联合国大会第81届会议第二委员会 - 第4次全体会议
联合国大会
Date: 6 October 2026
Language: English
Transcript: https://transcripts.un.org/zh/ga/c2/81/4?lang=en
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 [0:02]:

Good morning, colleagues. The fourth meeting of the Second Committee is called to order. I invite you to take your places. This morning, the Committee will continue its general debate on the theme of its 81st session, Financing Sustainable Development in a Changing Global Economy to Accelerate Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Before calling the first speaker on the list for this morning, I wish to remind delegations of the agreed time limit of five minutes for national statements in the general debate. 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 only one minute left to conclude the statement. Please note that the microphone will be automatically deactivated in case speaker exceed this time limit. Delegations are requested to submit longer versions of their statements by email to e-statements account. I thank all speakers in advance for the cooperation. With these comments, I now give the floor to the first speaker on my list. I invite the Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to take the floor. Ambassador, you have the floor.


Dominican Republic · Permanent Representative [1:25]:

Madam Chair, thank you very much. First of all, congratulations to you, Mrs. Suella Kanina, Permanent Representative of Albania, for your election as Chair of the Bureau of the Second Committee, and to the other members of the Bureau. You have the full cooperation of the Dominican Republic during this 81st session. We align ourselves with the declaration of the G77 and China and the Alliance of Small Island Developing States. The theme of this year reflects an unquestionable truth: we cannot accelerate the SDGs without transforming the way in which we finance development. Given geopolitical tensions, fiscal restrictions, debt and climate shocks, we need accessible resources that are predictable and adequate to the realities of each country. The Seville commitment gives us a roadmap, but its value will intend on translating commitments into results and advancing towards international financial architecture, which is more fair, more inclusive and more representative. for the Dominican Republic, this commitment starts at home. We're making progress in an international integrated financing framework, coordinated with our national development strategy, and we have developed tools such as the budget labels for SDGs and the mapping of international cooperation. However, these operations require an international environment which recognizes that per capita income is not in itself a reflection of our needs and vulnerabilities. We therefore reiterate our commitment to promoting an approach that goes beyond GDP to move towards a more holistic analysis and more precise analysis of the development and the particular challenges faced by each country. We therefore support a strategic action plan for middle-income countries that will enhance their institutional capacities productive capacities, digital capacities, innovation capacities, and facilitated access to financing, technology, and knowledge. Our country has shown that it's possible to make progress. We've reduced monetary poverty in 2029 to 14.3 in the first six months of 2026. As the FAO has said, we've come off the hunger map. We must protect these achievements through decent jobs, food security, resilient infrastructure and digital transformation that is inclusive. As a small island developing state, we are also facing the rising sea levels, extreme phenomena and, of course, sargasso weed. We reiterate the importance of the Antigua and Barbuda agenda and converting our vulnerabilities into real access to climate financing, technology and capacities. We therefore urge that the Multidimensional Poverty Index be incorporated into criteria for access to financing and cooperation. Madam Chair, a few years from 2030, it's no longer enough to reiterate commitments. We must honor them and translate them into results for our peoples. The Dominican Republic will continue to work for a multilateralism that is effective and a financing system for development that is more fair, more inclusive, and more effective. Thank you very much for this opportunity, Madam Chair.


Albania · Chair [4:55]:

I thank the distinguished Permanent Representative of the Republic of Dominican for his statement. And now I would like to invite the Permanent Representative of Lebanon to take the floor. Excellency, you have the floor.


Lebanon · Permanent Representative [5:10]:

Madam Chair, at the SDG moment last month, the Secretary General reminded us that progress is possible and that solutions exist. What is needed now is the collective determination, financing and partnerships to deliver. The theme of our debate could not be more timely, and it's essential that we translate our commitments into concrete action. Madam Chair, Lebanon continues to face a multidimensional crisis. compounded by repeated Israeli aggressions, as well as the large-scale destruction and systematic demolition of Lebanese towns and villages. Lebanon's experience demonstrates how conflict can reverse years of development gains by destroying infrastructure and public services, disrupting livelihoods, weakening institutions, and increasing poverty, displacement, and vulnerabilities. However, the government continues to advance reconstruction, facilitate the return of the displaced, rebuild institutions, and implement ambitious reform agenda across vital sectors. Our national focus remains on recovery and reconstruction that is sustainable, inclusive, and resilient. Development cannot wait until crises are over. Madam Chair, for Lebanon, the implementation of Compromiso de Sevilla must remain at the heart of our efforts to closing financing gaps, renew the global financing system for development and accelerating SDGs implementation. This requires ambitious reform of the international financial architecture, greater representation of developing countries in international economic decision making, effective solutions to debt challenges, and greater access to adequate, predictable, and affordable financing. We reiterate that income level alone cannot adequately measure development needs or vulnerabilities. Madam Chair, innovation and digital transformation must be part of the solution. Lebanon is strengthening digital governance and its capacities in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and innovation. This week, Lebanon will host Xperia, its first interactive innovation expo, which will provide a space to explore how the public and private sectors can work together to build more people-centered partnerships and advance innovation. Technology must reduce divides, not deepen them. We therefore call for enhanced technology transfer, capacity building, and fair and inclusive access to new and emerging technologies for developing countries, especially for the youth. Lebanon remains committed to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women, and to ensuring that women, girls, and youth are active participants in economic recovery and sustainable development. Madam Chair, environmental sustainability and biodiversity must remain integral to recovery and reconstruction. Lebanon reaffirms its commitment to the Paris Agreement and to integrating climate action into development. Our national climate policy package, including the National Adaptation Plan 2025-2035, provides a roadmap for strengthening resilience, expanding renewable energy, and advancing a greener recovery. Lebanon is also proud to have deposited on the 24th of September its instrument of ratification of the BBNJ agreement. These efforts are challenged, however, by Israel's use, for instance, among other things, of white phosphorus in populated and agricultural areas, and recently the spraying of highly concentrated glyphosate over vast areas in the south of Lebanon. causing severe health consequences and environmental damage. Madam Chair, once again, we count on the support of all delegations for the adoption of the resolution entitled "Oil slick on Lebanese shores", which addresses the responsibility for the environmental damage caused by the 2006 oil spill and calls for a fair and prompt compensation. Finally, Madam Chair, there can be no sustainable development without peace. and no lasting peace without sustainable development. National efforts must be matched by strengthened multilateral cooperation. Lebanon remains firmly committed to the 2030 agenda and to implementing the commitments of the Pact for the Future and to building a more resilient, inclusive, innovative and sustainable future. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [9:56]:

I thank His Excellency for the statement. And I would like to invite the permanent representative of Cuba to take the floor. Ambassador, you have the floor.


Cuba · Permanent Representative [10:06]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, we congratulate you and the other members of the Bureau on your election. Cuba aligns itself with the statements made by Uruguay on behalf of G77 and China, and by Palau on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island Developing States. We will participate in the work of this committee in a constructive spirit, guided by the goal of contributing through multilateralism and cooperation to eliminating the obstacles and challenges faced by the countries of the Global South. Madam Chair, we are witnessing an extremely complex global context marked by wars and threats of war, where international law and multilateralism are being undermined. The usefulness of the United Nations is being called into question. and the Sustainable Development Goals are being rejected by the very country that hosts this organization. In the face of this cycle of structural crises, how can we understand that banks are bailed out in a matter of hours, yet the minimal commitments we made when adopting the 2030 Agenda will not be fulfilled due to a lack of funding? Madam Chair, Cuba reaffirms its support for the Palestinian cause and reiterates its firm condemnation of the genocide being carried out by Israel in Gaza. with sustained political, military, logistical and financial support from the United States. The goal of the United Nations of ending wars is more necessary than ever. But it is not possible to envision peace or the enjoyment of human rights without first guaranteeing the right to development. That right has been denied to a large part of humanity for decades. For the 11th consecutive year, global military spending has increased, reaching a record high in 2025 of $2.9 trillion. Meanwhile, total external debt service for developing countries reached $1.6 trillion in 2025. In this context, the severe commitment has once again placed at the center of our discussions the urgent need to mobilize and provide new, additional, and predictable resources capable of propelling us forward and getting us back on track toward the SDGs. But progress remains modest. The steps taken towards establishing a multilateral mechanism for sovereign debt negotiation have been tentative. Nor is there progress, as there should have been, on reforming international financial institutions. Climate change threatens the survival of our species and the planet. We must safeguard, implement, and comply with the objectives and principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the related Paris Agreement, and its Kyoto Protocol. Developed countries must take the lead in reducing emissions and in providing the necessary means of implementation for developing countries, based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. Madam Chair, the international community has on countless occasions rejected the imposition of unilateral coercive measures that are incompatible with international law and the United Nations Charter. The United States blockade, which my people have endured for more than six decades, has reached unprecedented levels this year. In addition to the economic, commercial and financial siege, an inhuman energy blockade has been imposed. That's a form of collective punishment. It deliberately hinders Cuba's access to fuel, and it directly affects electricity generation, hospital services, schools, transport, water distribution, agricultural production. and the availability of food and medicine. In addition, extraterritorial measures and so-called secondary sanctions have intensified. They target companies, banks and suppliers from third countries that maintain legitimate relations with Cuba. In addition, is Cuba's unjustified continued inclusion on the UN natural list of states that allegedly sponsor terrorism. And there's also a smear campaign against Cuban medical cooperation. Despite these obstacles, We are fulfilling our commitment to the 2030 Agenda with ingenuity and creativity, as a responsibility related to our country's sustainable development, even as our resilience is increasingly put to the test. In this regard, we have undertaken 176 economic and social reforms this year, aimed at increasing productivity and addressing the needs of our population. in the face of the siege imposed upon us. Madam Chair, the international community cannot continue to postpone the realization of the right to development. Cuba's actions will continue to be guided by that goal and by the willingness to work for a more just, inclusive, and equitable world. Thank you very much.


Albania · Chair [14:58]:

His Excellency for the statement. And now I would like to invite to take the floor the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka. Ambassador, the floor is yours.


Sri Lanka · Permanent Representative [15:09]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by Uruguay on behalf of the G77 and China and makes the following points in our national capacity. The world is grappling with a magnitude of challenges on multiple fronts, from financial and debt challenges to food insecurity and climate change. With only four years away from the 2030 Agenda, we must meet these collective challenges that lie ahead us. Madam Chair, developing economies face shrinking fiscal space due to declining aid, geopolitical tensions, high borrowing costs and debt pressures, limiting resources for SDG investment and social protection. We need deeper reforms to the international financial and we commend the progress at FFD4 and call for implementation of the Cevior commitment to advance financing solutions. Madam Chair, in July 2026, Sri Lanka was reclassified as an upper-middle-income country. Sri Lanka's sovereign credit rating was recently upgraded, with a stable outlook. Behind these achievements are the resilience of our people and the government's commitment to macroeconomic stabilization and structural reforms. Our recovery from the severe economic crisis of 2022 has required sustained efforts amid debt challenges, external shocks and pressures, and climate disasters. We appreciate our international partners' cooperation, particularly through debt restructuring and financial assistance. Madam Chair, despite development gains, MICs face persistent structural barriers. including vulnerability to external shocks, limited access to concessional financing, and technological gaps. Tensions in West Asia have driven up energy prices and disrupted fertilizer supply chains, directly affecting food security. For Sri Lanka, Cyclone Dittha cost over USD4 billion in direct and broader economic losses last year. Sri Lanka crossed the threshold for reclassification narrowly. underscoring the need for tailored and sustained development cooperation and financing. We welcome the consultations on the strategic plan of action for MICs and call for a UN development system responsive to their specific needs. We underscore the need to move beyond GDP as the exclusive basis for determining access to development support and welcomes the experts group report and forthcoming intergovernmental processes. Madam Chair, the energy transition is a priority for Sri Lanka with targets of carbon neutrality by 2050, 70% renewable electricity generation by 2030, and no further support for additional coal power capacity. However, reaching net zero goal will require approximately USD 100 billion or USD 4 billion annually by 2050. This is far beyond what domestic public finance can carry alone. Sri Lanka remains highly exposed to climate change. Natural disaster losses, currently estimated at 0.4% of GDP, are projected to triple by 2050, with El Nino further exacerbating this. Madam Chair, artificial intelligence can accelerate the path to achieving the SDGs, bridging digital divides and expanding equitable economic opportunities. Meaningful technological transfer and equal access for developing countries is imperative. We reiterate our support for the UN80 and call for reforms that strengthen a more effective and responsive UN aligned with national priorities and focused on country level delivery. We also stress the importance of enhancing South-South and triangular cooperation. Sri Lanka stands ready to work with the international community to strengthen cooperation and ensure that global financial frameworks respond more effectively to the needs of developing countries. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [19:26]:

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


Bahrain [19:40]:

Madam Chair, at the outset, we congratulate you on your election to chair the Second Committee for the current session. We wish you success in conducting the work of the Committee. We associate ourselves with the statement delivered on behalf of the G77 and China. Madam President, today's world is facing increasing challenges that impede progress towards achieving SDGs. This underscores the urgent need to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda by promoting collective action, international cooperation, and mobilizing partnerships to ensure that no one is left behind. We are deeply concerned about the negative economic, environmental, and development effects of conflicts, including related actions on countries that are not parties to such conflicts. We note with concern the incidents affecting critical infrastructure, including airports, sea routes, energy installations, water networks, and infrastructure for food production and distribution. This undermines economic stability, disrupts global supply chains, and impedes the achievement of sustainable development. We reaffirm our commitment to uphold international law in accordance with the UN Charter, including the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. We call for an immediate cessation of damaging or disrupting such infrastructure. We also stress the importance of maintaining and strengthening its resilience, bearing in mind its essential role in supporting sustainable development. In this context, we reaffirm our condemnations of the attacks carried out by the Islamic Republic of Iran on the territories of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which were condemned by the Security Council in its Resolution 2817, as well as by the Human Rights Council in its Resolution 61/1. We express our deep concern over the targeting of civilians and vital civilian infrastructure, including power facilities, ports, airports, and desalination plants, with its economic, environmental, and development repercussions. We stress the need to protect such infrastructure and safeguard the freedom of navigation to protect international trade, energy, food security, and global supply chains and support sustainable development. Madam President, the Kingdom of Bahrain renews its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to continue to strengthen international cooperation based on partnership, innovation, and shared ambitions. In this context, The Kingdom places among its strategic priorities the strengthening of its national economy on the foundations of equity, competitiveness, and sustainability. And since the launch of our economic vision 2030, we have made significant progress in diversifying our economy with non-oil activities accounting for 90.1% of the GDP. We are also working on our economic vision for 2050. with participation of the legislature, the private sector, professional institutions, and CSOs to be a starting point for new funds of development, prosperity, and sustainable growth by promoting investment in promising sectors, including financial services, manufacturing, telecommunications, tourism, renewable energy, and pharmaceutical industries. Madam President, the financial and banking sector reflects the strength of the Bahraini economy, with financial and insurance activities registering a growth of 8.6 percent the highest among non-IL activities, while contributing 19.7% of real GDP. The Kingdom has also achieved advanced rankings globally, including the first place globally in public-private partnership and governance of Islamic finance and attracting investments, as well as the sixth place globally in the ICT Development Index for 2026. On the environmental level, we are committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. As for renewable energy, we are expanding our solar energy projects in support of raising the share of renewable energy to 20% of the energy mix by 2035. In conclusion, Madam President, the Kingdom of Bahrain reaffirms its commitment to building a diversified and sustainable economy that puts citizens at the heart of development efforts. and keeps pace with technological developments and preserves the environment and protects natural resources. As a member of the Security Council for the period 2026 to 2027, we renew our commitment to promoting international peace and security, believing in the peace, security, and development nexus and the importance of working together to build a more prosperous, just, and sustainable future for future generations. Thank you, Madam President.


