The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) opened its seventy‑seventh session today, with the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a resurgence of conflicts and the climate emergency driving its general discussion, as delegates emphasized that colliding crises have reversed progress, exacerbated inequalities and impacted social development.

Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, voicing concern over multiple crises facing the world — COVID-19, the climate emergency, the resurgence of conflicts and rising inflation — said extreme poverty has increased for the first time since 1998, with an additional 75 to 95 million people living in extreme poverty this year.  Further, persons with disabilities have suffered disproportionately due to school closures, job losses and discriminatory health care, while indigenous peoples — affected by increasing food insecurity and limited access to services — continue to face violations of their collective and individual rights.

Claudia Mahler, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, emphasized:  “Even though increasingly viewed as a commodity, housing is most importantly a human right.”  If the right to housing is violated, other human rights may also be compromised, including the rights to health, independent living and even the right to life.  Emergency crises related to climate change, natural disasters and armed conflict also pose a threat to the right to adequate housing of older persons.  Detailing new age-friendly and inclusive housing solutions, she urged States to transform institutional forms of care into settings that allow for older persons to retain their right to decide for themselves, with the objective of ending care institutionalization.

Meanwhile, Eliot Minchenberg, Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Liaison Office, underscored the potential of literacy ‑ a vital component of the fundamental human right to education and public good — to “transform our world”.  Pointing to a crisis in education of 244 million children and adolescents out of school, while 771 million adults still lack literacy skills, he recalled the Transforming Education Summit that stirred a global movement to put education and literacy at the centre of the global development agenda.  In his vision statement for the Summit, the Secretary‑General warned against the rise of attacks on truth, facts and democratic institutions in online and physical spaces, he said, calling on States to combat disinformation, racism, xenophobia, hate speech and violence.

Also briefing the Committee today was Daniela Bas, Director of Division for Inclusive Social Development of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

As the general discussion began, delegations tackled the issue of social development, focusing on the multifaceted impacts of COVID-19, conflicts, climate change and the increase in food and fuel prices on the most vulnerable, including women, young people, older persons and persons with disability and refugees.

The representative of Pakistan, speaking for the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, voiced concern over the devastating impact of the increase in food and fuel prices and the decline in economic growth on the large segment of the world’s population.  To enable developing countries to eradicate poverty and hunger, resources must be mobilized from all possible sources, he asserted, reaffirming that international development cooperation — especially North–South cooperation — remains a fundamental catalyst to sustainable development.

Along similar lines, the representative of South Africa, speaking for the African Group, said the pandemic reversed hard-won development gains in Africa.  Nutrition remains a priority while universal policies must be formulated to ensure access to basic services and infrastructure, ranging from quality education to potable drinking water and sanitation, affordable housing and technology.  Developed countries must deliver on their commitment of $100 billion per year, she stressed.

Echoing her concerns, the representative of Viet Nam, speaking for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said it is high time to place social development at the heart of recovery strategies that address inequality, poverty, hunger and enhance the resilience, sustainable livelihoods and well-being of all people.

The representative of the Dominican Republic, speaking for the Central American Integration System, underlined the organization’s commitment to meeting the needs of vulnerable people, particularly Afro-descendant persons, indigenous persons, people with disabilities, seniors, women and young people.

The representative of the Bahamas, speaking for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), drew attention to small island developing States, which are already vulnerable to natural disasters and external shocks.  The Caribbean region is experiencing an active hurricane season, the effects of which are still unknown, he cautioned, stressing that growing concerns over the effects of climate change also warrant concerns about food security.  Addressing food insecurity and poverty eradication go hand in hand, he said, adding that CARICOM has embarked on reducing the food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.

Meanwhile, the youth delegate of Finland, noting that his parents were Vietnamese boat people, warned that, due to long processing times, young refugees and asylum seekers fall victim to human trafficking and exploitation.

In a similar vein, the youth delegate of Switzerland highlighted the unprecedented set of challenges that young people are facing around the world.  Impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, they are experiencing academic setbacks and growing unemployment, with many dropping out of the labour market.  She also pointed out that climate change and environmental degradation constitute additional challenges for young people.

In other business, José A. Blanco Conde (Dominican Republic), Chair of the Third Committee, underscored the need for punctuality, correct procedure and early submission of statements for this session.

The Committee then approved its organization of work.

Also speaking today were representatives of Argentina, Russian Federation, , Saudi Arabia, China, Philippines, Kenya, Colombia, Namibia, India, Cameroon, Panama, Zambia, Honduras, Cuba, Iran, Malaysia, Thailand, Qatar, Dominican Republic, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, South Africa, Guatemala, Portugal, Belgium, Syria, Togo, Algeria, Peru, Maldives, Burkina Faso and United Arab Emirates.  Observers for the European Union and the Holy See, as well as youth delegates of Austria, Netherlands, Mexico, Israel, Ireland, Slovenia, Georgia and Italy also spoke.

The Third Committee will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Friday, 30 September, to continue its debate on social development.

Social Development

NAVID HANIF, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, voiced concern over multiple crises facing the world, including the lingering impact of COVID-19, the climate emergency, resurgence of conflicts and rising inflation.  Extreme poverty has increased for the first time since 1998, with an additional 75 to 95 million people living in extreme poverty this year.  Compared to pre-pandemic levels, 60 per cent of workers today have lower incomes.  Marginalized groups have been among the most affected, he stressed, cautioning against worsened equality within and among countries.  He emphasized that persons with disabilities have suffered disproportionately due to lack of access to remote education and school closures, job losses and discriminatory health care.  Indigenous peoples continue to face violations of their collective and individual rights while being affected by increasing food insecurity and limited access to services.

The above-mentioned issues need urgent attention as they have the potential to cause social disruptions and upheavals, he warned, underscoring the importance of investment in social protection, economic security and basic infrastructure.  He further called for better access to quality education, lifelong learning opportunities, affordable health care services, clean drinking water as well as improved sanitation, adequate housing and affordable Internet for all.  Stressing the need to invest in green economic sectors to create jobs for all, he pointed to the Sustainable Development Goals Summit in 2033.  Global challenges require global solutions with active participation of all countries in all segments of society, he noted, describing the United Nations as platform for promoting action.

DANIELA BAS, Director, Division for Inclusive Social Development of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, said that the report “Implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and of the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly” emphasizes the critical moment of the Decade of Action.  Such action is needed urgently to accelerate an inclusive recovery and States need to invest in people’s capacity, by providing access to quality education, affordable health care and services, universal social protection systems and Internet connectivity for all.  Bridging the gap in accessing the Internet is a priority.  The safeguard and increase of social spending in fully implementing the 2030 Agenda is also encouraged in the report, which further advocates for a recommitment to multilateralism to tackle global crises and support social development.

She went on to say that the report “Implementation of the International Year of the Family and its follow-up processes” recommends better support for working parents, including through paid family and sick leave, improving the flexibility of working arrangements and providing literature on the use of the Internet.  Other megatrends, ranging from the impact of technology, urbanisation and climate change related to families, are also explored.  The report on “International Year of Older Persons:  Second World Assembly on Ageing” analyses the impact of digital technologies on older persons, identifying policy implications for older persons that ensure there are opportunities to overcome challenges in digital spaces that empower them.  Further, it stresses the discrimination that this group is already experiencing, while noting that in 2030 there will be more older persons than younger persons in the world.

She also noted that the report “Inclusive development for and with persons with disabilities” reviews the situation of persons with disabilities in the context of recent humanitarian emergencies and the ongoing effort towards advancing disability inclusion after the pandemic.  It also refers to how they have been impacted by global crises and the barriers they face.  Further, it offers actions to mainstream disability and recommendations on how to build a better world in recovering from the pandemic, aiming at ensuring that workplaces, health, education, internet are accessible to all.  She underlined the call to protect refugees, victims of conflicts, natural disaster and other crises situations.

