improvement of people's well-being. In this regard, it highlights the progress achieved through the Intersectoral Strategy Action for Socioeconomic Development in Guatemala, which seeks to transform structural conditions in 114 priority municipalities through national resources and international cooperation. This strategy brings together eight public institutions and a portfolio of 24 initiatives in areas such as health, education, agriculture, social protection, water, energy, and the creation of economic opportunities, thereby contributing in an integrated manner to the advancement of multiple SDGs and benefiting more than 550,000 families. Guatemala is also continuing to make progress in its energy transition. In 2025, 62% of the country's electricity generation came from renewable sources, compared with 59% in 2024. This progress contributes to SDG 7, and demonstrates the importance of linking development policies with a sustainable energy transition. Madam Chair, sustainable tourism also constitutes an important development tool. In 2025, Guatemala received more than 3.3 million non-resident visitors, representing an 11% increase compared with the previous year and generating approximately 1.39 billion in foreign exchange earnings. This growth contributes to SDG 8 through job creation and increased economic activity while strengthening local economies and promoting culture and the protection of natural heritage. These advances reflect Guatemala's commitment to the 2030 agenda. However, sustaining them and accelerating their impact requires an international environment that responds to the different realities and development needs of countries. As a middle income country, Guatemala reiterates that per capita income does not adequately reflect its structural vulnerabilities or the complexity of its development needs. It is therefore necessary to advance measures that complement GDP to fulfill commitments on financing for development and to strengthen technical and institutional cooperation. Technological transformation also represents an important opportunity to accelerate sustainable development. Artificial intelligence must contribute to closing gaps rather than reproducing them. During 2026, Guatemala is advancing the co-creation of a national artificial intelligence strategy accompanied by a roadmap for its implementation. Harnessing these opportunities requires connectivity, digital infrastructure, institutional capacities, and human talent. Guatemala, therefore, underscores the value of international cooperation, including South-South and triangular cooperation, in strengthening digital capacities, promoting knowledge transfer, and facilitating access by developing countries to emerging technologies. Chair, Guatemala reaffirms its commitment to the 2030 agenda and to a multilateral system that strengthens national efforts through greater cooperation, financing, and access to technology in order to translate agreed commitments into concrete results for its people. Thank you.


Chair [2:15:15]:

I thank His Excellency for the statement, and I would like to invite to take the floor the Distinguished Representative of Democratic People's Republic of Korea.


Democratic People's Republic of Korea [2:15:27]:

Madam Chair.

The DPRK delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the G77 and China. My delegation at the outset congratulates you on your election as chair of the Second Committee of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. We also expect that this committee will bring about excellent results under your able stewardship. Madam Chair, with only a few years remaining until 2030, implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs remains significantly off track. Armed conflicts continuing unabated all over the world and unfair international economic relations have persisted over the decades, and as a result, the efforts of member states, particularly.

Developing countries, for achieving economic growth.

Have failed to yield the results they deserve. Meanwhile, increasingly erratic, disaster-prone, abnormal climate and the spread of communicable diseases continue to threaten the survival of mankind, significantly hindering the achievement of the SDGs. It is imperative that we overcome all the challenges through joint efforts, and it is the responsibility of this committee to promote practical measures to overcome these challenges. First, a favorable environment conducive to sustainable economic growth must be created, and it is important for all governments to fulfill their responsibilities and roles in fostering genuine economic development. Sustainable economic growth can only be ensured when the use of threats or force, as well as high-handed and arbitrary practices that undermine peace and security, national sovereignty, and the right to development are brought to an end. Given that each state faces different circumstances and levels of development, sustainable economic growth that enhances the people's well-being can be achieved only by.

Relying on development models and strategies that.

Align with their people's needs and interests, as well as the national specific realities. Second, efforts must be made to ensure an environment conducive to the economic development of developing countries.

The current unjust international economic relations constraining the economic development of developing countries.

Must be fundamentally reformed, and a fair and inclusive new one, based on the principles of justice, equality and mutual benefit, with full reflection of realities and interests of developing countries, should be established without further delay.

Madam Chair, under the unique leadership of Comrade Kim Jong Un.

President of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, our people last year successfully accomplished the previous five-year plan for the development of the national economy by principle and approach of self-reliance. In this period, the economic foundation for production boost was reinforced, numerous monumental projects were completed, policies for.

That our government invariably pursues are implemented at a higher level. Our people have now confidently embarked on new five-year plan aimed at building on the.

Successes and leading it to new heights.

In conclusion, the DPRK will develop economic cooperation and exchanges with all countries.