Albania · Chair [24:21]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Bahrain. And I would like to invite the permanent representative of Republic of Moldova to take the floor. Ambassador, the floor is yours.


Republic of Moldova · Permanent Representative [24:31]:

Madam Chair, allow me first to congratulate you and the members of the Bureau on your election and to assure you of the full cooperation of my delegation. My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and wishes to offer a few additional remarks in its national capacity. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, we begin the work of the Second Committee at a particularly consequential moment for sustainable development. There are only four years remaining until 2030. Geopolitical fragmentation, conflicts, climate shocks, and persistent economic uncertainty are placing increasing pressure on development gains and widening existing vulnerabilities. At the same time, the financing needed to deliver on the sustainable development goals remains far from the scale required. Still, the challenge before us goes beyond financing. It is fundamentally about resilience, the resilience of our economies, our institutions, and the multilateral system itself, and about our collective ability to turn commitments into tangible results for people. For the Republic of Moldova, these challenges are very concrete. Over recent years, our economy and society have faced successive and overlapping shocks, the COVID-19 pandemic and unprecedented energy crisis. high inflation and the far-reaching consequences over Russia's war against Ukraine. Yet Moldova has preserved the macroeconomic stability, protected vulnerable population, and continued structural reforms while advancing on its path towards membership of the European Union. Our experience has taught us A simple lesson, sustainable development and resilience must advance together. Earlier this year, my country presented its second voluntary national review. It showed progress, but also clearly identified where we must accelerate. Our economy returned to a positive trajectory in 2024 and 2025. as SMEs now generate about 55% of gross value added. Employment has increased, unemployment has declined, transport connectivity has improved, and digital transformation advanced significantly. Nevertheless, our export base remains sufficiently diversified. Investment in research and development remains limited. Demographic pressure persists, and territorial inequalities continue to constrain development. Our response is not to lower ambition, but to accelerate transformation. The National Development Strategy, European Moldova 2030, brings together our implementation of SDGs and the European integration agenda. We are investing in human capital, modern infrastructure, energy security and efficiency, digitalization, competitive enterprise, and strong institutions. But national reforms alone are not enough. Madam Chair, the international environment must enable countries to succeed. The Sevilla commitment provides us with an important framework. Now we need implementation. For the Republic of Moldova, external assistance has been essential in maintaining macroeconomic stability, strengthening institutions, and supporting reforms. Concurrently, our objective is increasingly to transform international support into productive capacity, investment, innovation, trade, and sustainable growth. Development assistance, public finance, and private investment should reinforce each other rather than be treated as competing alternatives. This is particularly important for countries undergoing profound economic and institutional transformation. Moldova needs partnership that help us move from vulnerability towards resilience and from resilience towards competitiveness. Our VNR shows both sides of this equation. External support and foreign investments have been important for our development, while limited fiscal space, dependence, and external resources are insufficient, export diversification remains structural challenges. Madam Chair. The UN development system must evolve with these realities. In the context of constraints, resources, UN, the AT should make the system more coherent, less fragmented, and more focused on measurable impact on country level. We need to move from fragmented projects to integrated solutions and from measurable activities to delivering results. Resident coordinators and UN country teams should be better equipped to connect national priorities with the expertise, partnership, and financial needs needed to achieve them.


Albania · Chair [29:32]:

I thank the ambassador, His Excellency, for the statement. And now I would like to invite the Permanent Representative of Congo to take the floor. Excellency, the floor is yours.


Congo · Permanent Representative [29:45]:

Thank you very much, Chair. First of all, on behalf of my delegation, to warmly congratulate you and the members of the Bureau. My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by Uruguay on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and also Burundi on behalf of the African Group. Chair, this year's debate comes at a time where we're seeing a slowing in global growth, worsening impacts of climate change, persisting geopolitical tensions, and insufficient funding for sustainable development. As we approach 2030, the funding deficit for SDGs remains one of the main obstacles to their achievement. Therefore, we call for renewed mobilization of the international community to translate commitments into concrete resources that are accessible for developing countries. For Congo, the implementation of SDGs remains at the heart of our government's action. Our country is continuing reforms to strengthen social protection, to promote youth employment, reduce inequalities and support more inclusive growth. That's our national social network program, which is just so it targets vulnerable households. And we have a youth production and employment program to reach more than 45, 4000, 45,000 young people. Our economic work We're seeking to make our economy less dependent on oil and strengthen high potential sectors such as agriculture, tourism, industry, and mines. Chair, national efforts must be supported by ambitious support from international financial architecture. We need more equitable access to concessional financing to take into account vulnerable countries and the difficulties they face, and particularly to make debt more manageable. We are particularly also working on food security and this is why we have implemented our protected agricultural zones project to contribute to modernizing our agriculture, increasing production and progressively reducing our dependence on imported food. Chair, climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time Republic of Congo remains fully committed to fight this phenomenon with more than 24 million hectares in the Congo Basin with tropical forests and we are therefore making significant contribution to mitigation of climate change. We have one of the lowest rates of deforestation. However, efforts should be supported by sufficient predictable funding. The achievement of the SDGs requires international solidarity. Effective multilateralism and partnerships based on equity and shared responsibility is crucial too. It's time to bridge the deficit in financing for development, to reform international financial institutions and ensure that no one be left behind. We therefore call for swifter implementation of international commitments on financing for tackling climate change, particularly about the severe commitment, and supporting restoration of ecosystems and for protection of forests. Thank you very much, Chair.


Albania · Chair [33:19]:

I thank His Excellency for the statement. And now I would like to invite the Permanent Representative of Suriname to take the floor. Excellency, the floor is yours.


Suriname · Permanent Representative [33:29]:

Thank you, Honourable Chair. Siuna aligns itself with the statements by CARICOM and the Group of 77 and China. Madam Chair, developing countries are confronted with an increasingly difficult development landscape. Financing gaps are widening, debt burdens remain acute, climate-related shocks are intensifying, and affordable development finance remains out of reach. These negative developments are compounded by rising prices in the energy sector and inflation caused by wars far away from our shores. These challenges are immediate and tangible. Therefore, the outcomes of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville matter. Developing countries need affordable, predictable, and accessible finance and an international financial system that better reflects their realities. Suriname's contributions are distinctive. More than 90% of our territory is covered with forest, which is a vital carbon sink and provides environmental services that extend far beyond our borders. We recognize our responsibility to safeguard this natural capital. Yet, conservation carries real economic costs. It benefits our global while much of the burden of maintaining our forest is borne by Suriname. We therefore continue to call for greater access to climate and biodiversity finance, including mechanisms that recognize the value of standing forest and verified carbon removals. We are also advancing solutions of our own. Suriname is working to develop carbon markets and innovative instruments, including debt-for-nature approaches. However, these mechanisms must be transparent, environmentally sound, and accessible at meaningful scale. We should not have to choose between protecting our forests and developing our economy. Our task is to make natural capital a pillar of sustainable development model. Suriname is also entering a new economic phase as we develop our offshore oil and gas resources, with production to start in 2028. presenting a major opportunity and equally a significant responsibility. The revenues from our natural resources must create lasting value for our people, meaning investing in education and skills, health infrastructure, technology and innovation, agriculture, renewable energy, and economic diversification. It means strengthening our institutions and ensuring that our workers and business participate meaningfully in this economic activity. Madam Chair, with regards to international financing, countries like Suriname are being asked to pursue several imperatives at once: grow our economies, build climate resilience, protect ecosystems of global importance, and prepare for external shocks. Our capacity to meet these demands cannot be judged by income per capita alone. Measures of vulnerability must also reflect exposure to climate change, debt pressures, ecological contributions, and a country's capacity to withstand external shocks. We therefore call on the international community to undertake the following steps. Expand access to affordable financing for climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience. Establish financing mechanism that recognize the value of forest and other ecosystem services. Strengthen access to technology knowledge and capacity building so that developing countries can diversify their economies and move higher in global value chains and, last but not least, accelerate progress toward a more responsive, representative, and inclusive international financial architecture. Madam Chair, Suriname seeks a development path which grows strength in our people, institutional resilience, while enabling us to continue protecting natural resources of global importance. We are ready to do our part. International commitments must be translated into practical support through finance, investment, technology and genuine partnership. For us, sustainable development means ensuring that the opportunities of today build a stronger, more resilient and more prosperous country for generations to come. Thank you, Madam Chair.


Albania · Chair [38:02]:

I thank His Excellency for the statement. And now I'd like to invite the Permanent Representative of Montenegro to take the floor. Ambassador, you have the floor.


Montenegro · Permanent Representative [38:13]:

Thank you, Madam Chair, and congratulations on your election. Montenegro aligns itself with the EU statement. As the 2030 deadline is fast approaching, while global progress in achieving SDGs is lagging behind, we all need to redouble our efforts. SDG implementation requires financing that is predictable, transparent, inclusive, and adaptable to national circumstances, in line with the Seville commitment and platform for action. We must strengthen domestic capacities while ensuring that international financing mechanisms remain accessible and responsive to the needs of countries and communities. Dear colleagues, Montenegro has made significant progress in advancing its SDG agenda, which is fully aligned with our national programs and priorities and currently ranks 48 in the SDG Index. We remain committed to improving inter-institutional framework and financing through the Office of Sustainable Development and National Council for Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Integrated Coastal Zone Management. Reliable financing remains central to our efforts. The key sources of financing for SDG activities, including monitoring and implementation, come from the EU pre-accession assistance, the UN Montenegro SDG Acceleration Fund, the Joint SDG Fund, and the national budget. The SDG Acceleration Fund supports strategic initiatives in three key areas: inclusive economic development and environmental sustainability, human capital development, reducing vulnerability and social inclusion, social cohesion, people-centred governance, the rule of law and human rights. These priorities are fully aligned with our EU accession agenda. By the end of 2025, the Fund has mobilised almost 6 million euros. Montenegro contributes 1 million euros to this mechanism from national budget, which is particularly significant given our size and economic power. It demonstrates our strategic commitment to sustainable development, Agenda 2030, and the Pact for the Future. We are also committed to strengthening technical and financial capacities and the role of the national statistical system, thereby ensuring increased availability of data monitoring and reporting. Montenegro believes that financing sustainable development also requires mobilizing private investment, strengthening public-private partnership, improving the investment environment, and directing capital towards sustainable and resilient economic activities, particularly women-led ones, through transparent and well-monitored processes. National efforts are underway to establish a mechanism for tracking investments and expenditures related to the SDGs, as well as to enhance resource mobilization for the 2030 agenda through partnership funds. Dear colleagues, current challenging global economic environment under pressure from conflicts, climate change, growing polarization, and inequality demonstrates that financing for sustainable development cannot be considered separately from resilience. Financing adaptation and resilience is therefore not only an environmental priority, but an investment in the long-term stability and sustainability. Building on the strategic objectives of our foreign policy, our program for international development cooperation and international humanitarian assistance 2026-28 aims to align Montenegro's capacities with global needs, strengthen its contribution to regional and global stability, and position Montenegro as a reliable partner to the international community. As an ecological state fully committed to the Paris Agreement, Montenegro is particularly focused on climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability as outlined in our Climate Change Adaptation Plan 2025-2035. Montenegro is the first Western Balkans country to submit its third Nationally Determined Contribution, reaffirming its commitment to stronger climate action. We will also continue to engage actively in international efforts addressing climate change and sustainable development, including through upcoming COP31, the UN Water Conference, and the UN Biodiversity Conference. The procedure for ratification of the BBNJ Agreement is also underway. Madam Chair, as we commence our work in the Second Committee, Montenegro stands ready to continue cooperation with Member States to improve its efficiency, building on the UNADH efforts, and further mobilize resources, strengthen partnership, and accelerate the implementation of SDGs so that no one is left behind. Thank you.


Albania · Chair [42:40]:

I thank Her Excellency for the statement. And now I'd like to invite the distinguished representative of Pakistan to take the floor. The floor is yours.