MARÍA DEL CARMEN SQUEFF (Argentina), citing the report of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on food security and nutrition, noted that more than 670 million people, 8 per cent of the global population, will continue to suffer hunger in 2030, a number unchanged since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in 2015.  Argentina is a producer and an exporter of nutritious and quality food and it will continue to contribute to global food security.  The international community must prioritize tackling problems and finding solutions in the framework of the United Nations fora, as it is a fundamental prerequisite for all human beings to enjoy decent life.  She then raised asked Ms. Bas on her expectations for the upcoming Summit on Social Development, expected to be held in 2025.

Ms. BAS, responding, said that she hoped that the 2025 Summit would be a reality and added her support for it.  She also acknowledged the important role the delegate of Argentina played in emphasizing the importance of access to food and water.  She added that, as the world population grew, the international community would have to work to make sure the world’s resources were not entirely depleted.

ELIOT MINCHENBERG, Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Liaison Office, presented the report of the Secretary-General entitled “Literacy for life:  Shaping future agendas” and “Education for Democracy”, prepared by his office.  He noted that the Transforming Education Summit held during the high-level week had stirred a global movement to put education and literacy at the centre of the global development agenda — dealing with a crisis in education of 244 million children and adolescents out of school, while 771 million adults still lack literacy skills.  “The importance of literacy as a vital component of the fundamental human right to education and public good cannot be overemphasized,” he said.  However, the full potential of literacy to “transform our world” can only be unleashed if it is approached from a lifelong learning perspective.

He noted the report sheds light on the lessons learned from the COVID-19 response, as Governments focused on developing resilient education and literacy programs to ensure the learning continues, including by harnessing the transformative potential of digital technologies.  The report also underscores UNESCO’s support to Member States in ensuring that youth and adult literacy is integrated into national policies, strategies and education sector plans.  In total, 68 countries benefited, including 15 that addressed the learning needs of out-of-school children and youth.  With the funding gap for achieving literacy targets standing at $17 billion, he called on Member States and development partners to enhance investment in quality youth and adult literacy and basic education, and step up coordinated action for greater impact, in times of crisis and beyond.

The Transforming Education summit was a reminder “that we stand at a turning point”, he stressed.  In his vision statement for the Summit, the Secretary-General warned against the rise of attacks on truth, facts and democratic institutions in online and physical spaces, highlighting the role of education in preparing learners to be active and responsible citizens in their own communities, in their countries and the world.  Against such global challenges, the notion of education for democracy has taken a new dimension in today’s fast-paced, interconnected digital environment, and the report recommends that Member States and development partners accelerate efforts to combat disinformation, misinformation, stigmatization, racism, xenophobia, hate speech, discrimination, exclusion and violence.

In the ensuing interactive dialogue, the representative of Argentina, in response to the Vision Statement delivered by the Secretary-General on transforming education, expressed regret that the reference to integral sexual education was deleted.  This deletion sends a disheartening message to girls and boys throughout the worlds, she warned.

The representative of Mongolia, underscoring the central role of literacy, asked Mr. Minchenberg how the Transforming Education Summit highlighted the issue of literacy and what actions will be taken by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to ensure follow-up on this issue.

Mr. MINCHENBERG, responding to delegates’ questions, said that UNESCO supported the process and provided expertise for the Transforming Education Summit.  He added his agreement that gender equality and a pursuit of rights of women and girls remain a crucial element of education and should be incorporated in all projects and programmes in a follow-up of the Summit.  For this purpose, the Sustainable Development Goal 4-Education 2030 Steering Committee, under the leadership of UNESCO, was created.  He added that the United Nations specialized agencies, World Bank and other stakeholders conducted a meeting after the Summit to discuss the way forward.  The Summit was a “political moment” to mobilize Member States at the highest political level and allow for active engagement with those countries regarding national initiatives, he added.

CLAUDIA MAHLER, Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, Human Rights Council, then addressed the Committee, highlighting the crucial importance of the right to adequate housing for older persons.  If the right to housing is violated, other human rights may also be compromised, including the rights to health, independent living, family life, and even the right to life.  More so, emergency crises, particularly those related to climate change, natural disasters and armed conflict, also pose a threat to the right to adequate housing of older persons and, instead, displaces millions around the globe every year.  The intersection of age and other types of discrimination, such as sex, gender, ethnicity or disability, remains a compounding factor and barrier to the full enjoyment of the right to adequate housing of older persons.

Worldwide, older persons are overrepresented among those whose right to adequate housing was violated, she reported.  Also, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the higher mortality rate among residents of long-term care homes is partly explained by the failure of such homes to adequately protect their residents.  The right to adequate housing does not only entail having a roof over one’s head but comprises a significant number of additional elements, she stressed, noting that at times, a pension is not enough to cover the rent.  As well, programmes providing affordable social housing or loan programmes for low-income groups often have an age limit for eligibility.

The right to housing entails the freedom of older persons to choose where, with whom and how they want to live and what they want to do with their property and should guarantee their physical safety, she continued.  However, older persons living in informal settlements are not adequately protected from the weather and natural hazards, which can have a negative impact on their health.  Furthermore, a lack of accessibility hinders older persons from living independently and reinforces the social exclusion and marginalization of older persons with disabilities or reduced mobility.  “Even though increasingly viewed as a commodity, housing is most importantly a human right,” she emphasized.

Detailing new age-friendly and inclusive housing solutions, she called upon States to provide a range of support services that promote older persons’ dignity, autonomy and independence and enable them to remain in their home.  Older persons with disabilities must not be forcibly institutionalized, she asserted, urging States to transform institutional forms of care into settings that allow for older persons to retain their right to decide for themselves, as well as their autonomy and independence, with the objective of ending care institutionalization.

In the ensuing interactive dialogue on the topic, the representative of Israel said that his country is implementing recommendations of the Inter-Ministerial Committee and focusing on housing solutions for the aging population.  He asked Ms. Mahler about her view on the benefits of using smart home technology to ensure adequate living in comparison to the advantages of the assisted living conditions.

The representative of Portugal asked what measures Ms. Mahler would recommend in addressing the energy poverty.

The representative of the Russian Federation shared that in his country, federal statistic monitoring exercises are conducted to develop and assess the effectiveness of the socio-demographic policies and improve living standards of the older generation.

The observer for the European Union asked how the United Nations Organization plans to collect and use data for housing, living arrangements and social protection schemes for older people.  He also asked about practical steps the Organization is undertaking to integrate ageing and old-age concerns in the housing policies, in particular in the framework of implementation of the New Urban Agenda.

The representative of Chile, speaking for the Group of Friends of Older Persons, spotlighted the importance of stronger normative protections for adapting national regulatory frameworks and asked how an international legally binding instrument on the human rights of older persons would close the identified protection gaps for older persons in complement to the provisions of national legislations.

The representative of India raised a question about a need to increase the role of family to ensure well-being of all persons and to counter neglect and homelessness experienced by the elderly.

Also, speaking were representatives of Argentina, Canada, Malta, Mexico, Slovenia and Slovakia, as well as an observer for the Sovereign Order of Malta.