That seek to build a peaceful and fair world based on the principles of sovereignty, equality, and mutual benefits. My delegation stands ready to contribute constructively to the productive discussion in this session. Thank you.


Albania · Chair [2:19:38]:

I thank the distinguished representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Peru.


Peru [2:19:51]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. My delegation welcomes you and all the members of the Bureau and congratulates you on taking up the challenge of steering the work of our committee. We approach the work of this committee from a fundamental premise. Development must translate into concrete results for people. Peru has shown that progress is possible. In recent decades, our GDP has nearly tripled in real terms. Nevertheless, gaps and structural problems persist, and we must overcome them in order to achieve a more balanced development and create greater opportunities for our populations. Therefore, financing for development must help create the conditions that enable our countries to prosper, remove the barriers that hold back people's development, and respond to each country's priorities with due regard for its national circumstances. Digital technologies and artificial intelligence open up new opportunities, but they can also potentially deepen inequalities. In Peru, we are strengthening education and expanding skills for the knowledge economy as tools for social mobility. To further bolster these efforts, we need affordable access to infrastructure, data, and capacities, as well as the transfer of technology on favorable and mutually agreed terms. In this context, we need international cooperation and a multilateralism capable of finding common ground, even when our realities differ. But cooperation must strengthen our capacities and support each country's efforts with full respect for its institutions, priorities, and its sovereignty. For Peru, Development means not only creating prosperity, but also ensuring that its benefits reach all of our territories and protecting the progress achieved from risks that could reverse it in a matter of hours. Disasters illustrate this challenge with particular clarity. They destroy infrastructure, they disrupt public services, affect production and livelihoods, and place significant pressure on public resources. Peru is very familiar with this reality. Our geography and diversity are an enormous source of wealth, but they also expose us to multiple threats. We are currently paying particular attention to the evolution of the El Nino phenomenon and its potential impact on the population, infrastructure, and productive activities. We must therefore move from a predominantly reactive approach towards a culture of prevention. Scientific information and early warning systems must translate into preparedness, anticipatory action, and risk-informed investment. Investing in prevention also means protecting the resources and progress that our countries have spent decades building. For a geographically diverse country such as Peru, development must take the form of resilient infrastructure, meaningful connectivity, access to water, and to affordable and sustainable energy, as well as services and productive opportunities that make it possible to close gaps. Our natural heritage is also a fundamental asset for development. Peru is one of the most biodiverse countries on the planet. Protecting that heritage doesn't mean setting it aside in the pursuit of our growth aspirations. But rather, it means turning it into a source of well-being and opportunities for our populations, particularly for the communities that live and work in those territories. To that end, during the high-level week, the government of Peru announced the launch of the Sierra Verde program, which envisages the reforestation of 50,000 hectares through an investment of $300 million US. This vision also extends to our Amazonian region. The government is launching efforts that bring together the state, communities, the private sector, and international partners around a roadmap to restore ecosystems, identify investment opportunities, and create economic alternatives to the illegal activities that degrade our forests. therefore, play an active part in the work of the Committee this year. For the third consecutive year, we will be co-facilitating with Portugal the negotiations on resolution on disaster risk reduction. We will also co-chair the Group of Friends.


Albania · Chair [2:24:50]:

And the microphone has been cut off. I thank the distinguished representative of Peru for the statement. And I would like now to invite the distinguished representative of Nicaragua.


Nicaragua [2:25:02]:

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Congratulations on your election to preside the work of this second committee. Four years from the deadline for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its goals, they are receding for millions of people, particularly in developing countries. Poverty, hunger, inequality, over-indebtedness, the climate crisis and restrictions on financing are limiting access to development of our peoples and their ability to live with dignity. That dignity is the result of the current international order, which is profoundly unfair and concentrates wealth and denies countries the resources and space to participate, which they legitimately should have. Nicaragua rejects staunchly the unilateral coercive measures which are illegal and incompatible with the Charter of the United Nations and international law. These measures are a violation against development and they are an obstacle to investment and the state of welfare and they adversely affect our peoples. the economy is completely overturned by them and is used as a form of political pressure and economic strangulation. Sustainable development requires respect for sovereignty, self-determination of each people to choose their own economic, cultural, and social model. Eritrea will continue to advance with dignity, stability, and hope. Our government maintains as its priority the fight against poverty, the defense of Nicaraguan families' rights. Through the plan to fight poverty and the human development plan, we have promoted policies that are based on people, families, communities, and we will continue to strengthen education and free healthcare, public infrastructure, social housing, food security, electrification, access to water and sanitation, connectivity, and rural and urban communities. We will continue with the digital transformation and the provision of capacities for that transformation. We believe that AI and the new technologies must be at the service of human development and they must not become another source of exclusion, dependence and inequality. Developing countries need access on equal terms to technology, capacity building and the transfer of knowledge under just conditions which are mutually agreed. Nicaragua supports the South-South and triangular cooperation as a form of solidarity between peoples. This must complement, rather than replace, North-South cooperation. We welcome initiatives that allow the sharing of technology and experience experiences that are successful in terms of national plans, but without meddling in the internal affairs of states. With regard to the climate crisis, the main responsibilities are differentiated but common, and we must not ignore the matter of climate justice. We also uphold the right of peoples to exercise sovereignty permanently over their wealth and natural resources. and we reiterate our solidarity with the Palestinian people, their inalienable right to self-determination, to their independent state, in accordance with the 1967 boundaries, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and to exercise its sovereignty over its natural resources. Nicaragua reaffirms its commitment to the 2030 Agenda, multilateralism, peace, solidarity, justice, social and climate justice, self-determination of peoples, and the influence of our Mother Earth. From Nicaragua, which is blessed, sovereign, and always free, we will continue to work for a world of peace that is multipolar in brotherhood, cooperation and shared development with the certainty that a united, dignified, and solidarity-based people will always advance and will always overcome. Thank you very much.