Pakistan [42:49]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. I congratulate you and the members of the Bureau on your election. You can count on our delegation's support. Pakistan aligns itself with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of G77 and China. The founders of the UN placed the promotion of economic and social progress at the heart of the Charter. As we approach the last SDG Summit before 2030, it is clear that real progress has been made towards this aspiration. However, COVID, conflicts, and climate, along with the food, fuel, and finance crises, have eroded hard-won development gains. The SDG financing gap now stands at an estimated $4 trillion a year. The Cevier commitment provided a blueprint to close this gap. The task now is to deliver. In this regard, Pakistan proposes four priorities. First, Developing countries must be supported in mobilizing their own resources through an enabling international environment. We therefore support the ongoing negotiations on a UN framework convention on international tax cooperation, which must result in a more equitable distribution of taxing rights. Second, international public finance must be scaled up and made more predictable. Developed countries must honor their 0.7% ODA commitment and we must make progress on tripling MDB lending capacity and improving lending terms. Borrowing costs must also be lowered, including through fairer credit ratings. Third, the international debt architecture must be reformed, with developing countries given a greater voice within it. The Borrower's Platform is an important step in that direction. Having served as Vice-Chair of the working group that steered its launch, Pakistan will continue to actively support its work. Equally, The intergovernmental process on debt must be initiated without delay. Fourth, trade must once again become an engine of development, and the WTO must be revitalized. This requires restoring the two-tier dispute settlement mechanism, special and differential treatment, concrete progress on agriculture, and an end to unilateral trade restrictive measures, including environmental ones. Madam Chair, climate justice must be delivered. We support Turkey and Australia in making COP31 a COP of delivery. This means a credible pathway to $300 billion in climate finance through grants and concessional finance, tripling adaptation finance, and an adequately capitalized loss and damage fund. On water, the 2026 and '28 water conferences must address the full spectrum of water-related challenges, particularly cooperation over shared waters. This requires respecting international law and upholding the sanctity of existing treaties. The AI divide threatens to become the new face of the development divide. This committee must help shape the development dimension of AI governance. We also call for operationalizing the VISION+20 AI Capacity Building Fellowship, as well as concrete progress on a global fund for AI. On operational activities, The UN development system must be responsive to the priorities of programme countries and fully respect national ownership. All reforms must be judged by whether they improve delivery on the ground. Lastly, through its recent revitalization decision, this Committee has made its own contribution to the goal of UNAT. However, efficiency is a means, not an end, and it cannot become our raison d'etre. Having made itself leaner, this committee must now focus on implementation. That will require more, not fewer, resources. I thank you very much.


Albania · Chair [46:44]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Pakistan for the statement. And now I would like to invite the distinguished representative of Ethiopia to take the floor.


Ethiopia [46:59]:

Madam Chair, Excellencies, Allow me to begin by congratulating you and the members of the Bureau on your election to lead the work of this important committee. You can count on Ethiopia's full support. At the outset, my delegation aligns itself with the statements delivered by the Group of 77 in China, the African Group and the LDCs. Madam Chair, in just a few years, developing countries have been grappling with the consequence of a series of overlapping crises. including food and energy shocks, a worsening climate crisis, and growing global economic fragmentation. The economic, financial, development ramifications for developing countries are already profound and long-term. Several countries in special situations, including landlocked developing countries, find themselves in a particularly difficult position, as we are forced to bear the heaviest consequence of external shocks in which we had no role. Across Africa, these poly-crisis are aggravating structural vulnerabilities, including heavy debt burdens and constrained fiscal space. Their social impacts are also significant, as they fall hardest on the most vulnerable and risk pushing millions into poverty. The theme of the first debate, financing for sustainable development, highlights a critical challenge confronting developing countries. FFD4 presented an important opportunity to galvanize momentum for mobilizing finance and partnerships. However, implementing the Compromiso de Cevia depends on closing the significant financing gap. And the reform of the international financial architecture cannot be credible unless it is also inclusive. Developing countries, and African countries in particular, are most affected by decisions taken in international financial institutions, yet remain underrepresented in the forums where those decisions are made. Doing so is essential to accelerating the progress on the SDGs and addressing the stark global divide in development. At home, Ethiopia is undertaking comprehensive fiscal, monetary, and financial sector reforms to lay a long-term foundation for economic stability, prosperity, and resilience. Through the homegrown economic reform agenda, Ethiopia is stabilizing the macroeconomy and unlocking the potential to pave the way for private sector-driven growth. Ethiopia has also made the landmark decision to operationalize the African Continental Free Trade Area, a major milestone in our commitment to continental integration. This is an important part of reforming our economy while accelerating economic integration and regional trade across Africa. Promoting industrialization and access to energy remains a central pillar of our economic growth, job creation, and structural transformation. In this context, we have made notable progress in expanding electricity access and enhancing renewable energy generation. Our electricity generation capacity has doubled over the past seven years, with more than 99% coming from renewable sources. Although significant challenges remain, Ethiopia's growing energy transition is powering industrial parks advancing universal access to clean energy and driving regional energy connectivity in East Africa. In the agricultural sector, through smart farming and modern irrigation, Ethiopia's WIT program is boosting local production and productivity. On artificial intelligence, Ethiopia joins other developing countries in underscoring the urgent need for inclusive international frameworks that ensure their full participation in shaping the future of AI governance. Realizing the benefit of this critical and emerging technology is important and it requires fair global governance. Nationally, we are expanding our digital public infrastructure anchored by the FIDA national ID and modern digital payment systems, which we are modernizing public services, expanding financial inclusion, and driving faster economic growth. In conclusion, Madam Chair, Ethiopia emphasizes that strengthening multilateralism and results-oriented outcome is essential to building a fairer, more just, and more resilient world. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [51:26]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Ethiopia for the statement. And now I would like to invite the distinguished representative of Oman to take the floor.


Oman [51:39]:

Thank you, Chair. The delegation of the Sultanate of Oman would like to congratulate you on your election to chair the Second Committee at the 81st session of the General Assembly. We wish you and the members of your Bureau every success, and my country is looking forward to working with you and with other delegations to ensure that this session is successful. The theme this year is financing sustainable development in a global ever changing global economy to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs. This is a key, it comes at a key time because we have three, we have three years to go before the 2030 agenda. And there is still debt burden and financing and there's also intertwined economic, climate and geopolitical challenges. The Sultanate of Oman believes that the current stage requires a transition from pledges to implementation. We insist on the importance of building on the severe commitment and accelerating implementation of its outputs in a way that contributes to addressing debt challenges and supporting concessional financing for developing countries. We also call for reform of the international financial architecture to make it to make sure it meets the needs of developing countries and strengthen the role of multilateral financial institutions and development banks. It's also important to boost investment and support innovative financing instruments. In this context, the creation of the Amman International Financial Center is one of our modern national initiatives, which seeks to build a competitive financial system. to diversify our economy and contribute to financing sustainable development and achieving the Amman 2040 vision. In the light of rapid technological transformations, we believe that technology, innovation and artificial intelligence have a lot of potential. In this connection, we welcome the creation of the International Scientific Group on Artificial Intelligence and the launch of the Global Dialogue on AI Governance, which was launched in Geneva. It is important that developing countries benefit from these transformations through capacity building, knowledge and technology transfer. At the national level, my country is continuing to use digital transformation and artificial intelligence to enhance innovation and competitiveness, and also to increase the efficiency and provide good quality jobs. We're also continuing to integrate the SDGs into our 2040 vision and its implementation. The 11th five-year development plan, 2026-2030, which will coincide with the 2030 agenda, includes many strategic programs with a focus on tourism, the digital economy, and sectors that support sustainable economic growth. In the face of climate change, Oman is continuing on its path towards net zero by 2050. including this includes increasing renewable energy and green hydrogen. And recently we saw the operation of several solar power plants, and we also launched our updated strategic plan for net zero. The years that we have until 2030 require accelerated implementation for real sustainable development, the aim being Supporting finance, technology and capacity building. All the commitments need to be implemented to achieve results. My country will continue to support international efforts to create more partnerships for sustainable development and thus we'll be able to keep our promise to leave no one behind. Thank you, Chair.


Albania · Chair [56:09]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Oman for the statement. And now I'd like to invite to take the floor the distinguished representative of Portugal.


Portugal [56:19]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. Let me start by congratulating you and the Bureau on your appointment. From our side, you can fully count on our support. Portugal aligns with the statement delivered by the European Union and would like to add the following in its national capacity. 2030 is fast approaching. In anticipation of the SDG Summit in 2027, we must recommit to sustainable development and push towards the implementation of the 2030 agenda. For this session of the Second Committee, we propose to focus on ensuring that commitments undertaken translate into concrete action. Portugal will focus its work in three specific areas. First, cooperation. Portugal is proud to, once again, co-facilitate together with Morocco the resolution on South-South cooperation. We see South-South and triangular cooperation as complementary efforts that connect countries facing similar challenges and help mobilize knowledge and resources to locally led solutions. Later this month, Lisbon will host with the OSCE the 10th International Meeting on Triangular Cooperation with the theme, "Shaping the Next Decade of Triangular Cooperation: From Evidence to Impact." Our objective is to scale up evidence-based, impactful solutions that actually result and produce results. Second, resilience. we must be able to create sustained development gains. Together with Peru, Portugal will co-facilitate the resolution on disaster risk reduction. Implementing the Sendai Framework is also about ensuring our progress is sustained against crises and disasters. But resilience also means strong institutions. Investing in capacity building is essential to strengthening national capacities. For Portugal, this commitment is translated by the three fully funded capacity building programmes on digital, ocean governance and outer space. These will have new additions this year. We are also proud to be able to continue our support to the graduation process. Graduation is an important development achievement. To ensure that progress achieved is not reversed, we must reinforce resilience and reduce persistent vulnerabilities. Portugal continues to support support smooth transition processes through our financial contribution to the Sustainable Graduation Support Facility, E-Grad, and the Haddock Working Group on Smooth Transitions, ably led by Angola and Finland. Third and lastly, partnerships. We must move forward with the realization of the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS, the Doha Programme of Work on LDCs and the AWAZA Programme of Action for LDCs. These commitments are neither separate nor duplicating. They are blueprints to respond to countries' specific needs. We're very happy to continue our work with Belize as co-chairs of the Steering Committee on Partnerships for SIDS to strengthen its role as a practical platform. As a backbone to all this is financing. The implementation of the Sevilla commitment is essential to deliver results. And the resolutions on the macroeconomic cluster need to focus on its operationalization. Madam Chair, this is how we propose to approach the work in this year's committee. A combination of resolutions that work as tools for operationalization and delivery. The 2030 Agenda remains our common roadmap. Portugal is ready to work with all to make sure we can deliver on the SDGs. Thank you.


Albania · Chair [1:00:48]:

I thank the Distinguished Representative of Portugal and I would like to invite the Distinguished Representative of Ghana to take the floor.


Ghana [1:00:58]:

Madam Chair, Ghana aligns itself with the statements delivered on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and the African Group. We congratulate you and assure the Bureau of our full cooperation. At the heart of our deliberations is a critical question: how to mobilize the financing needed to translate our sustainable development ambitions into tangible results. Mounting debt pressures, constrained fiscal space, and persistent financing gaps are limiting the capacity of developing countries to invest in their development priorities. With 2030 approaching, the challenge before us is clear: to ensure that our ambitions are matched by adequate and accessible means of implementation, and that our commitments translate into concrete outcomes. Access to affordable financing remains a major constraint. The external debt of developing countries reached an estimated $12.3 trillion in 2025, while in sub-Saharan Africa, public external debt service absorbs almost 16% of government revenue. Ghana therefore calls for accelerated implementation of the severe commitment through affordable long-term and concessional financing, effective debt solutions, and a more inclusive international financial architecture. We're a voice for developing countries and fairer, more transparent sovereign credit rating methodologies are also essential to addressing Africa's high cost of capital. Affordable financing must support long-term economic transformation by building productive capacity, promoting diversification, and creating decent jobs. For Africa, this means a paradigm shift from raw material exports to domestic processing and beneficiation, supported by strong regional value chains in African Continental Free trade area. Ghana maintains that Africa must strengthen its industrial capacity to process more of its resources at home, retain greater value, and advance greater agency and self-reliance. At the same time, developing countries must strengthen their capacity to mobilize and retain resources needed to finance their development. Illicit financial flows undermine these efforts by draining domestic resources and constraining physical space. Ghana is among the countries applying internationally agreed methodologies to measure these flows, helping to strengthen the evidence needed to identify and curb resource leakages. Ghana therefore calls for a stronger international cooperation to combat illicit financial flows and strengthen asset recovery and return. Financing is equally critical to building climate resilience. Africa contributes less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, yet continues to bear severe climate impacts. For countries already facing high debt burdens, climate vulnerability must not become another pathway to indebtedness. Ghana therefore reiterates the need for predictable and accessible climate finance with greater provision of grants and concessional resources for adaptation and resilience. Madam Chair, the purpose of mobilizing finance, strengthening productive capacity and building resilience must ultimately be to improve people's lives. Development must deliver poverty reduction, decent jobs, stronger social protection, and quality health and education. Economic growth must have a human face, with its benefits felt in the lives and livelihoods of our people. Madam Chair, it is with this focus on implementation and impact that we approach the 2027 SDG Summit. The summit must provide renewed impetus for accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals in the remaining years to 2030. Its success will depend not on the multiplication of commitments, but on our collective ability to provide the means to implement those already made. It is by translating commitments into action and action into concrete outcomes that we can restore trust in multilateralism and advance the promise of the 2030 Agenda. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [1:05:07]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Ghana and now invite the distinguished representative of Eritrea to take the floor.