Ms. MAHLER, in regards to the importance of intersectionality of women and older persons with disabilities, said that, though they may want to stay in their homes and may not be in a condition to do so, they must be allowed to decide where they want to live and under what circumstances.  Another challenge to access to housing for older persons is “old-age poverty”, which not only limits their access to adequate housing, but also forces them to decide between paying for housing, such as rent, or for medication, food and other necessities.  On the issue of conflict, she said that displaced persons often leave as a last resort and should be allowed to decide for themselves where they want to live.  She added her agreement that a dedicated global human rights instrument on the rights of older persons is necessary; it would change the narrative and help them to be seen as “rights holders”.  Such an instrument would give guidance to States regarding norms.  “Meaningful participation is the tool which we need to enhance more”, she said, adding that older persons are often excluded from discussions of housing issues, design, and how digital solutions can help them.  Regarding violence against older persons, she said that adequate housing would provide the support and security to hinder attempts to violate their rights both in institutions but also at home.

General Discussion

MUNIR AKRAM (Pakistan), speaking for the “Group of 77” developing countries and China, said that the steady progress of the past decade has been compromised by conflicts, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic and exacerbated inequalities.  Voicing concern over on the large segment of the world’s population, he warned that these challenges can fuel societal polarization by undermining social cohesion.  Therefore, the international community should revitalize global cooperation and invest in eradicating poverty and hunger, reducing inequalities and enhancing the well-being of all.  To enable developing countries to eradicate poverty and hunger, resources must be mobilized from all possible sources.  He further stressed the need for coherent actions to promote vaccine equity and pandemic preparedness.  Expressing concern over the lack of satisfactory progress on social development, he said conflicts, volatile financial markets, high rates of unemployment, humanitarian emergencies, corruption and climate change, to name a few, impede the progress in the fulfilment of social objectives.  In this context, he reaffirmed that international development cooperation — especially North–South cooperation — remains a fundamental catalyst to sustainable development.  Expressing support for developing countries in implementing their social development agenda, he called on States to invest in family-oriented programmes for fighting poverty and inequality, promoting the empowerment of women and girls and advancing intergenerational solidarity.

MATHU JOYINI (South Africa), speaking for the African Group and aligning herself with the Group of 77 and China, said that the pandemic exacerbated vulnerabilities, including those of women, young people, older persons and persons with disability and refugees.  The pandemic reversed hard-won development gains in Africa, she stressed.  To this end, the African Union Assembly adopted the theme focusing on strengthening resilience in nutrition and food security on the continent.  Nutrition remains a priority, in line with the 2022 Action Plan and the Malabo Declaration.  Universal policies must be formulated to ensure access to basic services and infrastructure, ranging from quality education to potable drinking water and sanitation, affordable housing and technology.  Commending the work of the African Development Bank in strengthening the African Health Defence system, she called on development finance institutions to work with it in financing quality health care infrastructure across the continent.  She praised the partnership between the African Development Bank and the Global Centre for Adaptation which aims to mobilize $25 billion to accelerate implementation of the African Adaptation Acceleration initiative.  Developed countries must deliver on their commitment of $100 billion per year and finance the initiative ahead of the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27).  She also called for the full implementation of the Addis Ababa Agenda and emphasized the Group’s commitment in implementing the Copenhagen Declaration, in line with the 2030 Agenda and the African Union 2063 Agenda.

NADIA GULLESTRUP CHRISTENSEN, youth delegate, the European Union, in its capacity as an observer, expressed concern over the little progress made towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable development.  The Russian Federation’s unjustifiable, unprovoked and illegal war of aggression against Ukraine impacted the global economy, food security, and the energy system.  In this regard, the European Union has taken multiple initiatives to mitigate the severe effects of the global food crisis and will continue to engage with all partners to address food insecurity, malnutrition and rising humanitarian needs.  In addition, the “REPowerEU Plan” will aim to rapidly reduce dependency on Russian fossil fuels by accelerating the energy transition.  Highlighting the limited access to vocational education, particularly in the global south, the bloc is supporting and educating people from local communities in developing green and energy-efficient solutions themselves.  Recalling the top priority of the Union to strengthen resilience against future shocks and ensure a sustainable and inclusive recovery, the EU “Global Gateway” programme will contribute to narrowing the investment gap worldwide.

LUCIJA KARNELUTTI, also a youth delegate for the European Union, in its capacity as observer, pointed out that overlapping crises in recent years have exposed significant gaps in education, employment, and gender equality.  The bloc’s initiative on the digital agenda and education will contribute to inclusive and equal access to new and emerging technologies.  Further, better education and lifelong learning opportunities for all learners — including girls and learners with disabilities — must be promoted to advance learning and skills development for enhanced employability.  Providing youth with quality, free and accessible education is among the most crucial factors if the Sustainable Development Goals are to be achieved by 2030.  She also highlighted a worrying increase in domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as violence against girls and women by State authorities.  To that end, the bloc will continue promoting equal rights, equal treatment, equal and equal pay for work of equal value.  Calling for a social contract based on human rights, she stressed that now was not the time to favour short-term and status quo solutions with immediate gains, “but it is time to think long-term and deliver more for young people and succeeding generations.”

DANG HOANG GIANG (Viet Nam), speaking for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), stressed that the world faces formidable and interlinked challenges that are hindering efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.  Therefore, it is high time to place social development at the heart of recovery strategies that address inequality, poverty, hunger and enhance the resilience, sustainable livelihoods and wellbeing of all people.  In addition to existing frameworks and guidelines for regional collaboration, the Association is developing several regional guidelines on matters such as the role of social workers and the social service workforce.  Such efforts illustrate ASEAN’s growing commitment to elevating social protection to a higher level of investment and cooperation.  Recalling the agreement reached by ASEAN ministers in June 2020 to facilitate access to social protection with appropriate allocation of funds, while strengthening inter-agency and intersectoral cooperation at national and regional levels, he reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing cooperation in sustainable development with the United Nations in line with the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

JUAN JOSE PORTORREAL BRANDAO (Dominican Republic), speaking on behalf of the Central American Integration System, underlined the organization’s commitment to prioritizing and implementing affirmative actions to meet the needs of vulnerable people, particularly Afro-descendant persons, indigenous persons, people with disabilities, seniors, women and young people.  He requested that regional bodies bring forth actions designed to increase participation of these groups so that the region will become more inclusive.  To bridge social gaps, the System adopted the Comprehensive Regional Social Policy 2020-2040, which aims to establish guaranteed income to the most vulnerable as well access to food, health and education.  To complement the 2030 Agenda, the Policy also includes pillars to fund mechanisms reducing poverty, social exclusion, inequality and social, territorial and gender gaps.  The instrument seeks to build more inclusive societies and counter the negative social impacts from health or climate emergencies, he said.

Addressing new members of the Central American Integration System, he reiterated the group’s commitment to cooperation through integration with the common goal of improving living conditions for everyone in the region.  He emphasized that post-pandemic recovery was an opportunity to renew the social contract as well as integrated policy frameworks.  Older people must participate in these processes, he said.  Further, since persons with disabilities face challenges through inadequate social systems, the group believes that holistic strategies responding to those obstacles must be put in place.  He called for their perspectives to be integrated into the implementation of 2030 Agenda.  He added that families had a key role in social development and said if the international community wants to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, it must respond to the needs and challenges of all families.  He emphasized that the issue of social development must be considered holistically.

STAN ODUMA SMITH (Bahamas), speaking for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), underscored that the multifaceted impacts of conflicts, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated inequalities.  Rising food and fuel prices and slowing economic growth are worsening poverty and could have devastating impacts on a large segment of the world’s population, he warned, drawing attention to small island developing States, which are already vulnerable to natural disasters and external shocks.  Expressing concern over the effects of climate change and environmental degradation, he said the Caribbean region is experiencing an active hurricane season, the effects of which are still unknown.  Growing concerns over the effects of climate change also warrant concerns about food security, he cautioned, noting that acute food insecurity has been on the rise since 2020.  Addressing food insecurity and poverty eradication go hand-in-hand, he said, adding that CARICOM has embarked on reducing the food import bill by 25 per cent by 2025.  Addressing food insecurity and strengthening agrifood systems, including through a holistic food systems approach, is essential to reducing poverty and malnutrition.  In this context, he recalled the essential role of international cooperation in assisting developing countries by strengthening their human, institutional and technological capacity.