Albania · Chair [2:29:40]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Nicaragua for her statement. And now I would like to invite the distinguished representative of.

Sudan to take the floor.


Sudan [2:29:54]:

Thank you. Madam Chair, Excellencies, at the outset I would like to congratulate you and the members of your Bureau on your assumption of the leadership of the Second Committee for this session. We assure you of the full support of our delegation. My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by the G77 and China, as well as that on behalf of the African Group and the LDCs. Our debate this year is taking place under a very important theme, as we are only four years away from the 2030 deadline. And we are also seeing a number of challenges, such as an increase in debt rates, shrinking fiscal space, and successive crises. A number of developing countries, particularly in Africa, are not on the right path. The Seville commitments are a framework for mobilizing resources. Yes, the legitimacy of that commitment will be measured by its genuine and effective implementation. We reaffirm the need to address unsustainable debt as well as ensure the more active participation of developing countries. Various UN conventions are important to strengthen tax cooperation, fight illicit financial flows, and recover assets. Madam Chair, wars destroy infrastructure and essential services. They reduce productivity, leads to loss of capital, And support to these states is often merely temporary. My delegation reaffirms the need for the civilian commitments to take into account the context of war-affected countries. Adequate financing must be available to them, and interference must end. must reconcile peace and security and guarantee reconstruction. Reconstruction is not an additional cost, it's an investment in peace. The least developed countries are most affected by climate change and least resilient to it. My delegation therefore reaffirms the importance of implementing the Doha Program of Action and ensuring adequate financing from countries whose classification is in the process of changing. Sudan is facing a number of challenges related to reconstruction because of the war of aggression. We reaffirm our commitments to the principles included in the recovery and rebuilding plans, and we attach particular importance to tax reforms and sustainable management of resources, as well as accelerating the digital transformation and the empowerment of women. And we also attach particular importance to rebuilding cities, ensuring refugees can return home, as well as ensuring water security and investing in renewable energy. We also stressed the need for financing for development. We will be taking part in preparatory work for the Borrower's Platform. We were one of the first to join the South coalition, and we are convinced of the importance of triangular and South-South cooperation for preparing for the post-conflict and post-war phase. Chair, we reiterate our full support to the brotherly Palestinian people and support their right to development. We condemn the policies and practices pursued by Israel. We call for lifting the blockade and economic restrictions. and supporting recovery efforts. Sudan will actively participate in the work of this committee, and we stand ready to work together with all delegations in order to achieve the results we want while leaving no one behind. Thank you.


Albania · Chair [2:34:17]:

Distinguished representative of Sudan for her statement. And I would like to give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bahamas.


Bahamas [2:34:28]:

Thank you, Chair. And at the outset, allow me to congratulate you and members of your Bureau on your election to start a work of the Second Committee during the 81st session and assure you of the full support and constructive engagement of the Bahamas. The Bahamas aligns itself with the statements delivered by and on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, the Alliance of Small Island Developing States, and the Caribbean Community. Madam Chair, this year's theme could not be more timely. Financing sustainable development like global supply chains has been met by correction challenges and necessities due to a new trade policy world. Conflict, climate change, natural resource politics, human skills considerations, the position of emerging technologies in our lives, institutions and industries, the communities together with the search for new understanding about what are the newest assets across the international community to be monetized, how to de-risk investments in this environment, and how does the international community steward common resources and maintain a cooperative environment. These considerations identify the institutional gaps, coordination weaknesses, and political realities that require solutions alongside our recent successes. SIDS, therefore, require an international financial architecture that recognizes our realities and responds to them equitably. The Bahamas strongly supports the full implementation and operationalization of the multidimensional vulnerability index, as outlined in the ABAS. International financial institutions should integrate NBI informed assessments into their lending, allocation and debt sustainability frameworks so that vulnerability and climate exposure and not per capita income alone inform access to affordable and concessional finance. We also welcome the severe commitments agenda for reform on the international financial architecture. and call for its full implementation, including through debt restructuring mechanisms, debt for climate and debt for nature swap instruments, and measures to reduce the cost of capital for climate vulnerability, vulnerable middle-income states. Madam Chair, accelerating the SDGs in a global, in changing global economy also means ensuring that the new age of technology belongs to everyone. States cannot be left behind or confined to the role of passive consumers of technologies, data, and standards developed elsewhere. We require meaningful technology transfer, capacity building, investment in digital infrastructure and skills, and a seat at the table where the rules governing emerging technologies are written. Specifically, data should serve the interests of all of us who generate it and not colonized by corporate infrastructures. Additionally, assets such as fresh water, clean oceans, biodiversity resources, and healthy young populations should be strong metrics and credit rating assessments. These and other elements of strong communities are to be prioritized in our technical work of this 81st session. In closing, Madam Chair, the 2030 Agenda made a commitment to leave no one behind. That commitment cannot be kept while the most vulnerable pay the most for capital, receive the least concessional support, and recover alone from crises they did not create. For the Bahamas, sustainable development and resilience are inseparable. The Bahamas, therefore, stands ready to work with all Member States to build a financing system that is fit for purpose equitable, and able to deliver the promise of sustainable development. Thank you, Madam Chair.


Albania · Chair [2:38:44]:

I thank the distinguished representative of the Bahamas. And I would like to invite to take the floor the permanent representative of Zimbabwe. Excellency, you have the floor.


Zimbabwe · Permanent Representative [2:38:53]:

Thank you, Chair. Zimbabwe congratulates you, Ambassador Janina, and the members of your bureau on your election. Please be assured of our full support as you steer the work of the committee. Chair, we meet at a consequential moment for the sustainable development agenda. With only four years remaining to the 2030, poverty and inequality persist, debt continues to constrain development spending, and rapid technological advances risk widening existing divide. The work of the second committee must therefore remain firmly anchored in eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions. Progress on financing, trade, technology, industrialization, and climate action must ultimately be measured by whether it improves livelihoods, creates jobs, and expands opportunities. This imperative guides Zimbabwe's National Development Strategy II, which seeks to accelerate progress towards an empowered and prosperous upper-middle-income society by 2030. through economic transformation, infrastructure development, food security, job creation, and improved social services. Chair, financing remains indispensable to translating national ambitions into development outcomes. The Saviar commitment provides an important framework for addressing systematic constraints confronting developing countries. Reform of the international financial architecture, affordable long-term financing, sustainable solutions to debt, international tax cooperation, and action to reduce the high cost of capital must remain priorities. At the same time, as technological transformation is reshaping the global economy, developing countries must be equipped not only to consume new technologies, but to shape and benefit from them. Artificial intelligence offers considerable potential to advance sustainable development. Zimbabwe is integrating emerging technologies, it wins industrialization and modernization agenda through its national AI strategy. We therefore welcome the independent international scientific panel on AI and global dialogue on AI governance. As AI governance evolves, its development dimension must remain central. The same principle applies to the global energy transition. Zimbabwe is endowed with more than 40 critical and rare earth minerals. We are determined that these resources should drive industrialization and inclusive development rather than simply be shipped off as raw materials. We have therefore promoted beneficiation and value addition, including restrictions on export of unprocessed lithium ore. In April this year, Zimbabwe spotted its first locally produced lithium sulfate, and our ambition is to move further up the lithium value chain towards lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide production. Our experience reinforces a broader principle that countries supplying the raw materials underpinning the global energy transition must derive equitable benefits through investment, technology transfer, skills development, and value addition. Zimbabwe therefore welcomes its inclusion in the first cohort under the UN country support mechanism on critical energy transition minerals. Chair, landlocked countries continue to face high transport and trade costs, infrastructure gaps, and connectivity constraints. We call for accelerated implementation of the AWASA programme of action, particularly through improved infrastructure, productive capacities and regional connectivity. Unilateral coercive measures further constrain trade, investment and access to finance and technology. Zimbabwe reiterates its long-standing call for their immediate and unconditional removal. Chair, our responsibility is clear, to help build a global economic system that advances inclusive development and leaves no one and no place behind. Zimbabwe stands ready to work with all partners towards the full realization of the 2030 Agenda. I thank you, Madam President.