Eritrea [1:05:18]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, the LDCs, and the African Group. Chair, less than four years to 2030, progress on the implementation of sustainable development goals remains uneven. However, we all know that the achievement of this ambitious global agenda is possible. Eritrea remains committed to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Agreement, Doha Programme of Action, and the Ceville Commitment. These frameworks are fully aligned with Eritrea's national priorities and development ambitions that aim to eradicate poverty, achieve sustainable economy, build resilience, and ensure the well-being of its people. Guided by the principle of self-reliance, social justice, and national ownership, Eritrea's development strategy is based on three closely correlated, mutually reinforcing, and equally important pillars: enhancing human capital development, promoting an inclusive, diversified, and sustainable economy, and strengthening all-rounded national resilience. Despite the significant resource constraints, structural challenges, and increased vulnerability to climate shocks, the country is heavily investing in human development, social protection, climate resilience, renewable energy, building resilient infrastructure, and enhancing productive capacity and value addition. Committed to inclusive development and to leaving no one behind, the country is also investing in the area in education, healthcare, agriculture, climate adaptation and mitigation, and disaster risk reduction. Agriculture and food security in Eritrea is severely affected by extreme rainfall fluctuations, frequent droughts, chronic water scarcity, and land degradation, as well as a significant climate adaptation financing gap. In response to these challenges, we are implementing a proactive community-led resilience strategy and scaling up climate-smart production through community-based models, such as minimum integrated home farming packages, as well the small and productive farming plots. The country is also implementing the national adaptation plan and the ambitious nationally determined contribution through several operational programs. Madam Chair, the significant and predictable, the insufficient and predictable, and sustainable financing for sustainable development and the volatile global economic reality and the effect of climate change are disproportionately affecting the least developed and vulnerable countries such as Eritrea. This requires redoubling collective efforts to lead to implementation of the global commitments, particularly the CVA commitment, 2030 Agenda and the DPOA. We have enough commitments and frameworks. Therefore, during this session, we believe that the Committee should consider the following. One, we need to focus on innovative, streamlined, result-oriented and concrete actions, as well as on the means of implementation and follow-up mechanisms. Two, as finance remains decisive bottlenecks for SDG progress, strengthened international cooperation and partnership is essential. To bridge the implementation gap, we need better data, capacity, technology transfer, and stronger alignment between international efforts and realities on national levels. Four, preparing for post-2030 is equally important as continued efforts to top charge SDGs delivery. I thank you, Madam Chair.


Albania · Chair [1:09:55]:

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


Cambodia · Permanent Representative [1:10:06]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. At the outset, allow me to sincerely congratulate you, Madam Chair, and the members of the Bureau on your election to lead the Second Committee at the 81st session. My delegation extends its full support to you, Madam Chair. I also commended the Permanent Representative of Gambia for his dedicated leadership during the previous sessions. With 2030 fast approaching, achieving our shared Sustainable Development Goals remain a distant reality. Leaders underscored these concerns during the recent General Assembly debates, highlighting the urgent need for greater momentum and collective efforts. In this regard, my delegation considers the team's emphasis on financing to accelerate SDG implementation timely. In this context, I would like to highlight the following points. First, predictable, affordable, and long-term financing for development must be ensured and equitably distributed. Cambodia, therefore, calls for the timely implementation of the Compromiso de Sevilla and welcomes continued effort by multilateral development banks and partners to improve financing terms for developing countries. Second, South-South, North-South, and triangular cooperation should be further leveraged to advance sustainable growth. By pooling technical expertise, sharing innovative practices, and facilitating technology transfers, we can address shared global challenges more efficiently. Third, financing for the SDG implementation should be fairly allocated across development sectors, with particular attention to LDCs. As Cambodia prepare to graduate from the LDC status by 2029, we are witnessing firsthand challenges arising from the structural changes in concessional financings, trade preferences, and ODA. Therefore, Cambodia calls for targeted support for the smooth LDC transitions and strengthened partnerships and appropriate post-graduation assistance to ensure continued and sustainability. Madam Chair, in closing, Cambodia is committed to doing its part to finance sustainable development and stand ready to work closely with all Member States and partners toward these shared objectives. I thank you, Madam Chair.


Albania · Chair [1:13:11]:

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


Myanmar · Permanent Representative [1:13:21]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, at the outset, I wish to congratulate you and the other members of the Bureau on your well-deserved elections. You can count on our delegation's full support and cooperation throughout these sessions. Myanmar aligns with the statement delivered by ASEAN, the LDC group, and the G77 and China, respectively. Madam Chair, our global economic and development landscape have recently undergone major shifts, including declining ODA, trade fragmentations, and retreat from development commitments. At the same time, high borrowing costs debt distress, limited physical space, climate crisis, and external shocks are hitting vulnerable countries the hardest, particularly the least developed countries and countries undergoing conflict. With four years remaining, the prospects of realizing the 2030 Agenda are very grim. Against this backdrop, the Save Villers Commitment must be fully operationalized to accelerate implementations of the SDGs in a changing global economy. Madam Chair, in my country, Myanmar, the 2021 illegal military coup followed by the military hunters' violence and atrocities against civilians have unfortunately reversed our previous development gains in economic, financial, and social sectors. Allow me to illustrate this reversal with some significant numbers. Since the coup, the economy has lost nearly $100 billion in value. Inflation rose to 30% last year. National poverty has increased to nearly 50%. The price of a basic food basket has nearly tripled. Almost a third of the population is facing acute food insecurity. foreign direct investment has dropped by 74%. At least 1 million young people are estimated to have left the country to escape forced conscription and insecurity. Meanwhile, the illicit economy, transnational organized crimes, including online scam, drug and human trafficking, continue to expand. On the current trajectory, the youth of Myanmar risk settling into a loss of fragmented generations. In addition, the World Bank reported that a decline in formal sectors, opportunities, migrations of skilled workers, and the loss of human capital, disruption to education and health services, will threaten Myanmar's long-term development and poverty reduction prospects. Madam Chair, it is crystal clear that the military junta that instigated the conflict, instability and the regression in the country cannot effectively serve or protect the interests of our neighbors, the region and the other development partners either. Moreover, the military will never be a solution for the country and its people. Only addressing the root cause of the conflict can create conducive conditions for financing, development assistance, infrastructure projects, and international cooperation, and ultimately bring peace and stability in Myanmar. Despite facing many challenges, the National Unity Government and allied democratic forces are coordinating through the Steering Council for emergence of a Federal Democratic Union to provide essential services to civilians and leave no one behind. I ask the international community to support the SCEF and the people of Myanmar in their collective efforts to eradicate the military dictatorship and build a federal democratic union for peace, stability, justice, and sustainable development in Myanmar. I thank you, Madam Chair.


Albania · Chair [1:17:24]:

I thank your Excellency for the statement. And now I would like to invite for taking the floor the distinguished representative of Mauritania.


Mauritania [1:17:35]:

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the delegation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, I'd like to extend to you my warmest congratulations on your election to the chairship of the Second Committee at the 81st session. I'd also like to congratulate the other members of the Bureau, and assure you of my delegation's readiness to work with you in a constructive spirit to ensure the success of this session. My delegation also aligns itself with the statements made on behalf of the Group of 77 and China and the Group of African States. Madam Chair, our session is being held at a critical juncture. There are only a few years before 2030, the deadline for 2030 agenda. And the achievement of the related goals remains elusive for many developing countries. Debt burdens are increasing, as is the cost of financing and development. Official development assistance is declining. and climate change is becoming an even graver problem. There are also the financial problems of our organization. However, these circumstances should motivate us to show more solidarity and not be an excuse for us to renege on our commitments. Madam Chair, ladies and gentlemen, the severe commitment which resulted from the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development is not an end product, but a programme of work to be implemented. My delegation calls for an immediate transition from the commitment phase or pledging phase to the implementation phase with systematic follow-up within the framework of this committee and the Forum on Financing for Development. Given that Mauritania is one of the least developed countries, we insist on the importance of effectively implementing the Doha Programme of Action and ensuring that there is a real transition for those who are removed from the list. We'd like to emphasize three priorities. First, we want to reform the international financial architecture to strengthen the voice of developing countries and to expand concessional financing and redirect special drawing rights to those who need them most. Secondly, we need to establish an effective, comprehensive, multilateral debt treatment mechanism which goes beyond the slow space of the common framework to include assistance and expand assistance at crisis moments. Thirdly, we need to address related financial flows and accelerate asset recovery, move forward in the spirit of compromise in negotiations on the United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation. Madam Chair, Mauritania is a desert coastal country located in the heart of the Sahel. The Sahara makes up the bulk of its area. We are experiencing droughts, the advance of the desert, sand and dust storms, phenomena that threaten urban communities, infrastructure and livelihoods. Therefore, we attach particular importance to everything that allows us to fight against sandstorms, the implementation of the United Nations Convention to combat desertification, and support for the Great Green Wall initiative, the promotion of disaster risk reduction. We also call for a just energy transition. We've already seen this in terms of gas, renewable energies, green hydrogen, to allow concessional financing and real technology transfer, rather than becoming an additional financial burden on my country. Madam Chair, ladies and gentlemen, we can't talk about poverty eradication without addressing rural poverty. We need to support small farmers and empower rural women as a key economic actor. Madam Chair, As we start the work of this session, we are concerned that the resolutions at the 80th session were all adopted through a vote.


Albania · Chair [1:22:37]:

The microphone has been cut off.

Distinguished representative of Mauritania. And now I would like to give the floor to distinguished representative of Ukraine.


Ukraine [1:22:51]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. We live in a globalized and deeply interconnected world where technologies and artificial intelligence transform our economies and people travel to space as tourists. At the same time, we have set ourselves the goal of building societies of equal rights and opportunities, and with the 2030 Agenda, we pledge to leave no one behind. Yet today, armed conflicts, climate change, economic turbulence, and food insecurity undermine progress towards that agenda. When we adopted it, could we have imagined such a combination of these challenges? They threaten not only the most vulnerable, whom we pledge to protect, but also the international order, global markets, and the global economy. We can make progress only if we adapt and address these challenges together. The Second Committee must continue to play its role in translating the Sustainable Development Goals into tangible improvements of people's lives. Ukraine remains firmly committed to implementing the 2030 Agenda and advancing the SDGs. For my country, however, this process is taking place under the extraordinary circumstances of Russia's ongoing war of aggression. The war has inflicted enormous human suffering, destroyed critical infrastructure, and severely disrupted economic and social development. Every child in the world should have equal rights and opportunities. Ukrainian children are denied them. They continue to study in shelters or see their education interrupted by constant attacks. They cannot leave their school years as their peers elsewhere do. They carry a moral trauma that will stay with them for their entire life. Schools, hospitals, maternity facilities and other civilian infrastructure have repeatedly become targets of Russian strikes. Even sites that embody Ukraine's history, religious heritage and cultural identity have not been spared, such as the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. Ukraine's scientific potential is suffering as well. On 28 September, the historic building of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in the centre of Kyiv was directly struck by a Russian drone, causing casualties and significant damage. Russia's war has already taken the lives of more than 180 Ukrainian scientists. And within months, Kyiv itself has increasingly become a major target of Russian strikes. Their apparent purpose is to make everyday life unbearable for civilians and to undermine Ukrainians' resilience as winter approaches. Russia targets our energy generation, transmission, distribution infrastructure, seeking to deprive millions of people of electricity, heating, and other essential services. But without power, food cannot be stored, processed, delivered. Medicine cannot be kept safe and available, and business cannot operate. Ukraine, therefore, attaches great importance to international cooperation in protecting critical infrastructure and strengthening the resilience of energy systems. We are deeply grateful to all our partners, donors, and UN agencies for the assistance they have provided and continue to provide in these critical times. But also, Russia's war has also consequences far beyond Ukraine's borders. Ukraine is one of the world's largest exporters of grain and other agricultural products. A number of countries, particularly in Africa and Middle East, depend on our supplies. Yet, constant attacks on Ukrainian ports and vessels severely constrain our ability to export. Today, harvests are rotting instead of feeding people. Thus, ensuring the continued function of Ukrainian Black Sea ports is directly linked to the ability of vulnerable countries to secure stable and affordable food supplies. Madam Chair, the experience of Ukraine demonstrates that sustainable development cannot be separated from peace, security, and respect for international law. So as we work together towards achieving the SDGs by 2030, we must also draw a lesson from the challenges of our time. Armed conflicts, attacks on critical infrastructure, disruptions to food and energy supplies, climate-related disasters and other complex crises are becoming increasingly interconnected. Future development efforts should be better equipped to address these realities. So Ukraine will continue to engage constructively in the work of the Second Committee and to support practical solutions that advance sustainable development, strengthen international economic cooperation, and leave no one behind. Thank you, Madam Chair.


Albania · Chair [1:27:24]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Ukraine, and I would like to give the floor to the Permanent Representative of Vietnam. Excellency, you have the floor.


Viet Nam · Permanent Representative [1:27:34]:

Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Allow me, first of all, to congratulate you and the members of your Bureau on the election and assure you of Vietnam's full support and cooperation throughout this session. Vietnam aligns itself with the statements of the G77 and China and of ASEAN. Madam Chair, with only four years remaining until 2030, we are far away from achieving the SDGs. and progress has been limited and uneven. Developing countries continue to face economic uncertainties, widening development gaps, impacts of climate change, increasingly frequent disasters, and growing fragmentation in the global economy. For Vietnam, this year marks an important development milestone as we join the ranks of upper middle income countries. This achievement is the result of four decades of our own Doi Moi reforms, international integration efforts, as well as sustained efforts to improve the lives and livelihoods of our people. Yet, it also reminds us that reaching a higher income level is not the end of the development journey. Like many middle-income countries, Vietnam continues to face long-standing vulnerabilities and new development demands. Climate change, demographic transitions, development gaps, and an uncertain global economic environment risk eroding hard-earned gains. At the same time, sustaining progress requires countries to raise productivity, build technological capabilities, develop high-quality human capital, and transition towards greener and more resilient economies. These challenges underline a reality. Countries at different stages of development require different forms of support and partnership. Development cooperation must evolve with countries' needs and circumstances, enabling them to consolidate development gains and build the capacities needed for the next development stage. As such, we call for a stronger global partnership to build the capacities of developing countries and ensure their equitable access to new and emerging technologies. As technological change rapidly reshapes the global economy, every country must have a fair opportunity to acquire the knowledge, the skills and technologies needed to innovate, to compete and advance in its own development. Equally important is an open, fair and inclusive international economic environment trade must remain an engine for sustainable development. We must preserve open, stable and resilient global supply chains, avoid protectionism and unnecessary barriers to trade, and ensure that developing countries have meaningful opportunities to participate in and move up the global value chains. We must also accelerate the reforms of the international financial architecture, including international financial institutions and multilateral development banks, to make them more inclusive, equitable, and responsive to the needs of developing countries. Such reforms should expand access to adequate, affordable, and long-term development finance, while strengthening the voice and representation of developing countries in global economic governance. Vietnam firmly committed to the 2030 agenda and to greener, more inclusive and resilient development. We stand ready to work constructively with all partners to strengthen multilateral cooperation and create an enabling international environment in which all countries can advance towards sustainable development. I thank you, Madam Chair.