STEPAN Y. KUZMENKOV (Russian Federation) said that the Commission on Social Development continues to play a key role in advocating for people with disabilities and older persons, as well as improving the situation of youth and strengthening the role of the traditional family.  Moscow opposes any steps aimed at winding down its activities, he said, adding that the initiative of the World Social Summit in 2025 should be considered within the Commission.  On a national front, the Russian Federation is intensifying efforts to provide citizens with social support online, including through pensions for citizens with disabilities, provision of resources for their rehabilitation and medical social expert assessment.  Further, a State programme is introducing a barrier-free environment for persons with disabilities.  He condemned Western countries’ practice of applying unilateral and illegal sanctions related to international economic, academic, education and cultural cooperation.  These sanctions are aimed at depriving peoples and sovereign States of the access to vital goods and technologies, without which sustainable development is impossible.  He also noted the “unacceptable” campaigns to restrict access to Russian language and culture, bordering on a desire to destroy Russian identity.  “Western countries must refrain from using illegal, unilateral sanction in international relations”, he stressed.  Welcoming the youth delegates, including from European countries, he noted that they were reading text written by adult colleagues, adding that smirks do not entirely correspond to the scale and severity of the international questions under discussion.

VALÉRIE WAGNER (Switzerland) said that accumulation of humanitarian, economic, social, food and climate crises constitute a challenge for social development policies.  She encouraged Member States to work together to implement the right policies to ensure that people can feed themselves and do not fall into poverty or extreme poverty.  Noting the importance of social policies that stand up to the challenges of world hunger and increasing poverty, she said that food insufficiency and its inequitable distribution among nations has recently become more pronounced.  In this regard, Switzerland is committed to transforming global food systems to make them more sustainable.

Ms. HUTTERILI, youth delegate of Switzerland, highlighted the unprecedented set of challenges that young people are facing around the world.  Impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, young people experienced academic setbacks and growing unemployment, with many dropping out of the labour market.  She drew attention to the significant differences in tackling youth unemployment in high-, low- and middle-income countries, which, along with climate change and environmental degradation, constitute additional challenges for young people.  Youth face an uncertain future.  Climate change and environmental degradation further challenge this future.  Every generation has the right to a life in dignity and to enjoy good physical and mental health.  To ensure the right to a decent life for the next generations, the 2030 Agenda must be achieved.  This can only be done with the meaningful and effective participation of young people.  Our Common Agenda, the Youth Delegates Programme and the creation of the new United nations Youth Bureau constitute important steps in addressing these challenges, she said.

ABDULAZIZ M. ALWASIL (Saudi Arabia), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China, said recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has been interrupted by global crises.  Therefore, solidarity is needed to “return to the right path”.  Saudi Arabia has taken measures for social development in the public, health‑care and social sectors, as well as ensuring protection for poor people, including an institution to take care of persons with disabilities and ensure their access to Government services.  Underlining the importance of education in achieving sustainable development, he affirmed the importance of digital tools to continue education during current and future crises.  Madrasti, a digital learning platform created by his country during the COVID-19 pandemic, will continue to be used in these situations.  He reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s cooperation with the United Nations and its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to build a better future for coming generations so that they will be equipped to deal with tomorrow’s challenges.

MIRIAM EGGER, youth delegate of Austria, inviting the participants of the Committee to hypothetically put on their glasses, stressed that with a blurred vision, half the world’s population, along with their needs and potentials, remains to be seen.  While thanking the Organization for its “Youth 2030” strategy as well as the newly adopted resolution on the establishment of a United Nations Youth Office, she emphasized that more needs to be done.  Highlighting that youth around the world are concerned that it is drifting away from the goal of an inclusive society, she pointed out that young people are tired of being used as a “nice photo-op” and are ready to be part of the solution.  Investing in young people, unlocking their potential and strengthening youth participation are essential to achieving a more equal, just and sustainable reality, she concluded.

DAI BING (China) said that the international community must strengthen solidarity and cooperation on development and practice multilateralism, which remains the bedrock of the international order.  Developed countries should provide developing countries with more resources so that they can pursue development independently.  Further, inclusiveness, mutual learning and safeguarding each country’s legitimate right to choose their development path autonomously must be ensured.  Power politics and imposition of the will of a few countries should be opposed.  Governance mechanisms should be improved and pragmatic cooperation promoted.  On the social summit proposed in Our Common Agenda, he highlighted his country’s more than 40-year-long efforts to lift 770 million citizens out of poverty, achieving the poverty reduction goal in the 2030 Agenda 10 years ahead of schedule.  This was “the most successful poverty reduction stirring in human history and the most extraordinary human rights project,” he said.  China also participates in global development, ranging from funds and assistance to over 160 countries to making covid vaccines a global public good and supporting the waver of intellectual property rights.  Summing up global development initiatives and dialogues to which his country has been contributing to, including the ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends of Global Development Initiative hosted in China last week, he invited States to join the Group and contribute to the cause.

ANTONIO MANUEL REVILLA LAGDAMEO (Philippines), aligning himself with the Group of 77 and China and ASEAN, highlighted his country’s steady progress enhancing the social fabric, inequality-reducing transformation and increasing growth potential, as set forth by the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022.  However, COVID-19 threatened to undo years of progress and uncovered the importance of social development programmes, he stressed, drawing attention to the Philippines’ 2008 programme that reduces the vulnerabilities of children in poor families with conditional cash transfers.  The programme also provides effective ways for engaging with poor families for communication campaigns.  To date, over 1 million households have graduated from the programme, meaning these families have met target outcomes in health and education.  This programme, along with other laws and reforms implemented before the pandemic, helped the Philippines weather the global unprecedented challenge.  Furthermore, the Philippines’ development plan was updated to consider the specific needs of women, migrants, indigenous peoples, older persons and persons with disabilities.  With steady investment in food, public health, education and other social services, the Philippines is confident that it can make significant strides in achieving its long-term development aspirations, he said.

NJAMBI KINYUNGU (Kenya), aligning herself with the Group of 77 and the African Group, reiterated her country’s commitment to safeguarding the social development of all Kenyans and addressing the welfare of vulnerable and marginalized groups and communities.  Kenya’s Vision 2030 aims to build a just and cohesive society through flagship projects in education, health care services, housing, food security, employment, financial inclusion and science technology, among others.  Spotlighting her country’s efforts to address social development disparities and mainstream digital technology, she described its social protection programmes which improve the livelihoods of vulnerable populations and encourage inclusive, resilient COVID-19 recovery.  Through legislative and policy initiatives, the Government has also enacted measures to enhance the human rights and dignity of women, youth, children, persons with disabilities and older persons.  Recalling her country’s role as a member of the Transforming Education Summit’s Advisory Committee, she reiterated her Government’s commitment to education.  Developing countries however are heavily burdened by external debt and risk losing progress due to COVID-19-related shocks and disruptions.  She called for partnerships and confidence-building measures to work towards sustainable, people-centred and inclusive development, financing to prioritize just transitions and climate change adaptation and women and girls to remain at the centre of social development efforts and policies.  Inclusive, sustainable social development requires solidarity and joint action through multilateralism and a fit-for-purpose United Nations, she emphasized.