Albania · Chair [2:43:28]:

I thank you, Excellency, for your statement. Now, I would like to invite the distinguished representative of Greece to take the floor.

The floor is yours.


Greece [2:43:38]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. At the outset, I would like to congratulate you and the members.

Of the Bureau of your election and assure you of our support in steering the work of this committee. Greece aligns itself with the statement.

Delivered by the European Union, and I would like to add the following in my national capacity.

Madam Chair, we meet at a critical juncture for sustainable development. We have entered the decisive final stretch towards 2030. Progress has been achieved, but it remains uneven and insufficient, while debt distress, widening inequalities, climate impacts, and geopolitical tensions continue to constrain implementation. At the same time, economic fragmentation, trade uncertainty, higher energy prices, and high financing costs are affecting investment and growth prospects, particularly in the most vulnerable countries. Development countries face significant financing constraints driven by high borrowing costs, elevated debt service burdens, structurally low tax revenues, declining official development assistance, and uneven investment flows. The annual SDG financing gap now exceeds $4 trillion. Against this background, the Seville commitment provides us with a renewed framework for action. Our priority must now be its effective implementation and the translation of commitments into tangible results at country level. First, we need to mobilize more and better financing. This requires a combination of domestic resources, international public finance, multilateral development finance, and sustainable private investment. Strengthening domestic resource mobilization remains key. At the same time, official development assistance retains its distinctive and catalytic role, particularly for least developed countries and fragile contexts. Greece remains concerned about the current decline in ODA. We should ensure that scarce concessional resources reach those most in need while supporting domestic capacities, strengthening institutions, and leveraging additional sustainable investment. Second, we need to mobilize sustainable investment at greater scale. Multilateral development banks and development finance institutions are key to expanding access to affordable long-term finance, sharing risks, and mobilizing responsible private capital. In this context, the EU's Global Gateway represents an important contribution. Through a team Europe approach, it seeks a mo- it seeks to mobilize public and private resources to help bridge the global investment gap and build mutually beneficial partnerships based on local ownership and partner countries' priorities. Third, we need stronger action on debt and the cost of capital. We should continue to support partner countries in their efforts to strengthen debt sustainability and reduce borrowing costs, including through sound public financial management. Fourth, financing must build resilience and productive capacity. In an increasingly shock-prone world, development financing should enable countries not only to respond to crisis, but also to build greater resilience for the future. Investment in climate and disaster resilience and greater economic diversification are essential. Developing countries must also be supported in harnessing the transformations shaping the global economy, including the green and digital transitions and artificial intelligence. Fifth, multilateral cooperation remains indispensable. Greece remains fully committed to strengthen multilateral cooperation and the rules-based international order. The international financial architecture must continue to evolve and become more inclusive, representative, and effective, while strengthening the voice of developing countries and improving their access to affordable and predictable financing. Madam Chair, as we accelerate SDG implementation, we should also begin thinking about the era beyond 2030. But this discussion must not divert attention or resources from commitments already made.

As we.

Look towards the 2027 SDG Summit, our immediate task is clear, to translate commitments into concrete action, strengthen international cooperation.


Albania · Chair [2:48:40]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Greece for the statement. And now I would like to invite the distinguished representative of Qatar.


Qatar [2:48:53]:

Madam President, at the outset, I would like to express our congratulations to you and the members of the Bureau on your election to lead the work of the Second Committee on this 81st session. We would like to join the statement delivered by the G77 and China. Madam, this session is being held at a time when developing states are facing increasing and interconnected crises, including increasing financing gaps and burdens of debts, and impact of climate change, and turbulence in trade and supply chains, not to mention geopolitical crises and conflicts. On this basis, we emphasize that sustainable development is not merely a national responsibility, but a joint international responsibility that requires a solidarity and partnership-based international cooperation. Excellencies, at the national level, the State of Qatar continues to implement Qatar's National Vision 2030 under the auspices of the Emir of Qatar. May God preserve and protect him. This is a national agenda for comprehensive sustainable development on the basis of four pillars, including environmental, economic, social, and humanitarian development. We believe that investment in people can achieve a sustainable and qualitative shift. In this context, AI represents a comprehensive technological development that can accelerate development but may also lead to exacerbating the existing gaps if development states are not provided with the infrastructure and capacities and skills needed to benefit from it. Here, we emphasize the importance of international cooperation in enhancing access to the digital transformation and digital infrastructure and the inclusive use of AI. We emphasize our full commitment to enhancing international cooperation and achieving the SDGs, and we translate this commitment in the form of partnerships and practical contributions through the Qatar Development Fund's projects with cooperation with the IFIs and international and humanitarian organizations. We achieve multilateral development through sharing information and capacity building and long-term partnerships. We give special attention to the least developed states on the basis of our commitment to the Doha Programme of Action for the least developed states. We believe that international cooperation in supporting LDCs is essential to accelerate their path of sustainable development. We are preparing for the mid-term high-level comprehensive review for Doha Programme of Action in March 2027 in Doha, in accordance with GA resolution We hope that this mid-term review can be a milestone to assess the accomplished progress as well as challenges and a platform to increase cooperation to guarantee the swift implementation of the Doha Program of Action in the remaining years before 2030. We believe that the UN80 reform initiative is an opportunity to enhance the UN's ability to fulfill its mandates in a more effective and efficient manner. And this may enable the UN to better serve its membership. We emphasize that this reform must be member state-led and owned. It is important to increase coherence in the UN's development action, as well as enhance its ability to respond to international challenges. Qatar looks forward to the resolutions before the committee during this session, reflecting a spirit of partnership with a focus on practical results in a manner in line with the reform initiative and FFD4 and the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. In conclusion, we renew our commitment to working with all member states and the UN system in order to enhance international cooperation and support the building of more resilient economies and states. Thank you.


Albania · Chair [2:53:27]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Qatar and would like to invite now the permanent representative of Angola to take the floor. Excellency, you have the floor.


Angola · Permanent Representative [2:53:36]:

Madam Chair, as this is my delegation's first intervention, allow me to congratulate you, Ambassador Janina, on your election as Chair, as well as other members of the Bureau. You can count on Angola's full support and constructive engagement throughout this session. Congo aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of Group of 77 and China, the Group of Least Developed Countries, and the African Group. The theme of our debate raised a fundamental question: How can we ensure that international commitments translate into concrete means for development? Answering this question requires us to consider conditions under which developing countries are implementing the 2030 Agenda. As His Excellency, Joao Manuel Gonsalves Lourenco, President of the Republic of Angola stated during the high-level debate, and I quote, "African countries spend far more on exorbitant debt servicing costs than they are able to invest in health, education, and infrastructure programs." End of quote. This reality demands action on how development is financed and stronger participation of developing countries, particularly Africa, in shaping global economic solutions. Angola therefore calls for accelerated reform of the international financial architecture to make it more representative, inclusive, and responsive. This requires stronger African participation in global economic decision-making, effective and timely debt treatment, greater access to affordable, long-term, and concessional financing, and protection of the fiscal space required to invest in SDGs. We recognize the Pact for the Future and the Seville Commitment as important frameworks for strengthening multilateral cooperation and accelerating SDG implementation. Angola calls for their effective implementation, including through the mobilization of public and private resources at scale, stronger multilateral development banks, and improved responses to sovereign debt. In this context, we attach particular importance to discussions on debt at the United Nations with a view to advancing solutions that preserve the fiscal space required for development. The ongoing negotiations on the United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation should likewise advance a fair and inclusive system that strengthens domestic resource mobilization and tackles illicit financial flows. Excellencies, Angola's experience demonstrates how financing must translate into productive capacity and tangible improvements in people's lives. Our second voluntary national review, presented in 2025, reaffirmed the alignment of the 2030 agenda with the National Development Plan 2023-2027 and the African Union Agenda 2063, while identifying areas requiring accelerated action. Economic diversification remains central to our strategy. The Lobito Corridor can strengthen regional integration and productive value chains. Investment in hydropower and solar energy are expanding energy capacity. The Kaffue Canal strengthened resilience to drought and water insecurity, while the Quenda program supports social protection and poverty reduction. This experience reinforces our conviction that accelerating SDG requires sustainable investment in agriculture and food security, industrialization, decent employment, climate adaptation, technology transfer, and capacity building. The energy transition must be just and inclusive, respect national circumstances, and support development. Digital transformation must equally expand access to knowledge, innovation, and economic opportunity. Angola will work constructively with all delegations to move this committee from diagnosis to delivery, from commitment to financing, from declarations to implementation, and from global agreements to measurable improvement in people's lives. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [2:58:04]:

I thank His Excellency for the statement and now the right to take the floor, the distinguished representative of Ireland.

The floor is yours.