Albania · Chair [1:31:40]:

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


Cameroon [1:31:50]:

Madame Chair, Cameroon aligns itself with the delegations, the statements made by the African group, by Namibia, and the group of G77 by Uruguay. And we hope that this will be a mobilizing, structuring, and federating discourse, which shows one of the major paradoxes of the international economic system. Those who have the most need for financing are often those for whom capital is the most expensive. Given this question, we have to say that the world doesn't lack diagnostics or liquidity. What we're missing is political will because we have grandiose promises, but they are contrasting with the derisory amounts of funding that we are deploying on the ground. The result of that injustice is appalling. The SDG financing gap is now currently $4 trillion per year. because the servicing of that debt at exorbitant cost is strangling developing countries. And on the other hand, the climate shocks are ravaging the infrastructure on the basis of continuing reductions in concessional aid. Madam Chair, my delegation would like to remind you that SDG 17 was not initially devised as one goal among others. It's actually the keystone of achieving the 2030 agenda. because what we have here is the agenda depending on credit debt, fair trade, technology transfer, sovereign data, and partnerships, and various other things. We can't reduce the financing deficit just through our prayers, so what we need is a holistic, diligent, and measurable implementation of this severe compromise. So, we need some more long-term concessional financing, fair assistance and international cooperation with no complacency. Madam Chair, when an African government is forced to devote more of its resources to repaying loans than to educating its children and the health of mothers, That's not just the macroeconomic balance that is out of whack, it's the social contract that is shattered. It's the very future of a generation. My delegation therefore asked for the end of a system which over evaluates the risk of Africa, associated with Africa, while undervaluing the huge value that my continent offers to the planet. My country hopes and works tirelessly for the resources mobilized to contribute to a productive, endogenous change. We need to transform, process raw materials in price, and we need to free up the genius of our entrepreneurs. Our youth is not holding out its hand to receive compassionate aid. It's asking for real tools to create, produce, and conquer markets. It wants to become the motor of our industrialization. So we need a reform of the rules of the international trade and the international financial system. That's the very heart of our national development strategy for 2030, amplified by the momentum of the African Continental Free Change Area, Madam Chair. The technological revolution and AI may put us before a historic crossroads, but our delegation is concerned that what we may see is a world in which there is an algorithm economy, while others are still fighting to have electricity and clean water. Madam Chair, on the climate front, the Congo Basin, one of the green lungs of the planet, which Cameroon is part of, renders a huge ecological service every day. How can we imagine that its preservation might depend on condemning to poverty the people who protect it. Climate financing, therefore, can't take the form of additional debt imposed on those who are already feeling the full effects of a crisis that they did nothing to cause, Madam Chair. Given the urgency and the seriousness of the issues facing us, our collective efforts will not be, success will not be measured in terms of the volume of resolutions in our archives, but on the number of financial commitments that we honor, the factories that we build for young people in order to transform human lives in Cameroon and Africa. So we must hope that the microphone has been cut off.


Albania · Chair [1:36:49]:

The representative of Cameroon. And now I would like to invite to take the floor the distinguished representative of Morocco.


Morocco [1:36:57]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. At the outset, I would like to congratulate you on behalf of my delegation and assure you and the members of the Bureau of our full cooperation. Excellencies, colleagues, the global economy is being reshaped by artificial intelligence and technological advances.

At a pace that outgrow the current financial architecture.

Climate change and disaster risk are intensifying. Geopolitical tensions are disrupting trade and investment.

Debt burdens are constraining national budgets.

And while the needs of development financing is growing, the fiscal and financial space available to developing countries is in many cases shrinking. The implementation of the 2030 agenda is therefore facing a fundamental challenge. Our ambitions are increasing, while the means to achieve them remain insufficient. In this context, delivering on the Compromiso de Sevilla must be part of our collective response. Translating its commitment into concrete reforms and scale-up financing is necessary to accelerate the SDGs implementation. The upcoming SDG Summit, 2027 SDG Summit, must be a moment of urgency and acceleration. The Second Committee deliberations this session shall pave the way for a honest and pragmatic discussion ahead of this summit. While thinking on beyond 2030 deadline is needed, having a concrete assessment and evaluation of implementation is necessary. Madam Chair, as a middle-income country, Morocco also wishes to draw particular attention to the specific financing challenges faced by middle-income countries. While many MICS account for a significant share of the world's population and global economy activity, many continue to face persistent vulnerabilities, including limited access to concession of finance. We therefore welcome the progress made in advancing the strategic plan of action for middle income countries and look forward to the next steps for this process. In addition, mixed specific challenges give the best illustration that GDP alone and income levels should not be the sole criteria for assessing a country's financial needs. In this context, mixed priorities must be placed at the center of the ongoing intergovernmental process on Beyond GDP. Madam Chair, Morocco continues to promote a multidimensional South-South cooperation and triangular cooperation grounded in solidarity and co-development. This cooperation complements North-South cooperation and provides a platform for solidarity among countries of the South facing common challenges. As resources become scarcer, it demonstrates that the South can count on the South.

The African Atlantic gas pipeline, the Atlantic initiative for access of the Sahel states to the Atlantic Ocean, and the robust process of African Atlantic.

States illustrate this dynamic as concrete examples of regional integration and shared prosperity. Excellencies, This year, also, all eyes are on the United Nations Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. For Morocco, water is a strategic priority. It links food security, energy transition, and climate resilience.

The 19th World Water Congress, held in Marrakesh last year, is part of our commitment

to strengthening international cooperation and contributing to this milestone. The Abu Dhabi Conference on Water shall be a real momentum to mobilize accessible financing, strengthening partnerships, and extend water cooperation beyond 2030 in complementarity with the Dushanbe milestone in 2028. Finally, Madam Chair, my delegation is honored to co-facilitate alongside with Portugal the Second Committee resolution on South-South cooperation. Morocco is also leading this year the presentation of the resolution on the promotion of sustainable tourism, including ecotourism for poverty eradication and environmental protection. We look forward to working with all delegations on these texts and count on their constructive engagement. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [1:41:11]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Morocco. And now I'd like to invite the distinguished representative of Uzbekistan. The floor is yours.


Uzbekistan [1:41:19]:

Madam Chair, let me begin by warmly congratulating you and the members of the Bureau on your well-deserved election. We are confident in your capable leadership and assure you of Uzbekistan's full support throughout the session. Madam Chair, we meet at a time of growing global uncertainty, economic instability, food and energy insecurity, poverty, climate change, and other challenges are placing unprecedented pressure on sustainable development. With four years remaining to achieve the 2030 agenda, the international community must act with greater urgency. The latest UN Sustainable Development Goals report shows that among the targets for which trend data are available, only 36% are on track or making moderate progress. Financing gaps, debt distress, climate shocks, conflict, and inequality continue to hold back progress. Therefore, underscores the critical importance of investment, sustainable financing, science, technology, innovation and international cooperation in accelerating implementation of the SDGs. Excellencies, for Uzbekistan, sustainable development is at the heart of our national reform agenda. The Uzbekistan 2030 strategy is closely aligned with the SDGs and focuses on human development, sustainable economic growth, and environmental protection, the rule of law, and effective public administration. Our reforms are producing tangible results. The national poverty rate has declined significantly, reaching 5.8%, while around 1.5 million people were lifted out of poverty during the recent period. Unemployment has also fallen to 4.9%. At the same time, we are investing heavily in human capital, access to education and social services is expanding, while particular attention is being given to improving the quality of education, healthcare and social protection. Our ambition is to build modern, competitive and socially just new Uzbekistan while moving toward upper middle income status and ensuring that the benefits of economic growth reach every citizen. Looking ahead, we see main priorities for advancing sustainable development globally. First, sustainable development requires sustainable financing. The cost of financing development has increased significantly, placing a particularly heavy burden on developing countries. We support efforts to reform the international financial architecture and strengthen the capacity of multilateral development banks to mobilize affordable long-term financing. Developing countries need greater access to concessional resources, guarantees, blended finance, and other innovative instruments to invest in infrastructure, human capital, climate resilience, and sustainable growth. Second, we must strengthen social protection and invest in people. Social protection is fundamental to poverty eradication, social cohesion, and resilience. Yet 1.4 billion children remain without effective social protection coverage. The outcomes of the second World Social Summit in Doha provide important momentum for advancing a more inclusive and equitable model of social development. Uzbekistan remains committed to this agenda and will host the World Summit on Investing in Children's Well-being, a path towards sustainable and just development for future generations, in Samarkand on 21st and 22nd October this year. The summit will provide an important platform to advance international cooperation and strengthen collective efforts to ensure the well-being and the future of every child. Third, climate change, water scarcity, environmental degradation require urgent collective action. The full implementation of the Paris Agreement remains essential. Climate change is increasingly affecting food security, water resources, livelihoods, and poverty reduction. As a landlocked developing country, Uzbekistan is particularly vulnerable to water scarcity, land degradation, and the consequences of climate change. The Aral Sea tragedy remains a powerful reminder of the need for collective action. Uzbekistan continues to launch scale efforts to restore ecosystems of Aral Sea region, we are widely implementing modern water saving technologies. We were we have set a goal to increase the share of renewable energy to 54% by 2030. Uzbekistan also attaches great importance to restoring degraded lands and expanding forest cover. At Uzbekistan's initiative, the UN General Assembly proclaimed in 2028-2036 the International Day of Afforestation and Reforestation. The adoption of this decision is an important step. Now is the time to translate this commitment into practical action through greater investment, stronger partnership, and concrete measures on the ground. Madam Chair, Uzbekistan remains firmly committed to the full and timely implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Thank you, Madam Chair.


Albania · Chair [1:46:10]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Uzbekistan for the statement. I would like to invite the Permanent Representative of United Republic of Tanzania to take the floor. Excellency, you have the floor. Can I just ask for the mic to be on for Tanzania, please? Ambassador, you can check your microphone is on now.


United Republic of Tanzania · Permanent Representative [1:47:00]:

Oh, now it's on.

Yes. It was a technical problem. Madam Chair, Tanzania congratulates you on your well-deserved election as the Chair of the Second Committee. And we have so much confidence and faith in you, and you can be assured of our support throughout your tenure in office. We further align ourselves with the statement delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and by Namibia on behalf of the African Group. In addition, Tanzania wishes to offer the following remarks in its own national capacity. Tanzania approaches this session with a firm commitment to multilateralism and to the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda. We recognize that the second committee agenda spanning microeconomic policy, financing for development, sustainable development, poverty eradication, globalization, operational activities, and special needs of countries' vulnerable solutions provides a comprehensive platform for advancing global development cooperation. The breadth of issues before us include international trade and development, debt sustainability, illicit financial flows, climate protection. energy access, rural development, and food security, reflects the interconnected nature of the challenges we face. In this context, Tanzania underscored the urgent need to reform the international financial architecture to ensure that it responds effectively to the realities of developing economies. Many countries continue to face rising debt vulnerabilities, limited fiscal space, and high borrowing costs. Tanzania, therefore, calls for strengthened international cooperation to promote debt sustainability, enhance concessional financing, and expand access to affordable long-term capital for infrastructure, industrialization, and social development. We also emphasize the importance of combating illicit financial flows, ensuring the fair return of stolen assets, which deprive developing countries of resources essential for national development. Sustainable development cannot be achieved without addressing climate change and environmental degradation. Tanzania reiterates that climate financing must prioritize adaptation, resilience building, technology transfer. Under item 17, we look forward to constructive engagement on disaster risk reduction, energy access, harmony with nature, and the protection of global climate for present and future generations. Tanzania continues to invest in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and nature-based solutions, but these efforts require scaled-up international support. We also highlight the importance of supporting countries in special situation. Under item 20, Tanzania reaffirms its solidarity with least developed countries, landlocked countries, and small island states. Implementation of Doha Programme of Action and the Vienna Programme of Action must be accelerated with enhanced financing, capacity building, and technological access. As a regional partner, Tanzania stands ready to contribute to collective efforts that strengthen resilience and promote inclusive growth. Poverty eradication remains the overarching objective of the 2030 Agenda. Under item 21, Tanzania stressed the need to for a new global commitment to rural development, women, economic empowerment, industrial cooperation, and sustainable food system. Tanzania continue to implement national strategies that expand agricultural productivity, strengthen value chains, and promote social protection. We welcome the Committee's focus on agriculture, food security, and nutrition under item 23, and call for greater investment in climate-resilient agriculture, and energy system. Madam Chair, globalization and technological change continue to reshape development pathways. Under item 14 and 19, Tanzania emphasized the need for inclusive digital transformation, safe and orderly migration, and fair participation in global trade. Digital technologies offer immense opportunity for innovation, entrepreneurship, and service delivery, but they must be accompanied by capacity building, infrastructure investment, and digital literacy. Finally, Tanzania underscores the importance of effective operational activities for development under item 22. The UN development system must remain responsive, coherent, and adequately resourced to support national priorities. South-South cooperation remains a vital complement to traditional development assistance, and Tanzania will continue to strengthen partnerships that advance shared prosperity. As we begin the work of the Committee, Tanzania calls for unity of purpose, constructive dialogue, and the renewed commitment to multilateral cooperation. The challenge before us are complex, but they are not surmountable. With adequate financing, fair global governance, and genuine solidarity, we can accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and ensure that no country and no community is left behind. The United Republic of Tanzania stands ready to work with all delegations to deliver a meaningful outcome of this session. I thank you, Madam Chair.


Albania · Chair [1:51:24]:

I thank you, Excellency, for the statement. Now I'd like to invite the distinguished representative of United Arab Emirates to take the floor.