MANAL MOUSSANE, youth delegate of the Netherlands, spoke of the experiences of three young people in navigating bias and discrimination in education and health systems, inadequate mental health care, cyberbullying and online sexual harassment.  “Only with intergenerational cooperation, only if we share our experience and expertise, only then we can ensure that these young people are the last ones dealing with the same gaps in our systems,” she said.  Young people are not only the victims of the systems we create but are also part of the solution, she continued.  In sharing her realization that policies are not always “future-proof”, she introduced the idea of a United Nations-generational test to measure the impact of United Nations policies on current and future generations prior to implementation.  Through this instrument, policies will become more effective and ensure equal intergenerational impact.  She urged countries to develop the generational test, consider young people as equal partners and invite them to the United Nations as visitors, negotiators and policymakers.  “Within these four walls, ideas and opinions are shared.  However, outside of these four walls are where those words are translated into action,” she reminded.

SONIA MARINA PEREIRA PORTILLA (Colombia) said that policies aimed at implementing Sustainable Development Goal 1 — ending poverty — must be tailored to specific communities’ needs, particularly those of women, children, older persons, people with disabilities, rural communities, and indigenous people.  Further, social services suspended during the pandemic must be reactivated.  In order to combat intersectional discrimination based on race, gender, disability, ethnicity, the Government will establish “care models” for the most vulnerable.  The country also signed up to join the instrument for the Inter-American Convention for the Protections of the Rights of Older Persons and expressed her support for the Open-Ended Group on Aging working on a binding legal international document on the subject.  In efforts to guarantee the rights of women and to better support various configurations of the family, Colombia formalized its withdrawal from the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women’s Health and Strengthening the Family.  The country will build mechanisms to guarantee youth access to education and participation in politics.  Speaking about “literacy for life,” she affirmed that it must be approached from a multicultural perspective, specifying that literacy education must be offered in indigenous languages to preserve indigenous identity.  Education is the path to peace and democratized culture which are necessary premises to address global inequality, she said.

NEKWAYA HELALIA NALITYE IILEKA (Namibia), aligning herself with the African group and the Group of 77 and China, said that colliding crises have reversed progress and exacerbated inequalities.  In this regard, Our Common Agenda reflected a collective vision for global cooperation and a reinvigorated multilateralism.  Namibia allocates a large portion of its budget to education; its commitment to a “transformative leadership” aims at ensuring inclusive digital technology and a strategy for innovative financing and resource mobilization.  Noting her country’s progress in reducing poverty since 1990, she stressed that the systemic exclusion of the black majority from full participation and economic activities continues to shape society and the economy, constraining progress to date.  Challenges for Namibia — considered an upper-middle income country — include the mobilization of resources for the development goals.  “Taking national gross domestic product (GDP) and dividing it by our small population deriving a high per capita income is a flawed formula that requires urgent consideration,” she emphasized.  Further, the formula does not consider income disparity between “the wealthy white and the poor black”, a result of 100 year of colonization and apartheid occupation.  Emphasising that her country is vulnerable to the asymmetrical impact of climate change, she further pointed to the impact on agriculture and the consequent, heavy reliance on food imports, which are susceptible to prices fluctuations.  Calling to reduce carbon emission, she stressed that energy transition provides an opportunity for developing nations.

Ms. ALVARADO, youth delegate of Mexico, cautioning that COVID-19 has not gone away, pointed to various crises facing the world, particularly in economic, social and climate domains.  To overcome these crises, which have been exacerbated by the political environment, the international community needs to guarantee progress, development and prosperity for all people.  Marginalization and discrimination create social gaps and the most vulnerable bear the burden of these crises.  There must be effective access to social and economic rights, in accordance with the principle of universality, indivisibility and progressivity of human rights.  In sync with the recommendations made by the Secretary-General, Mexico is implementing programmes that help combat inequalities and discriminatory practices and strengthen social protection.  Underscoring the importance of an intercultural and gender approach, she described the protection of young people as her country’s priority.  Rebuilding the social fabric to ensure economic development and democracy, young people need to be at the heart of these practices, she added, pointing to initiatives that provide support to 30,000 young people through educational actions.  She further noted that her Government continues to provide pension support to older persons, prioritizing older persons with disabilities.

ASHISH SHARMA (India), aligning himself with the Group of 77 and China, highlighted his country’s efforts to localize the 2030 Agenda to individual households and detailed his country’s achievements on improved sanitation, clean cooking fuel, electricity, health coverage, child vaccination, infant mortality rates and under-five mortality rates.  Through digital technologies such as its biometric-based identification system, India has improved the service delivery of Government programmes and social protection services.  Over than 460 million people, more than 55 per cent of whom are women, now have bank accounts; over 23.5 million homes have been built through the world’s largest affordable housing program and over 800 million people are being given free dry ration packs.  In addition, the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme enhances livelihood security and the Water to Every Household Programme aims to provide tap water to every rural household by 2024.  In emphasizing education’s importance for dynamic economies and sustainable development, he noted India’s national education policy’s focus on access, equity, quality and accountability and spotlighted India’s large start-up ecosystem.  India will step up its partnerships with developing countries through South-South cooperation and the India-United Nations Development Partnership Fund and will fulfil the pledge of leaving no one behind, he said.

MAYA FADLON, youth delegate of Israel, noted social development cannot be advanced without urgently addressing the climate crisis.  In partnership with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, she and her colleagues hosted a hackathon that focused on sustainability, inspiring over 300 students to explore climate change solutions and ways to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.  She also reported that there are 427 organizations assisting persons with disabilities — roughly 20 per cent of the population.  Israel places an emphasis on education for democracy, she noted, and as a country of coexistence, studies at schools of religious and ethnic Israeli minorities are carried out in their native language and are fully funded by the Government — with Arab-Christian schools ranked as some of the top academic institutions in Israel.  “I realize social development is not a privilege and cannot be portrayed as ‘nice to have’, as living in a society in which people respect one another should be a given,” she stressed.  Israel’s national anthem is called “Hatikva” — the hope, she noted, quoting Esther Roth-Shahamorov, the first Israeli Olympian finalist:  “Talent is not only the ability to run, but the ability to persevere, not to miss, not to squint in other directions, and most importantly to know how to focus.  This is how talent is made”.

NELLY BANAKEN ELEL (Cameroon), aligning herself with the Group of 77 and China and the African Group, affirmed that family was the fundamental unit of society responsible for its well-being and cohesion.  It is also the fundamental unit for children, who require a father and mother for their social equilibrium.  While developments in information technology were often beneficial, she cautioned that they also posed problems for children, such as cyberpornography, targeting children as consumers and internet and screen addiction, adding that parents are the first barrier against cybercriminality.  Removing parental controls diluted the role of parents under the “pretext of the non-existent right to privacy of the child”, she stressed.  She pointed out that the Convention on the Rights of the Child says that the family is a natural environment for growth and well-being for its members.  In that regard, Cameroon’s legislative framework protects the family.  To ensure social development, the Government used the family and information technology to counter poverty, encourage socioeconomic integration and create jobs.  She welcomed the 2024 International Year of the Family, saying that it was an opportunity to protect the traditional family through policy that promotes renewal of generations and reaffirms the authority of parents over their children.

FLOR KRISTEN FLORES TELLO (Panama), aligning herself with the Central American Integration System, said that social development and the fight against inequality is the principal pillar of her country’s agenda.  Thus, she reiterated Panama’s commitment to delivering comprehensive social policies for development and well-being.  The pandemic has required changes based on innovation and new forms of working and learning, among others.  Further, she stressed it was critical for her country to focus on sustainable recovery and growth in a world of constant changes.  She touched on measures taken to combat inequality including interventions at the local level benefiting communities in 300 towns with the highest rate of poverty, helping with nutrition and income generation activities, conserving the environment, and helping with electrification and infrastructure, among other areas.  Over 114 community projects were carried out over the past 3 years in rural regions, she said, along with cash transfer programmes, which helped reduce extreme poverty.  Recognizing the role of young people and welcoming the creation of a United Nations Youth Office, she touched on her country’s new policy built on consultations with youth, to foster their participation and the full enjoyment of their rights.  Aiming at promoting full social inclusion of persons with disabilities, she touched on accessibility in transport systems and education centres, stressing that the political will is to comply with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  Underlining her country’s goal to be free of illiteracy, she noted that this phenomenon mostly affects the rural areas, particularly women.  Through a public-private alliance, the country provides technical educational opportunities as well as assistance in entering the labour market.