Ireland [2:58:14]:

Thank you, Chair. Excellencies, delegates, Ireland aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and I have the honour to make the following remarks in the national capacity. At the outset, allow me to congratulate Your Excellency, Ambassador Ennina, on your appointment as Chair of the Second Committee, as well as the members of the Bureau on their election. Chair, throughout the general debate of the 81st session of the General Assembly, leaders from every region described the profound challenges faced by their populations today. A common message emerged. In a context of heightened geopolitical tension and growing development and humanitarian need, reaching those most in need has rarely been more difficult. It is precisely in such circumstances that the international community must reaffirm its commitment to effective multilateral action and development cooperation. As we look ahead to key milestones, such as the mid-term review of the Doha Programme of Action and the 2027 SDG Summit, it is clear that progress remains both insufficient and uneven, especially for those furthest behind. Yet the multilateral system, with the UN at its centre and guided by the promise of the 2030 Agenda, offers hope and practical solutions. Over the coming weeks, this Committee must work with focus and purpose to build on momentum generated through political commitments, bridge the gap between needs and opportunities, and translate ambition into ambitious action. In doing so, we must ensure that we can live up to the commitment that no one is left behind. This will require stronger and more inclusive partnerships amongst governments, the UN system, civil society, the private sector, and underrepresented groups, including women and young people. Equitable and effective partnerships can make the difference when it comes to mobilizing financing, designing complex solutions, and delivering in communities. At a time of increasing complexity and constrained resources, no single actor can succeed alone. It will require a greater focus on impact, coherent and targeted where it matters most, informed by the needs of those affected by poverty, inequality, and limited opportunity. And it means addressing the particular challenges and vulnerabilities facing least developed countries, for example, Sub-Saharan Africa, and also small island developing states. Across the breadth of our work, we must tailor policies towards expanding economic opportunities for women and girls, recognizing that women's economic empowerment is both a driver of gender equality and a catalyst for inclusive and sustainable development. Chair, recent weeks have provided yet another stark reminder of the devastating impact and the human cost of climate change, which continue to fall disproportionately on those who are least responsible for causing it. Addressing the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution is essential to protecting development gains, reducing vulnerability, and building long-term resilience. As we look ahead to COP31, this committee can play a role in reinforcing support for the goals of the Paris Agreement, including advancing a just transition away from fossil fuels, strengthening climate resilience and underscoring the urgency of delivering on existing commitments. Ambition must be matched by implementation and financing. Finally, this committee must continue to engage constructively in ongoing efforts to strengthen the United Nations system. The UN development system delivers tangible results every day for people in need. We have a shared responsibility to ensure that it remains effective, responsive and fit for purpose in an increasingly uncertain environment. Reform efforts, including the future financing of the Resident Coordinator System, provide an opportunity to enhance the coherence and impact of the One UN approach. A stronger, better coordinated and adequately resourced UN development system will be essential in delivering for those most in need and supporting countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In closing, Ireland looks forward to working together with all of you over the coming weeks to agree meaningful outcomes and advance our shared aim to deliver a more sustainable, equitable and resilient future for all. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [3:03:06]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Ireland for the statement, and I would like to invite the distinguished representative of Kuwait to take the floor.


Kuwait [3:03:16]:

In the name of God, the most merciful and most gracious. Thank you, Madam Chair. At the outset, we would like to join the statement delivered by the G77 and China, and we would like to congratulate you, Madam Chair, on being elected to lead the work of the second committee during the session, and we wish you every success. We rely on your sound leadership to lead us towards measurable actions that leave people at the center of financial and economic policy so that we can lead people with action, not with rhetoric. The 2030 agenda is no longer a test of will, but a criterion to measure the international community's ability to translate commitments into impact on the ground. The gap between the former and the latter is large. We committed to working on resilient communities and health and education and other goals. Therefore, looking at numbers without looking at the impact on people's lives and supply chains and other matters, renders the agenda hollow. We must look into the human capital and increase the fiscal space and agree on measurable outcomes and respect national prerogatives. We emphasize it's important to implement 2030 agenda and we have our vision 2035. that have key pillars consistent with 2030 agenda for our national development. We also have a sectoral program for investing in education and agriculture and others, and we have also enhanced the empowerment of women and youth. We enhanced digital public services and have worked on a more efficient use of resources and enhanced infrastructure and more private-public partnerships to enhance sustainability and in order to make our economy more diversified and flexible. We also believe that Kuwait's contribution to the water sector is crucial. We have the Kuwaiti Fund for Economic Arab Development. through which we have funded 1,000 plus projects in 107 states. We have agreed to concession financing that helps partner countries, and we enhance this with capacity building and expertise transfer to beneficiary states. We take advantage of local partnerships in implementing these programs to make their results more sustainable. Madam Chair, we emphasize that the path of development cannot be separated from the importance of peace and stability, and we condemn the Iranian attacks on our land in violation of the Security Council Resolution 2817. The Strait of Hormuz also cannot be continued to be hampered, whether directly or through proxies in the region. This leads to Increased prices for key commodities. This also hampers the ability of developing states to invest in development and the eradication of poverty. We emphasize the importance of free navigation in accordance with the international law and UNCLOS of 1982. It's important to protect development gains and the implementation of 2030 agenda. We also condemn in the strongest of terms the actions of Israel, the occupying power in the occupied Palestinian territories. its systemic actions have hampered humanitarian assistance and have targeted hospitals and storages for wheat and other essential commodities. And this has exacerbated food insecurity and starved children and civilians. We emphasize that starvation is prohibited in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2417 of 2018. This is also a grave violation of international humanitarian law. In conclusion, Madam Chair, Kuwait reaffirms that eliminating poverty in all its forms is the key priority of this committee, and we call for predictable and sustainable financing, along with protecting the environment and expanding social protection. It is also important to implement 2030 agenda, which will not be done except by respecting states' sovereignty and ending occupation and respecting states' right to development. Thank you.