United Arab Emirates [1:51:32]:

Madam Chair, I would like to congratulate you on assuming the chairmanship of the Second Committee during this 81st session of the GA. The UAE aligns itself with the statement made by G7 and China. Distinguished colleagues, with four years remaining of the 2030 agenda, we must continue to drive progress and meet as many targets as possible. The UAE remains committed to advancing the SDGs both at home and abroad, as we laid out in our third VNR delivered at this year's HLPF. As we take up new roles on the Executive Board of the WFP and the Executive Board of the UN Habitat, we look forward to renewed focus this year on food security and implementation of the New Urban Agenda. Considering this year's theme of financing sustainable development, we must recognize that we meet during a defining moment as geopolitical fragmentation, rising public debt, shrinking fiscal space, and declining development assistance are limiting financial flexibility, even as urgent work is needed to bring finance targets on track. The UAE maintains its commitment to official development assistance, having distributed $12.6 billion from 2022 to 2025. Beyond ODA, this contribution is amplified through a partnership-driven model that showcases innovative financing mechanisms. UAE entities such as the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Mohammed Barashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, Mubadala, Masdar, and G42 actively deliver investments and capacity-building initiatives across diverse regions, especially in renewable energy and artificial intelligence. However, there is a growing need to explore how more innovative financial mechanisms, stronger South-South and triangular cooperation, and reform of the international financial architecture can help continue progress. In particular, closing the financing gap means drawing on the full continuum of capital, including private investment that brings expertise and capacity in addition to financial flows. The Compromiso de Sevilla gave us a roadmap for achieving these goals, and our task now is to deliver it. The EU has also long believed that the free flow of trade and investment are key drivers of development, securing the safe flow of supply chains, trade and energy in accordance with international law, including the law of the sea and the principle of state sovereignty, is a fundamental pillar of sustainable economic development. As we seek to scale financing for development, we must consider funding and capacity building to develop emerging technologies, especially AI in the Global South. The rapid advancement of AI necessitates the development of new safety protocols and common standards for the responsible use of AI, but equally, we cannot miss its opportunities, which present perhaps the best hope to accelerate development progress, both issues that should be addressed within the global dialogue on AI governance. Climate change equally remains a critical long-term risk where we must not lose momentum. The UAE consensus adopted at COP28 laid out a clear pathway of action. The focus must now remain on implementation and finance, particularly for the most vulnerable, and we commend Brazil on its COP30 presidency, as well as Turkey and Australia for their approach to COP31 in this regard. Finally, we must recognize that some of the greatest risks to a changing global economy remain the most fundamental. SDG 6 is among the furthest off track, and water insecurity now threatens food systems, energy, and economic stability. From 8 to 10 December, the UAE and Senegal will co-host the 2026 UN Water Conference in Abu Dhabi. For the first time, the conference will include a dedicated interactive dialogue on investments for water. We aim for a conference that mobilizes investments, scales innovation, and turns commitments into action, and we invite all member states to participate at the highest level. I'm also pleased to inform that just last week, the UAE and Senegal circulated a zero draft resolution for the UN Water Conference to be held on a regular basis following the conference scheduled for 2028 to ensure that the water agenda continues to move forward. We consider this a critical step towards achieving availability of water and sanitation for all, and we count on the support of member states for this resolution. Thank you.


Albania · Chair [1:55:50]:

I thank the distinguished representative of UAA for the statement, and now I'd like to invite the distinguished representative of Nepal to take the floor.


Nepal [1:55:59]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. Nepal aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the China and LDC group. I congratulate you, Madam Chair, and members of the Bureau

on your election and assure you of Nepal's full support and cooperation. Today we convene against the backdrop of complex global economic, development and environmental challenges.

For Nepal, both in LDC and LLDC, the challenges are particularly acute. At our overall SDG progress, it stands at over 41%, slightly above the global average.

However, the structural constraints, including landlockedness,

high trade and transit costs, infrastructure gaps, climate vulnerability, and resource constraints persist.

Only a few weeks ago, a catastrophic

climate disaster, a Himalayan tsunami, claimed hundreds of lives and swept away schools, health facilities, roads,

bridges, farmland, and critical infrastructure, including hydropower installations.

Preliminary assessments indicate recovery needs exceeding USD 5 billion, more than 10% of our GDP.

Nepal contributes less than 0.1% of global emissions, yet bears a disproportionate cost of the climate

crisis with such scale and severity. In this light, Madam Chair, I wish to underscore five points. First, we must accelerate progress on the 2030 Agenda through stronger partnerships and adequate means of implementation.

The global SDG financing gap exceeds USD 4 trillion annually, while Nepal alone requires nearly USD 198 billion to achieve

the SDGs by 2030.

We therefore call for adequate, predictable and affordable financing, fulfilment of ODA commitments, increased MDB lending, greater access to liquidity,

capacity building support and effective solutions to unsustainable debt anchored in national context and development priorities.

Second, climate action and justice must deliver development justice. The Baku to Valletta roadmap towards USD 1.3 trillion must scale up climate finance, particularly for adaptation. The loss and damage fund must be adequately capitalized and made faster, simpler, and more accessible.

We need multi-hazard early warning systems, resilient infrastructure, climate-smart agriculture, and greater investment in disaster preparedness. At the same time, a just green transition must create development opportunities.

Through clean hydropower and regional grids, Nepal remains steadfast to contribute to regional decarbonization and energy cooperation.

We call for concrete implementation of the Paris Agreement, COP outcomes, ICJ

advisory opinion, and ambitious NDCs to keep 1.5 degrees centigrade within reach and to limit the magnitude of any overshoot. Third, reforming the international economic and financial architecture is indispensable. Developing countries, particularly LDCs and LLDCs, need a stronger voice in global economic governance and in building a fairer, more transparent, predictable, and rule-based multilateral trading system with WTO at its core. International cooperation must strengthen productive capacities, expand market access and investment, support MSMEs and facilitate integration into regional and global value chains. Fourth, we must harness economic and digital transformation for sustainable development and good governance. We must bridge digital divides through accessible digital public infrastructure, affordable connectivity, technology transfer, capacity building, and digital skills. AI governance should be inclusive, people-centered, and development-oriented.

Above all, we must invest in young

people, connecting learning with earning, skills with jobs, and innovation with entrepreneurship and finance. Fifth, a stronger partnership is vital for delivering better. We value South-South and triangular cooperation.

Coherence, alignment, and accountability across the UN development system are indispensable to deliver better with clarity, efficiency, and impact

in the interest of all. We call for full, timely and effective implementation of the CBA commitment and Doha political declaration.

Similarly, effective implementation of Doha Programme of Action for LDs and Iwasa Programme of Action for LR disease is vital. In closing, Madam Chair, in view of the impact of multiple global crises, external shocks, climate change impact, Nepal together with Bangladesh has sought extension of.

Its LD6 graduation preparatory period until November 2029 to ensure a smooth, sustainable and irreversible graduation.

We count on consistent support and solidarity of UN membership during consideration of this matter in General Assembly ahead. Let us recommit to turning the remaining years to 2020-30, a period of.

Accelerated action where finance propels development, technology solves humanity, climate action delivers justice, and multilateralism delivers tangible results for all. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [2:00:49]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Nepal. And I would like to invite to take the floor the permanent representative of San Marino. Excellency, the floor is yours.


San Marino · Permanent Representative [2:01:00]:

Madame Chair, I would like to congratulate you and the members of the Bureau on your election and to wish you fruitful work. The coming years will be crucial not only for our future, but for that of generations to come. We are meeting at the moment of profound global transformation. The global order is undergoing fundamental shifts, impacting trade, technology, and international cooperation. In such times, the enduring value of a rules-based multilateral system becomes even more critical. The urgencies and profound uncertainties defining our current international context continue to directly jeopardize global progress towards sustainable development. San Marino remains gravely concerned over how multiplying crises, terrorism, regional conflicts, and unprovoked acts of aggression are unraveling years of development achievement and disproportionately impacting developing countries. We must confront a fundamental truth: peace, security, respect for human rights, and sustainable development are inextricably linked. Without peace, security, and full respect for fundamental human rights, we cannot build resilient, equitable, and peaceful society, nor we can achieve the SDGs. With the 2030 agenda as our collective roadmap, we must act decisively to reverse current backsliding through the announced mobilization of financial resources from all sources to eradicate poverty, foster social inclusion, strengthen partnership, and fulfill our commitment to leave no one behind. Financing for sustainable development remains an essential priority. Achieving this requires an equitable rules base and inclusive international financial architecture that ensures more effective global economic governance. In this context, San Marino supports the Sevilla commitment, which promotes targeted investment in sustainable development, addresses the severe debt crisis afflicting many of the world's poorest nations, and gives developing countries a stronger voice in global governance. Madam Chair, the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution must remain at the center of the UN agenda. Environmental degradation acts as a threat multiplier, fueling global instability, conflict, lack of sufficient accessible fresh water, food insecurity, international displacement and forced migration. Urgent collective action is required to fully implement the Paris Agreement and keep the 1.5 degree Celsius temperature goal within reach. Halting and reversing biodiversity loss and reducing pollution must remain solid priorities of the UN, as healthy ecosystems are vital for achieving the SDGs. Malnutrition, unhealthy diets, unsustainable agriculture, and most alarming, the threats of famine caused primarily by ongoing conflict and climate shocks, take a terrible toll on human suffering. Addressing food security must lie at the very core of the UN's work. In this context, San Marino firmly believes that the fight against food loss and waste can contribute to promoting global food security, and we welcome all initiatives aimed at fostering awareness and responsible behaviors worldwide. In conclusion, Madam Chair, if we want to build inclusive, equitable, and peaceful society, it is essential to find new ways of working together and to ensure that our multilateral institution adapt rapidly to address the profound changes taking place around us. Thank you for your attention.


Albania · Chair [2:04:55]:

I thank your Excellency for the statement. Now I would like to give the floor to the Permanent Representative of Nigeria. Excellency, you have the floor.


Nigeria · Permanent Representative [2:05:04]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. I join other speakers in congratulating you and members of the Second Committee Bureau on your election. Nigeria aligns itself with the statements delivered by Uruguay on behalf of the G77 and China, and Namibia on behalf of the African Group. This year's theme underscores the urgency of deepening multilateralism for a resilient, inclusive recovery. With most developing countries significantly behind in the implementation of the SDGs as we approach 2030 deadline, It is important for us to work in concert to seek transformative solutions that would address our plight and challenges. These challenges have been further exacerbated by the multifaceted ripple effects of regional and geopolitical conflict, climate disasters, and growing financing gaps in economies, especially in Africa. As a nation committed to Pan-African solidarity and development, Nigeria is actively engaged in the implementation of regional initiatives and partnerships aimed at addressing these challenges. We consider it our responsibility to not only advocate for transformative solutions, but to also lead in their implementation. More worrisome, the Secretary-General's 2026 SDG progress report confirms that developing countries face an unprecedented annual investment shortfall of about $4 trillion, up from $2.5 trillion in 2015. In the context of contemporary challenges, including geopolitical fragmentation, food and energy insecurity, debt sustainability concerns, and climate effects, Nigeria's foreign policy in 2026 prioritizes, one, advocacy for the fulfillment of the $100 billion climate finance pledge operationalization of the loss and damage fund, and scaling of the SDG stimulus. Promotion and foreign direct investments and public-private partnerships into Nigeria's critical energy, transition minerals, infrastructure, and green economy. And three, leveraging the African Free Trade Continental Agreement and South-South cooperation for technology transfer and regional value chains. Madam Chair, these collaborative endeavors remain vital for bridging the financing divide and accelerating transformative implementation of the SDGs in Nigeria and across the global south. To bridge the developmental gap and foster inclusive resilient growth, we must, as a matter of urgency, back words with action and fulfill commitments we made in the Pact for the Future on the implementation of the SDGs. These include the reform of the international financial architecture, review of the international debt mechanism, and creation of a fairer international trading system that supports local production in Africa. We appreciate our collective efforts in the ongoing negotiation towards achieving United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation. Finally, Madam Chair, Nigeria affirms its commitment to the objectives of the Second Committee and the broader United Nations agenda. It is our expectation that the activities of the Second Committee in the 81st session will not only deepen initiatives for development, but also translate to concrete measures towards accelerating the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [2:08:45]:

I thank Your Excellency for the statement, and I would like to invite the Permanent Representative of Iraq to take the floor. Excellency, the floor is yours.


Iraq · Permanent Representative [2:08:56]:

Madam Chair, I congratulate you and the Bureau members on your election, and I assure you of my delegation's full support. We align ourselves with the statement made by the delegation of Uruguay on behalf of the G77 and China. And we wish to emphasize the following points in our national capacity. First, water is a shared development priority. This year marks a pivotal moment in multilateral international cooperation, as it offers an opportunity to place the water agenda at the forefront of global development priorities. As a country that shares the Tigris and Euphrates rivers with its neighbors, Iraq faces mounting water challenges. the impacts of climate change, drought, and desertification have intensified. This has affected our food security and our agricultural sector, which is a vital pillar for diversifying our economy. These challenges stem from external factors that are beyond the capacity of any single nation to address alone, rather than from institutional shortcomings. We call for transboundary cooperation grounded in the principles of international law, good neighborliness, and mutual benefit, aiming to achieve sustainable management of shared water resources for the well-being of all the region's peoples. We look forward to the UN Water Conference this coming December and hope that it will yield practical outcomes and tangible funding to support integrated water resource management in developing countries. Second, equitable climate action. Iraq is committed to the Paris Agreement and has submitted its nationally determined contribution. We emphasize that climate action must be guided by the principles of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities of the states in light of varying national circumstances. Just transition pathways should be nationally determined and should take into account the situations of developing countries whose economies rely on fossil fuel production and export. as well as their poverty alleviation challenges and strategies in accordance with the provisions of the Framework Convention. We reject unilateral climate-related trade measures that constitute arbitrary discrimination or restrictions that are disguised as something else on trade. Third, economic diversification, recovery and institutional building. Middle-income countries, particularly those with narrow revenue bases, face structural challenges in their pursuit of economic diversification and institutional building. We call for dedicated long-term international support, including concessional financing and capacity building. It must respect national context, national ownership, and full sovereignty over natural resources, while refraining at the same time from interference in internal affairs. We support the adoption of progress measurements that go beyond the GDP, and look forward to the high-level meeting on middle-income countries during this session, as well as developing a strategic action plan for it. Fourth, heritage and culture as drivers of sustainable development. Culture, including cultural, civilizational, historical, and natural heritage, are not a luxury. They are a fundamental component of sustainable development. and the source of identity, social cohesion, and livelihoods. Heritage sites in Iraq, especially the marshes, are facing pressures due to climate change and drought. And the marshes of southern Iraq are on the World Heritage List, and they are an example of the interconnection between water, culture, and biodiversity. We affirm that preserving this shared human heritage is a collective responsibility. requiring enhanced international cooperation, the provision of technical and financial support, and the integration of cultural dimension into development and climate policies. Fifth, technology transfer and bridging the digital divide. Transferring technology to developing countries under favorable terms, including agreed upon concessional and preferential conditions, is essential for economic diversification and the achievement of SDGs. We require technologies for renewable energy, water desalination, and improved irrigation efficiency, as well as capacity building in the digital economy and artificial intelligence. We will continue to work constructively with all delegations towards outcomes that strengthen the means of implementation and leave no country or person behind. Thank you.