HUNG LY, youth delegate of Finland, noting that his parents were Vietnamese boat people who fled their country at the age of 22, said that the world is facing the worst refugee crisis since the Second World War due to the failed preservation of peace and security.  “Moscow’s aggression towards Ukraine and conflicts in Afghanistan and Palestine are examples of how peace is threatened,” he stressed.  Further, the discussion around refugees and asylum seekers has polarized nations, he said, pointing to the rise in racist, xenophobic speech and violence towards minorities.  Because processing times are often long and leave young refugees and asylum seekers without any hope for the future, young refugees and asylum seekers fall victim to human trafficking and exploitation due to lack of security and access to basic needs.  Moreover, families are often being separated in the process and forced returns of asylum seekers have led to situations where human lives have been put at risk.  Only 6 per cent of refugees have access to higher education, he observed, pointing to long-term effects of such intersectional discrimination on young refugees’ and asylum seekers’ living standards, public life and access to political decision making.  In this context, he stressed the need of humane refugee and asylum-seeking policy, a universal educational system and legislation and global agreements to protect refugees and asylum seekers from all forms of violence.

DAVID GILES, youth delegate of Ireland, associating himself with the European Union, said that together, the international community must work towards inclusive societies, equipped with the mechanisms and systems to accommodate and celebrate diversity.  Social development must empower those voices that are underrepresented at decision tables.  This includes minority communities, persons with disabilities and members of the LGBTI+ community.  Regarding the right for children to be heard in international law, he said his country proudly enshrines this principle through its national framework for children and young people’s participation in decision-making — the first of its kind in Europe.  He encouraged all other Member States to consider building similar structures for meaningful youth involvement at all levels of decision making.

JESSICA GILL, also a youth delegate for Ireland, said her country’s enduring commitment to the empowerment of women and girls is reflected in its national and foreign policy.  Moreover, Ireland’s national strategy for women and girls guides the country’s domestic work, including advancing socioeconomic quality, embedding gender equality into decision-making, and combatting violence against women.  Underscoring that food insecurity and malnutrition continue to disproportionately affect women and girls globally, she said her country recently announced a pledge to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) of an additional €50 million over three years to accelerate the global response to the early detection, prevention and treatment of child malnutrition.  Noting that women have been disproportionately impacted by the consequences of the pandemic, she said Member States could enhance people’s resilience to future crises, including those induced by climate change, through investment in digital education and training capacity, including open educational resources.

CHOLA MILAMBO (Zambia), said that in response to the pandemic, his country provided emergency cash transfers to people working in the informal sector and to households with special needs children.  Almost 70 per cent of the extreme poor received this financial support, whereas persons with disabilities received double the transfer value to cover their special needs.  To promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities, the Government created a disability management information system to record information on all persons with disabilities and streamline disability services.  The Government also established a quota system to ensure that at least 10 per cent of all programmes are reserved for persons with disabilities.  Turning to youth, he recognized the importance of youth involvement at all stages of development through participation in youth organizations, cooperatives, and youth empowerment programmes.

NOEMÍ RUTH ESPINOZA MADRID (Honduras), aligning herself with the Central American Integration System, Group of 77 and China and the Group of Friends of Older Persons, said that social development was particularly important for her country, which suffered from 13 years of dictatorship, electoral frauds, a pandemic and various natural disasters.  Her country’s population of 9.6 million comprises of 51.3 per cent women and 8.6 per cent indigenous people and persons of African descents.  Six per cent of the population is over 65 and adolescents and youth account for 29.8 per cent.  Thirteen years of dictatorship protected by the international community led her country to see its public debt increase sixfold and the poverty rate go up to 74 per cent, the highest in the country’s history.  In particular, 40 per cent of the people live in extreme poverty, especially in rural areas.  “To survive, we must reject austerity,” she said, stressing that the current arbitrary global order is unacceptable.  She pointed to countries that, believed to be civilized, carry out invasion, wage wars and do financial speculation, causing inflation from which other countries suffer.  Therefore, she spotlighted her country’s Government efforts to reduce poverty and extreme poverty, democratizing the approval of policies to improve nutrition, and promoting energy as public good.  Finally, to achieve development, she underscored the need of an alternative economic model that was sovereign and humanist in nature, along with high-impact strategies benefiting the most vulnerable.

YUSNIER ROMERO PUENTES (Cuba), aligning himself with the Group of 77 and China, said COVID-19 highlighted the flaws in the current unfair system.  If wealth is not distributed equally, the international community will not be able to achieve development.  Further, as long as unilateral coercive measures were used, the 1995 World Summit for Social Development remained as relevant as ever, he said.  He emphasized that protection of the rights of persons with disabilities and older persons as well as families remains his Government’s priority.  To this end, he pointed to the recently ratified Family Code that led to a genuine exercise of pluralism with a code for families, focusing on protection to all kinds of families, including same sex families.  This reflects the efforts of the Cuban Government to fight all discrimination and violence, including in the domestic domain, to ensure full gender equality and strengthen the rights of children with disabilities and older persons.  “This code has transformed love into law,” he added.  He also described the embargo imposed upon Cuba by the United States as a hostile policy that violates the Charter of the United Nations and international law while directly impacting the enjoyment of human rights of Cuban people, particularly older persons, persons with disabilities, women and children.

GABRIELE CACCIA, Permanent Observer for the Holy See, emphasized that the holistic approach to social development cannot take place without appropriate and timely measures to eradicate poverty.  Thus, the international community must work both to alleviate the multidimensional effects of poverty, including through strong social protection systems, and to address its root causes, breaking cycles which have made generations destitute.  Social protection programs should be responsive to local communities and tailored to meet their needs.  Moreover, they should assist families in their role in caring for the weakest, not supplant families.  The international community must invest in education programs that meet the needs of all, with a focus on “catching up” and achieving universal literacy and numeracy.  Skills training should be open to all, including youth and older people.  Youth must have employment and entrepreneurship opportunities.  It is equally essential to respond to the specific challenges that both older people and persons with disabilities face in the workplace, he added, stressing that unjust hiring and employment practices should not be tolerated.

FATEMEH ARAB BAFRANI (Iran), aligning herself with the Group of 77 and China, noted that the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on developing countries is evident and indisputable.  To overcome inequalities among and within countries to accelerate the recovery, it is crucial to strengthen global solidarity and multilateral cooperation.  The Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights noted at the fifty-first session of the Human Rights Council that economic sanctions have undermined Iran’s national efforts toward economic self-sufficiency and have led to growing poverty and have exacerbated socioeconomic inequalities.  “Despite disregarding multilateralism and challenging the rules-based international order by the United States, through the imposition of economic sanctions, Iran has taken several effective measures to reduce the negative impacts of such measures,” she declared.  She also detailed measures aimed at financially supporting businesses and households, including women-headed households and rural women and girls.  Underlining the contributions that young people bring to society, she highlighted the need to empower them while considering the needs, priorities and challenges of the youth from developing countries.  She also reiterated her country’s support to the Commission on Social Development, while affirming multilateralism and condemning any unilateral coercive measures.