Albania · Chair [3:07:47]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Kuwait for the statement. And now I would like to invite our last speaker on the list, Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso.

Excellency, you have the floor.


Burkina Faso · Permanent Representative [3:08:02]:

Madam Chair, the delegation of Burkina Faso congratulates you and the members of the Bureau on your election. Burkina Faso aligns itself with the statements made by the G77 and China, by the Group of African States, and by the group of the least developed countries. The theme of the general debate, financing sustainable development in a changing global economy to accelerate implementation of the sustainable development goals, is of particular importance. Just four years from the deadline, the SDGs remain out of reach for a good number of countries. That's because the development momentum is heavily blunted by the combination of security crises, climate crises, sanitary crises, terrorism, geopolitical tensions, over-indebtedness, the decrease in development financing, and the crisis of multilateralism. How can we achieve the SDGs when some states are financing and arming terrorist groups who destabilize our countries and compromise the implementation of our development programs? In that context, the financing of development is becoming a major issue. Because the international financial architecture is showing its limitations with regard to the needs of developing economies, we must rethink our approaches, reduce our dependence on external financing, and enhance our own development mechanisms. Therefore, Madam Chair, in Burkina Faso, under the leadership of Captain Ibrahim Traore, President of Burkina Faso, the country now has a relaunch plan for 2026 to 2030, which aims to make Burkina Faso a sovereign and prosperous nation on the basis of sustainable, endogenous development. This plan aims in particular to enhance the mobilization of internal resources with the aim of covering 63.9% of financing needs, while promoting the national potential and developing innovative mechanisms such as people's shareholding, green financing and public-private partnerships. So far, there's no ambiguity about the results. The concrete progress has been made. Food security has been enhanced. Health, education, hydraulic energy and digital infrastructure is developing, while the local processing of raw materials is creating more added value and jobs. Madam Chair, this approach does not in any way reflect a disinterest in international cooperation. Burkina Faso, on the contrary, hopes for cooperation based on the respect for its national priorities in the area of security, economics or the social field. We have therefore decided to rely on our own efforts, on our own ability to mobilize internal resources and reduce our dependence on other countries. The people and diaspora of Guinea-Bissau have fully supported this view and are contributing to the financing of many national projects. This experience shows that in a world economy in flux, innovative mechanisms for mobilizing resources can help to finance development. Their success, however, depends on people's trust and confidence, the transparency of resource management, and the relevance of the projects that are financed. Madam Chair, such initiatives also owe their success to the gaps in the international financing mechanisms, in particular the lack of transparency and equity in international institutions and the debt burden. In other words, and a sustainable future can only be built with global commitment based on equity, mutual assistance and the respect of the sovereignty of each state. The delegation of Burkina Faso therefore invites the international community to realize its commitment to reform international financing mechanisms for development and to adapt them to the situations of developing countries. My delegation also invites the international community to favor indigenous solutions in a spirit of mutual respect, solidarity, and true partnership. That is how the SDGs will be fully achieved. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [3:12:29]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Burkina Faso for the statement. And as I mentioned, this is the last statement for today, for today's session, morning and afternoon. We have heard delegations. Before concluding this session, I would like also to thank all delegations for the congratulation addressed to me personally and to the Bureau, and we are looking forward to work together with you in the spirit of cooperation and dialogue. The Committee will reconvene tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m. at the same conference room. We'll continue to hear statements of the general debate. For the updated list of speakers, please refer to the live list. I wish everyone a nice evening. The meeting is adjourned.