Albania · Chair [2:13:37]:

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


Mozambique · Permanent Representative [2:13:48]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. Madam Chair, allow me firstly to congratulate you and other members of the Bureau on your assumption of the chairmanship of the Second Committee for the 81st session of the General Assembly. Be assured of our full support during your tenure. Madam Chair, the global development landscape is undergoing profound transformation. Climate-induced shocks, Health emergencies from COVID-19 to the recent Ebola outbreaks in some African countries, disruption to supply chains, geopolitical tensions, shrinking fiscal space and a widening digital divide, disproportionately affecting developing countries and constraining their ability to advance sustainable development as limited resources are diverted. The latest United Nations assessment is clear. Progress toward the SDG remains too slow and uneven. Of the targets for which sufficient trend data are available, only 36% are on track or making moderate progress. The annual financing gap for the SDGs remains around USD 4 trillion. Closing this gap is therefore essential for the 2030 agenda implementation. Madam Chair, the Pact for the Future and Seville Commitment represent important steps in strengthening international cooperation. Likewise, the Doha Programme of Action, the Awassa Programme of Action, and the Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for Seeds provide important frameworks for addressing the specific vulnerabilities of countries in special situations.

However.

The central challenge remains implementation. We do not lack commitment. What we need is the political will and resources to translate them into tangible results on the ground. Financing for sustainable development cannot continue under business as usual. Failure to address the structural financing constraints facing developing countries, the risks undermining the multilateral development architecture that generations have worked to build. President Daniels, chapeau. During the general debate, I asked for international financial architecture reforms to make it more just, equitable, and inclusive. We also call for greater access to innovative financing instruments, including debt swaps and blended finance, capable of mobilizing private capital while avoiding the creation of unsustainable debt burdens for developing countries. Mozambique welcomes the establishment of the Borrowers' Platform as an important mechanism for exchanging experiences and strengthening advisory support among developing countries. Madam Chair, Mozambique attaches great importance to the achievement of the SDGs and recognizes the insignificant effort by both the UN and our governments and partners at achieving the 17 SDGs, in particular ending poverty, protecting our planet, and ensuring peace and prosperity by 2030. Mozambique remains committed to advancing sustainable development. The National Development Strategy 2025, 2044, and the five-year government program 2025-2029 provide important frameworks for pursuing our development priorities and strengthening their alignment with the SDGs, with only four years remaining until 2030. We cannot afford another cycle of pledges without implementation. Mozambique, therefore, calls on the international community, member states, and all relevant stakeholders to translate existing commitments into concrete action, mobilize the necessary resources, and strengthen international cooperation. The time for implementation is now.

I thank you, Madam Chair.


Albania · Chair [2:18:11]:

Thank you, Your Excellency, for the statement. And I would like to invite to take the floor the distinguished representative of Jordan.


Jordan [2:18:24]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. I would like to congratulate you on your election to the second committee. I wish you all the best. We are here today in the midst of a global crisis.

Chair, we are standing together at an international turning point characterized by increasing economic and development challenges. There are financing gaps, rising debt burdens, and increasing geopolitical crises that directly affect the ability of many developing countries to implement their commitments under the 2030 Agenda. Jordan is convinced that sustainable development begins with investments in people, in the efficiency of institutions, public services, and institutions that can face up to these challenges. Jordan is therefore driven to improve its administration. In that framework, we have given particular importance to the use of technology, data, and information to enhance the efficiency of public administration for more responsive and transparent services. The number of digital government services is now 2,060. That means that 85.8% of digitizable services have been digitized. And we now have more than 16 comprehensive government service centers. Jordan is also implementing a system to promote balanced development among the various governorates. That public investment, we believe, must reach all communities. There are more than 20 development zones in the governorates for balanced development. That has allowed more than 123 job opportunities to be created. With regard to education, we have introduced modern buses that can be tracked at a distance, remotely. With regard to education and school infrastructure, We have built more than 120 new model public schools in less than a year, and other schools that are going to be added to that. And we also increased the scope of specialized education for technical qualifications in various disciplines. The government has also launched a school transport program That's in the area of Badia. It serves more than 12,500 students and allows families to track the students electronically and through cameras. In order to improve quality of life and promote social development, we've developed health protection through program called Riaya, which covers more than 4 million citizens. And we've also expanded digital health services, including telemedicine services for home delivery of medicines for patients, including older adults. The provision of accurate data is essential to any development policy. Jordan will, in 2026, implement a general population and housing census as a strategic national tool to provide comprehensive, accurate data on the demographic, social, economic and residential situation in the Kingdom. Those data will contribute to improve policy-making, direct resources and build the capacity of national institutions to design more efficient and responsive programs. In conclusion, Jordan has committed in terms of humanitarian aid and regional level to a number where we face a number of conflicts. That means that there is an additional burden on us. We are a country that is receiving refugees and that accounts for some of our official development assistance and it also affects regional stability.


Albania · Chair [2:23:27]:

Mr. Representative of Albania.


Albania [2:23:32]:

Thank you. Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and my warmest congratulations and best of luck to you as Chair of Second Committee. Madam Chair, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, We meet at a consequential moment for sustainable development. With only four years remaining until 2030, our task is no longer to define our ambitions, but to deliver on them. The challenges before us are profound. Conflict and geopolitical tensions, widening inequalities, debt vulnerabilities, climate change and environmental degradation continue to place development gains at risk. At the same time, rapid technological transformation is reshaping our economies and societies. Against this background, Albania remains firmly committed to the 2030 agenda and to effective multilateralism, grounded in the Charter of the United Nations and international law. We share the conviction expressed by the EU that the Second Committee must remain a place where differences can be bridged and where political cooperation can produce meaningful results. Madam Chair, for Albania, 2026 has been an important year in translating global commitments into national action. This July, Albania presented its second voluntary national review at the High Level Political Forum. The review confirmed an important reality for our country. The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and our European integration are mutually reinforcing pathways towards the same objective. Stronger institutions, better public services, a more competitive and sustainable economy, greater equality and a society in which no one is left behind. Our national strategy for development and European integration 2020 to 2030 and our SDG roadmap provide the architecture for this work. We are increasingly integrating the SDGs into national planning, budgeting and monitoring with a stronger focus on measurable results. Our European integration process, it itself an important accelerator of sustainable development. Reforms in the rule of law, public administration, economic competitiveness, social inclusion, digital transformation, and climate action directly contribute to the implementation of the 2030 agenda. Albania has now opened all 33 negotiation chapters with the European Union, with the first three chapters provisionally closed this year. We therefore approach 2030 with a clear national horizon, European integration and sustainable development advancing together with tangible benefits for our citizens. Madam Chair, we also recognize that national ambition requires effective international cooperation. Earlier this year, Albania and the United Nations signed a new cooperation framework for 2027-2031. It places human capital, effective government, sustainable economic transformation, climate resilience, gender equality, and leaving no one behind at the heart of our partnership with the UN development system. This is precisely the kind of partnership we believe the UN development system should provide, one that responds to national priorities, strengthens national capacities, avoids fragmentation and duplication, and is measured ultimately by results on the ground. This brings me to the work of our committee. Albania supports efforts to make the second committee more focused, efficient, and action-oriented. Revitalization cannot be an abstract exercise. It should lead us to fewer duplicate mandates, more focused resolutions, better use of limited resources, and greater attention to implementation and impact. As the EU statement rightly underlines, fewer, shorter, and more strategically focused resolutions can strengthen rather than diminish the work of this committee. The broader UNAD process provides us with the opportunity to ask difficult but necessary questions about how we work. Efficiency and effectiveness are not ends in themselves. They are necessary if the United Nations is to remain capable of responding to the needs of people and delivering on the commitments that member states have collectively undertaken. Madam Chair, development cannot be sustainable without peace, strong institutions, respect for human rights, gender equality, and the rule of law. Nor can our development model be sustainable if it comes at the expense of future generations. For Albania, the green and digital transitions are therefore not very difficult to development. They are central to building competitive, resilient and inclusive economies. Investment in people, particularly young people and women, must remain equally central. Our collective challenge is now implementation. We have adopted ambitious frameworks. We have made important commitments. The remaining years until 2030 must be about translating them into measurable improvements in people's lives. Albania will approach this session in that spirit, committed to dialogue, committed to consensus, and committed to a second committee that is capable not simply of negotiating text, but of contributing meaningfully to sustainable development. You can count on Albania's full engagement. I thank you.


Albania · Chair [2:28:26]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Albania for the statement. And now I would like to invite the distinguished representative of Japan.


Japan [2:28:39]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. At the outset, I warmly congratulate Ambassador Shuela Janina of Albania on assuming the chair of the Second Committee and welcome the newly appointed Bureau members. I also express deep gratitude to Ambassador Diwa of the Gambia and outgoing Bureau for their dedicated leadership. The complex challenge we faced require strong multilateral cooperation through this Committee. Amid tightening development finance, Japan remains committed to collaborating with international organizations to improve access to finance for developing countries. We actively promote private sector engagement, risk mitigation, job creation, and sustainable economic transformation. Notably, we support African nations with low credit ratings to reduce the cost of borrowing in capital markets, thereby preserving scarce physical resources for critical social investment that uplift lives. Moreover, against this background, the concept of human security, which adopts cross-cutting and interagency approach through prevention, protection, and empowerment to uphold human dignity, has become increasingly useful and important. Japan will continue to promote human-centered approaches to global challenges. We are also intensifying capacity building to support developing countries in adopting safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence. Madam Chair, allow me to highlight three priority areas that Japan emphasizes in advancing sustainable development. First, in the area of health, guided by human security, Japan has long championed universal health coverage, UHC. This year, we co-hosted UHC Friends Group Ministerial Meeting during High-Level Week. We emphasized respect for national ownership in strengthening UHC, as well as critical need to mobilize domestic resources and build resilient, sustainable, and autonomous health systems. Through initiatives such as UHC Knowledge Hub, established in partnership with WHO and World Bank, we support health financing and capacity building in health and finance ministries. Second, on climate change, Japan recognizes that sea level rise and intensifying disasters pose serious and urgent threats to vulnerable countries. Ahead of COP31, it is vital to advance discussions on mitigation and sustain Paris Agreement ambition cycle, encompassing nationally determined contributions, biennial transparency reports, and global stocktake, to ensure that all actors remain committed to the agreement's goals. Third, regarding disaster risk reduction, drawing on Japan's extensive experience with disasters, we have taken a leading role in the implementation of the Sendai Framework. Next year, we will host Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai alongside UNDRR. Moreover, in December, at the UN Water Conference, Japan will co-chair the Interactive Dialogue on Water for Planet, addressing integrated management of water resources and water-related disasters such as floods and drought as a comprehensive societal issue. Through these efforts, we seek to facilitate knowledge sharing and enhance disaster resilience. Madam Chair, in conclusion, we emphasize the importance of adhering to the General Assembly resolution adopted this March on the mandate review and the July resolution on revitalization of the work of the Second Committee. We anticipate your strong and impartial leadership to foster constructive dialogue among member states and achieve meaningful outcome. We are committed to actively taking part in this committee's discussions as we work together to realize sustainable development goals. I thank you, Madam Chair.


Albania · Chair [2:32:49]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Japan, and now give the floor to distinguished representative of Libya.


Libya [2:32:59]:

Thank you, Madam Chair. We congratulate you and the Bureau members on your election. We affirm our full support to make the work of the Committee a success. We affirm that we associate ourselves with the statements of G77 and China and the African Group. Madam Chair, we have fewer than four years remaining until 2030, and most of the SDGs are not on the right track. Developing countries are facing a financing gap that is trillions of dollars annually. Therefore, the civil commitment must transform into tangible actions. We wish to reiterate four priorities. First, reforming the international financial architecture. We need a stronger voice for developing countries. and international financial institutions and to just solutions for the debt crisis, as well as standards that go beyond the GDP when deciding eligibility for concessional financing. Second, international tax cooperation. We welcome the progress in the negotiations on the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation. We emphasize that it must be a just and inclusive tax regime. Second, combating illicit financial flows and asset recovery. This is an issue that is very important to my country. Libya has suffered from the smuggling of its assets and public finances abroad. This is an inherent right for the Libyan people and future generations. We reaffirm the need to enhance international cooperation to retrieve these assets without condition to their country of origin, as well as the importance of maintaining and protecting frozen assets for the Libyan people so that they may remain funds to be used for the construction of Libya. Fourth, technology and artificial intelligence. We emphasize the need to bridge the technological gap and to give access to developing countries to emerging technologies and artificial intelligence. and build their capacity to serve sustainable development. We welcome the establishment of the International Independent Scientific Panel on AI in addition to the global dialogue on AI governance. There must be inclusive AI governance where the United Nations is a pillar and developing countries have a voice within it. Madam Chair, in 2023, floods struck Derna, the city of Derna. in the biggest tragedy of Libyan modern history. This proved that climate change is a reality and not a future threat. Therefore, we call for the fulfillment of the pledges of climate financing and early warning systems. As for immigration, we are a transit country, and we deal with burdens that go beyond our capability. The sustained management of this topic requires working on the root causes in the countries of origin by working on the reasons for this immigration and creating work opportunities. In conclusion, Madam Chair, we are working on recovery and reconstruction and economy diversification. We look forward to partnerships based on mutual respect and working constructively with everyone. Thank you, Madam Chair.