SYED MOHAMAD HASRIN AIDID (Malaysia) said that to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, the Government unveiled a 12-point plan focused on empowering women, youth, the elderly and indigenous peoples as well as persons with disabilities, with a view towards achieving equitable prosperity and avoiding leaving anyone behind.  The country aimed to increase economic participation and enhance the role of women in decision-making.  The Government would also introduce a national plan on youth economic empowerment to improve youth employability.  Turning to the elderly population, the country introduced laws to protect seniors, including establishing a comprehensive long-term care framework and enhancing quality and services of caregivers.  Underscoring the importance of the meaningful participation of indigenous peoples in the socioeconomic development of the country, he announced a new comprehensive development approach for this community with a focus on education.  Turning to people with disabilities, he said that local authorities would be encouraged to strengthen social protection systems and adopt a universal design principle to improve accessibility to public facilities.

KORNKANOK SANABUD, youth delegate of Thailand, associating herself with the Group of 77 and ASEAN, cited the adoption of the resolution on the Establishment of the United Nations Youth Office (document A/76/L.85) by consensus — a testament to the urgency to promote meaningful engagement of young people.  While the pandemic has produced fewer fatalities amongst young people than other age groups, its effects will likely define a whole generation for the rest of their lifetime.  Stressing that education is a right, she noted that without it, youth face considerable barriers to employment and potential later in life, threatening their ability to shape a better future for themselves and their societies.  With first-hand experience in being isolated from friends and distant from the classroom during the pandemic, she called for innovation in education through new standards and employment of technologies to digitalize the classroom.  Further, schools that lack basic digital technologies and hardware should be given particular attention and the necessary assistance.

PINDA VIRIYAPONGSRI, also youth delegate of Thailand, hailed the successful convening of the Transforming Education Summit, as well as the adoption of the youth-drafted and youth-consulted Youth Declaration on Transforming Education.  She cited Demand 7, which calls for investment in education for sustainable development across curricula, particularly on climate education.  “We must end our suicidal war against nature,” she stressed — the words of the Secretary-General during his recent address to the General Assembly.  It is imperative that Governments continue to involve youth and make full use of their creative ideas and solutions to tackle climate change and create a more climate-resilient society.  To that end, the Thai Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, together with various partners, recently launched the “ENVIRONHack” initiative which invites Thai youth to “hack” environmental issues through innovative science and technology-based solutions.  She asked that youth be given the opportunity to contribute as equal partners to determine a shared future both at the national level and at the United Nations, including during the Summit of the Future in 2024.

ALYA AHMED SAIF AL-THANI (Qatar), aligning herself with the Group of 77 and China, spotlighted her Government’s legislative and executive measures on sustainable development, including its tangible achievements through the National Committee on Women, Children, the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities.  In addition, Qatar was ensuring the 2022 FIFA [Fédération Internationale de Football Association] World Cup would be the most friendly and accessible for persons with disabilities, she said, adding that her country looked forward to hosting the fourth Global Disability Summit in 2028.  The placement of youth is at the heart of Qatar’s policies and development and humanitarian assistance.  Its $980 million contribution benefitted millions of youth and children in 65 countries over the past decade.  In addition to its leading preparatory role on the Transforming Education Summit, Qatar organized national consultations on the same topic and hosted regional preparatory meetings for the Arab region and Western Asia.  She then highlighted two initiatives, one on localizing education for a sustainable future and the latter launched by the Education Above All Foundation and World Bank Group on innovative funding mechanisms.  On the General Assembly resolution celebrating the international year of the family, she represented the Group of 77 and China in reiterating the importance of adopting family-oriented economic and social policies which contribute to comprehensive and sustainable social development.  Qatar looked forward to hosting the international conference for the thirtieth anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2024, she said.

BOŠTJAN MALOVRH (Slovenia), aligning himself with the European Union, said that Slovenia has adopted an “active ageing” strategy based on the concept of an active and healthy life course and has established the Council for Active Ageing and Intergenerational Cooperation to implement the strategy.  Detailing support for the programme, he said that active ageing is promoted through various measures, among them also through the Third Age University of Slovenia, which is a voluntary educational movement and aims at providing access to education and culture for older persons.  Welcoming the work of relevant United Nations mechanisms concerning older persons, he called for a more renewed set of norms and international legal frameworks to respond to the specific needs and challenges of older persons.

Mr. CIGLARIC, youth delegate for Slovenia, expressed concern over youths’ decrease in participation in the preservation of his country’s heritage, as well as non-participation in political life.  Fear of discrimination, lack of mentor programmes and a “public negative opinion” on the engagement of young people in politics prevents their participation.  He warned that, if young people are not encouraged to be more active in both these areas, both cultural memory and the future of the world would be threatened.  He thanked the United Nations for taking steps to include youth, but called on the Organization to involve young people more in decision making.

JUAN JOSÉ PORTORREAL BRANDAO (Dominican Republic), calling young people “agents of change”, encouraged their full, meaningful and active participation in decision-making processes.  He also welcomed the creation of the United Nations Youth Office as a means of strengthening the commitment of the Organization towards young people.  He further underscored the right of persons with disabilities to dignified health.  In this regard, the Government rolled out public health policies without any discrimination, including services in the post-COVID-19 period, to ensure their availability for persons with disabilities.  Emphasizing the importance of strengthening governance in public policies for such people, he reported that his country has a law that recognizes people with disabilities as rights holders.  Underscoring the critical need of accessible social housing for such people, he noted that the Government created a special accessibility plan.  Moreover, it provided subsidized pensions to persons with disabilities, single unemployed mothers with children and older persons.  He highlighted the need of inclusive and resilient policies in order to achieve zero hunger and ensure food security.

ANOUPARB VONGNORKEO (Lao People’s Democratic Republic), associating himself with the Group of 77 and China and ASEAN, pointed out that the poverty gap is widening.  His country is also facing severe consequences caused by natural calamities, such as heavy storms and widespread floodings, which have destroyed vast agricultural areas and basic infrastructure, making access to schools and healthcare dispensaries extremely difficult.  Addressing climate change and long-term environmental protection have been top priorities for his Government.  The country remains committed to transforming the education sector as one of the top priorities for social development, with an emphasis on improving the Human Asset Index — one of the key thresholds for least developed countries graduation.  Under the National Strategy, the education sector has undergone extensive reform, with a view to improving national standards and making education accessible for all.  The Government has made utmost efforts to provide free vaccination for all under the national vaccination scheme — a pilot project to provide free medical care at central hospitals for elderly people and marginalized groups, promote family planning and scaling up nutrition for mothers and children, with free medical treatment for women in pregnancy and children under the age of five.

THOA THI MINH LE (Viet Nam), aligning herself with the Group of 77 and China and ASEAN, said that the pandemic, climate change and the world’s political-security situation has challenged the realization of the 2030 Agenda.  Multiple causes of poverty and inequality must be addressed by creating work and providing education.  As well, small businesses and their employees need to be supported by preferential loans and training, among other things.  She called on the international community and development partners to strengthen multinational cooperation, fulfil their official development aid commitments and explore mechanisms for debt crisis resolution.  Despite socioeconomic challenges, progress has been made in Vietnam relating to the Sustainable Development Goals, pandemic control, health care, social security, education and social rights.  In addition, she said she was proud that Viet Nam is recognized by the international community as a success story in poverty reduction.  Her country has also responded to climate change, implementing commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change and targeting carbon emission neutrality by 2050.  Pointing to the desire to contribute more effectively to promoting human rights and social development, she presented Viet Nam’s candidacy for membership to the Human Rights Council for the term 2023-2025 and called for Member States’ support.