Albania · Chair [2:36:37]:

I thank the distinguished delegate of Libya for the statement. And.

I would now like to give the floor to the distinguished representative of France. Excellency, you have the floor.


France [2:36:57]:

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, allow me, first of all, Madam Chair, to congratulate you and all members of the Bureau of the Second Committee on your election. France aligns itself with the statement of the European Union and fully shares its ambition. It would like to make the following additional comments in its national capacity. The pace of crises is quickening. Everywhere, the risks of escalation are growing. And challenges to multilateralism are weakening our collective capacity to respond to global challenges. Our countries must therefore together conduct a dialogue of stability that helps to address global issues and to find solutions based on consensus whenever possible. France is ready to engage fully in the work of the Second Committee in support of the implementation of an ambitious UN80 reform that meets people's needs and helps to achieve the SDGs. France would therefore like to convey two main messages. First of all, let us not lose sight of that reforming spirit to enhance our collective effectiveness and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. That spirit is above all that of the 2030 agenda and beyond. Today, only little more than a third of the SDGs are on track to be achieved. Progress remains too slow and uneven, and the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by one crisis after another, has put the brakes on years of progress. Ten years after the Paris Agreement, the Second Committee must allow us to address the main milestones in our commitment to global issues: climate, the environment, ocean protection, the conservation and protection of biodiversity, as well as the economic and social dimensions of sustainable development. In the face of growing global inequality, we must neither give in to division nor renounce our ambition, but we must re-affirm our commitment to sustainable development international partnerships and solidarity. This year, therefore, through its presidency of the G7 and building on the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact 2023 and the Africa Forward Summit held in 2026, France has brought together states to change the traditional model of official development assistance to an approach that emphasizes mutually beneficial international partnerships. We are trying to go beyond the traditional donor-beneficiary relationship, and that approach is based on four principles: partnerships, effectiveness, sovereignty, and solidarity. France would also like to reaffirm that it will never stop working towards gender equality and respect for human rights. These are essential conditions for achieving the SDGs. France will continue to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement. the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the Nice Ocean Commitments. UNEP has told us that it is now inevitable that we will exceed the 1.5 degree threshold and the resulting consequences. It is therefore urgent that we reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. France also welcomes the convening by the Secretary-General of the first COP for the BBNJ agreement in January. We will be there to pursue our collective ambition to enhance the protection of the ocean. The Committee must also make progress in implementing the UN80 reform. While the Pact for the Future gives us political direction, the UN80 reform gives us the institutional capacity to implement that pact and the commitments we have made. France will continue to uphold the spirit of the reform of the Secretary General, both budgetary discipline and efficiency on the ground, effectiveness. The progress made are a valuable basis for continuing the management reform beyond this year. We need to find ways of finding balance, which bring together efficiency and the preservation of priority mindsets such as climate, the environment, human rights, gender equality, development and humanitarian aid. During the work of this Committee, we must apply the principles that we have set ourselves Progress has been made in terms of efficiency and mandate review with the adoption of resolution 80/251. We must implement that resolution operationally and systematically in an evidence-based way. With regard to the upcoming election of the next Secretary-General, one of the challenges will be to keep a high level of ambition.


Albania · Chair [2:41:58]:

The microphone.

Has been cut off. I now give the floor to the distinguished--.

Thank you, Excellency, for your statement.

-Of Georgia.


Georgia [2:42:11]:

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Georgia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the European Union and its member states.

And I would like to make the following statement in my national capacity.

Madam Chair, at the outset, let me congratulate you and the Bureau on your election.

We look forward to working.

Closely with you and assure you of my delegation's full support in guiding the work of the committee during this session.

Distinguished colleagues, over a decade ago, we embarked on an ambitious journey towards the year 2030 to transform our world.

For the better and deliver tangible results for people and the planet.

Since then, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has served as our guiding framework.

A shared blueprint for ending poverty, reducing inequality, and protecting our planet.

However, with less than four years remaining until 2030, much work still lies ahead.

We stand at a critical turning point.

Where the progress we have made is increasingly threatened by multiple and interlinked crises. Excellencies, Georgia has been a steadfast partner in the shared endeavor to overcome humanity's greatest challenges. guided by the principle of leaving no one behind.

We remain actively engaged with all partners to accelerate progress towards achieving the SDGs.

Our three voluntary national reviews presented in 2016, 2020, and 2024 clearly reflects this ongoing commitment.

Moreover, the new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for the period 2026-2030.

Will directly support our national development priorities to advance sustainable development in Georgia in the next five years.

Building on these efforts, Georgia was honored to host, in partnership with the United Nations.

The UN Public Service Forum 2026 in Tbilisi in June 2026. Bridging together representatives from more than 100 countries, The forum provided an important platform for translating objectives of SDG 16 into practical action through constructive dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and best practices. The event also strengthened cooperation among governments, international organizations, and development partners in advancing effective, accountable, and inclusive public institutions.

Dear colleagues.

Multiple crises and challenges have placed the global economy under the immense strain, making it increasingly difficult to mobilize the financing needed to accelerate the implementation of SDGs.

Against this challenging backdrop, Georgia remains committed to pursuing an economic policy geared towards free, fair, inclusive, and sustainable development. We have undertaken and continue to implement legislative and institutional reforms aimed at improving the delivery of public services.

Fostering open and fair market competition, ensuring the effective protection of property.

And intellectual rights, and guaranteeing access to an independent and impartial judiciary.

Madam Chair, as we approach 2030, addressing climate change remains an urgent global priority.

We must therefore intensify our collective efforts to translate the commitments of the Paris Agreement into concrete action.

In this spirit, in 2025, Georgia adopted its third national determined contribution, setting more ambitious targets, including a new target.

To reduce domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 47% below 1990 levels by 2030. Looking ahead, we are confident that COP31 will provide an important opportunity to strengthen climate solidarity and advance our shared vision of a green, fair, inclusive, and sustainable world.

Madam Chair, regrettably, despite the progress Georgia has made in sustainable development, people living in the Russia.

Illegally occupied Abkhazia and regions of Georgia continue to be left behind and deprived of their fundamental rights and freedoms.

Distinguished colleagues, we view the.

UN80 initiative as a timely opportunity to modernize and strengthen the multilateral system in support of 2030 agenda.

Georgia stands ready to work with international partners to advance UN reform and ensure that the United Nations remains effective, efficient, and fit for purpose in responding to today's global challenges.

In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm the importance of international cooperation in delivering meaningful results and advancing the SDGs.

We must therefore continue to work together, build on our achievements, and accelerate our collective efforts.

To achieve the 2030 Agenda.

I thank you, Madam Chair.


Albania · Chair [2:46:49]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Georgia. And now I'd like to give the floor to the distinguished representative of Zambia.


Zambia [2:47:01]:

Madam Chair, Zambia aligns itself with the statements delivered on behalf of the Group of 77 and China. the African Group, and the groups of LDCs and LLDCs. And wish to add the following in its national capacity. Firstly, we congratulate you together with the members of the Bureau on your election and assure you of our support and constructive engagement throughout this session. Financing sustainable development is a changing global economy to accelerate implementation of sustainable development goals speaks directly to one of the defining development challenges of our time. For many developing countries, high debt service burden, elevated borrowing costs and inflationary pressures severely constrain our fiscal space, Resources that are urgently required for health, education, infrastructure, climate-resilient and productive investments are increasingly absorbed by debt servicing and the cost of responding to successive shocks. The consequences are not abstract. They are reflected in constrained social expenditure, reduced investment and, ultimately, in the livelihoods of our people. These pressures are further compounded by illicit financial flows, which drain resources from developing countries and undermine efforts to mobilize the domestic financing needed for sustainable development. This underscores a fundamental reality. In an interconnected global economy, national policy efforts alone cannot guarantee sustainable development. We therefore call for stronger international macroeconomic policy coordination that takes account of spillover effects on developing countries. This imperative is increasingly recognized, increasing in recent G20 discussions and by African finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Beijing, where concerns around debt vulnerabilities, constrained fiscal space, and the need for predictable and sustainable financing for structural transformation were underscored. This points to a clear imperative. Sound domestic policies must be matched by a supportive international economic environment. Madam Chair, we do not lack an agreed framework for action. Last year in Seville, member states adopted the outcome of the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, a process Zambia had the privilege of co-chairing. Our message is simple. Let us not reopen CFA, rather, let us implement CFA. The CFA commitment provides a comprehensive framework for financing sustainable development. Our collective task must now be to translate those commitments into implementation and tangible results at country level. This should also guide the relationship between financing for development and other development cooperation processes. The Development Cooperation Forum should play a complementary role, helping to strengthen the effectiveness and impact of development cooperation and supporting implementation of agreed commitments, rather than creating parallel processes. Madam Chair, developing countries must equally take responsibility for creating the conditions for their own transformation. Zambia is doing its part. Following significant progress in restructuring our external debt and restoring macroeconomic stability, our focus is shifting from stabilization towards accelerated economic growth. Through the Grow Zambia agenda, we are prioritizing increased productivity, investment, value addition, industrialization, and job creation. We are seeking to expand the productive capacities, strengthen agriculture, energy, water, and food security, while translating our natural resource endowment into greater domestic value and opportunities for our people. But this domestic ambition must be matched by an enabling external environment. As both an LDC and an LDC, Zambia understands our structural constraints compound the effects of global economic shocks. International support must therefore be responsive to these realities, including through affordable and predictable financing, effective solutions to debt vulnerabilities, access to concessional resources, and a stronger development. Madam Chairperson, I thank you.


Albania · Chair [2:51:52]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Zambia. Now, I would like to invite the distinguished representative of Cote d'Ivoire to take the floor.


Côte d’Ivoire [2:52:05]:

Madam Chair, I would like to congratulate you on your outstanding election to chair the Second Committee, and rest assured, my delegation is ready to contribute to ensuring our work is successful. My delegation aligns itself with the statements made by Uruguay and Namibia, respectively, on behalf of the G77 and China and the African Group. In our national capacity, we would like to make the following contributions. The theme of our debate is rooted in the context of a changing global economy, which requires that developing countries have to address the demands for transforming their production, job creation, access to essential services and climate resilience all at the same time. However, the high cost of financing, the burden of debt servicing and international economic uncertainty limits their capacity to mobilise necessary resources to meet these priorities. With four years to go with the Agenda 2030, it is crucial to bridge the gap between ambitions and resources. To do this, the Cote d'Ivoire calls for the implementation of the Pact for the Future and the severe commitment to guarantee accessible, predictable, and equitable financing for the developing countries. Chair, under the leadership of His Excellency, Mr. Alassane Ouattara, President of Cote d'Ivoire, we adopted our national development plan for the period 2026-2030. very much in line with the 2030 agenda of the UN, the 2063 agenda of the African Union. The aim is to join the top half of the middle income countries. This 2026-2030 plan projects economic growth of around 7.2% per year, aims to have a GDP per capita of 4,500 US dollars and the poverty rate lower than 20% across the country. We have the ambition of providing employment for 11.5 to 14 million people. To achieve these goals, we are planning on investing 203 billion US dollars. 70% of this is something we expect to receive from the private sector and 29.8 from the public sector. These investments will also support modernizing agriculture, local manufacturing for commodities, industrialization, human capital and infrastructure, as well as the ecological and digital transition. Conviction, as reaffirmed in the High Level Political Forum of 2016, is that integrated policies must show translate into increased jobs, decent jobs, as well as social protection, access to education, health, drinking water, sanitation and energy for the well-being of all of our people. Chair, in the light of this experience, my delegation would like to highlight five priorities. Firstly. Mobilizing more domestic resources. Cote d'Ivoire is continuing to expand its tax base, modernizing our financial administration and making public spending more efficient. In this regard, our development plan seeks to tax 15% of GDP in 2026 at a level of 18% in 2030. This effort must also be accompanied by international cooperation against tax evasion and illicit financial flows. Also, we're trying to improve access to concessional financing in the long term. In parallel, increased mobilization of the private sector for the SDGs remains crucial. Safeguard mechanisms, risk sharing and project support must foster investment in priority sectors and in sustainable cities. Particular attention must be paid to financing small and medium-sized enterprises, women's entrepreneurship and also youth-led initiatives. This mobilization must also respond to the climate emergency. For Cote d'Ivoire, adapting agriculture, protecting our coastlines and ecosystems and the blue economy are priorities. We also then advocate for respect for climate commitments, simplified access to financing and a better balance between mitigation and adaptation. Finally, these priorities require strength and partnerships, respect for commitments and pledges in ODA, South-South cooperation, triangular cooperation, technology transfer and national capacity building. This support must also bring together local communities and governments and also be aligned with national strategies. support inclusive and ethical governance of artificial intelligence with the equitable sharing of its benefits. Chair, via our development plan for 2026-2030, Cote d'Ivoire reaffirms its determination to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs to ensure productive, inclusive and resilient economies that translate our commitments into measurable progress for our people in a spirit of leaving no one behind. Thank you very much for your kind attention.


Albania · Chair [2:56:54]:

I thank the distinguished representative of Cote d'Ivoire for his statement.

We have arrived at the end of this morning's session. We have heard the last speaker on the list for this morning's session. In the afternoon, we will convene at 3 p.m. at the same conference room. Please follow the live list of speakers for an updated list. The meeting is adjourned.