PENELOPE RAMATSOBANE MAKGATI (South Africa), aligning herself with the African Group and the Group of 77 and China, said that the interlinked global crises have had negative impacts on South Africa, especially after the pandemic which has reversed national efforts of eradicating hunger and poverty.  In response, her Government commissioned an analytic study on the status of South Africa’s population, food security and nutrition and rolled out support, with non‑governmental organizations, to alleviate the social impact of COVID-19.  She also emphasized her country’s role in facilitating the resolution on the social dimensions of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, which was one of the two resolutions adopted at the sixtieth session of the Commission on Social Development and by the Economic and Social Council.  Further, efforts to implement universal access to basic services and social protection accounts for 60 per cent of total Government expenditure.  South Africa’s social protection programme covers over 18 million of its most destitute citizens, 11.3 million of which are children and 4 million older persons, she said, adding that her country will continue to invest in the capacities of women and girls aiming at their empowerment.

CARLA MARIA RODRÍGUEZ MANCIA (Guatemala) said that her country’s priority strategies on development aimed at putting an end to chronic malnutrition through a human rights approach.  This included efforts to strengthen local production of food and links to national consumers, along with education on healthy eating.  In this regard, it was also key to align efforts with stakeholders at the regional and international levels.  Stressing the need to provide continuity in education, especially for children, she also highlighted her country’s food nutrition programs, which have a direct and positive impact on family life.  Further, national health coverage programmes and scholarships were allowing children to achieve their potential.  Empowering people and mobilizing resources was crucial.  “We must have a transition that is socially just to increase support to developing countries, including middle-income country,” she said.  As well,  access to financing technology transfer must be fostered towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals.  As a country with a high percentage of young people, she reiterated the need to invest in their empowerment and participation.  The rights of older persons must also be safeguarded, especially ensuring that they enjoy a dignified life without abandonment.

ANA PAULA BAPTISTA GRADE ZACARIAS (Portugal) said that in 2021, during the Portuguese presidency of the European Union Council, at the Social Summit in Porto, the first-ever agreement at European level between Governments, employers and workers on the implementation of the European Social Pillar was signed.  She stressed that her country wanted to ensure that the human rights of young people remained high on the agenda, encouraging their active participation.  Noting, that the pandemic was a “wake up call” for policymakers and human rights experts, she highlighted certain gaps and limitations in the international normative framework to protect the human rights of older people.  To that end, she called for open negotiations on a new United Nations convention to protect and promote the human rights of all older persons and reiterated Portugal’s support.

Mr. ESATIA, youth delegate for Georgia, said that, while the adoption of the 2030 Agenda is a transformative step towards peace and security, it is difficult to think about the future or development in a context of “shameless” violations of international law.  A conflict environment “cripples young people and deprives them of basics, even their right to quality education and education in the native language”.  He condemned the Russian Federation’s war against Ukraine and said that it is essential to remain unified against the aggressor.  He urged all young people to be resilient and courageous when faced with challenges and said that, coming from the former conflict zone of Gali, he never thought that he would be a United Nations youth delegate.  Expressing hope that his story could provide hope and motivation to others, he affirmed that his generation can solve any issue, and choose dialogue over weapons.  “I am happy and proud that the youth of Georgia choose negotiation and reconciliation processes,” he said.  Hailing the establishment of the United Nations Youth Office for bringing diverse voices into the Organization, he reiterated his faith in negotiation and dialogue, saying “it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness”.  He reminded the Committee that young people are not only the future, but the present, and can change and improve life worldwide.

MATHILDE CHIGNESSE, youth delegate for Belgium, stressed that one of the Sustainable Development Goals is central to achieving all the others:  gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls across the world.  She noted that a recent United Nations report warned that at the current rate of change, it would probably take nearly 300 years to achieve that goal and “we do not have 300 years ahead of us.”  Without seriously increasing investments and commitments, their goals would not be achieved by 2030 and may never be achieved.  “The solutions exist, and we know them,” she stated, calling for policymakers to commit to financial support to achieve equality, in particular by guaranteeing a quality education for all.  “Now is the time to come together as a global community, with youth,” she stressed.

MAÏTÉ COPPENS, also a youth delegate for Belgium, stated that next to gender equality, mental health had been set as the fifth European youth goal, and according to the World Health Organization (WHO), it was key to increase the ability of young people to deal with mental health issues.  Mental health is interwoven in all facets of society, as many young people are anxious or stressed because they cannot achieve unrealistic goals or they are worried about their insecure future.  She called on policymakers to focus on mental health prevention measures and provide more tailor-made and easy, accessible assistance without long wait times.  They must also equip young people with knowledge and teach them the required skills for better mental well-being, while supporting youth workers and teachers so that they can steer young people on their journey.

GIULIA TARIELLO, youth delegate of Italy, stated that young people too often feel an ever-increasing distance between themselves and where decision-making processes take place.  This, in turn, draws them even further away from participating in public life.  She suggested that enhancing the educational system and offering courses on issues such as climate change, human rights and education could strengthen their sense of belonging to society.  Recalling that Italy organized the “Youth4Climate” event in New York during the high-level week of the General Assembly, she reported that it provided an opportunity for young people to be heard by world leaders.  Describing the work of the Envoy on Youth, establishment of the Youth Office and the Transforming Education Summit as “right steps in this direction,” she pointed out that the Organization must lead by example — allowing young professionals, students and citizens to participate in decision-making alongside their Governments.  “To start our car, we need fuel and a spark.  Achieving youth engagement is the only way to have them both,” she emphasized.

ELIE ALTARSHA (Syria), aligning himself with the Group of 77 and China, said that empowering societies to realize and enjoy rights was necessary for social development.  He spotlighted the suffering of his people from the great damages of the “terrorist war” and “illegal and illegitimate” unilateral coercive measures.  Nonetheless, his Government continued to develop far-reaching reform packages to build institutional frameworks which focus on social and economic policies to develop infrastructure, implement targeted programs for all and achieved balanced, sustainable development.  Syria remained committed to overcoming all obstacles in providing its citizens with basic services and is establishing a social protection system.  With the view that protection-oriented programs allowed vulnerable and disadvantaged groups to engage in development, Syria would provide specialized care, targeted support and quality social services.  As true social development requires a connection between the national and international level, the international community must mitigate the development gap and help countries on achieving sustainable development.  In spite of the economic difficulties his country faced, he underscored its continued commitment to combating and eliminating poverty and unemployment, empowering women, enhancing social integration and improving capacity on social and sustainable development.

KOKOU MAWOUPEMO TSOGBLO (Togo), associating himself with “Group of 77” and China and the African Group, noted a 2019 survey within West African Economic and Monetary Union countries that showed that the poverty index fell from 58.7 per cent in 2011 to 45.5 per cent in 2019.  However, the socioeconomic context remains marked by the persistence of poverty within a large majority of the population.  The Government aims to reduce the vulnerability of the grassroots population by taking into account their vital needs in the implementation of development strategies and programs.  He noted that Togo has included social and financial inclusion in its social development policy and is developing social safety nets and basic services, as well as a support project for vulnerable populations.  Strengthening the protection of women against discrimination and gender-based violence and lifting sociocultural burdens have considerably enhanced women’s ability to contribute to the development of the country, while people with disabilities are fully integrated into the development, education and health strategy.  His Government is also training young people and women in entrepreneurship and granting more than $1,492,702 in loans to young entrepreneurs, with 30 per cent of public procurement reserved for young and female entrepreneurs.

AHMED SAHRAOUI (Algeria) said that social development constitutes one of the three pillars of the economic development and is important for strengthening social ties and social contracts.  Economic models in the post-COVID-19 world should be based on social justice, he said, welcoming the suggestion of conducting a World Social Summit in 2025 and underscoring the need to move forward with the approach established at the Copenhagen Summit.  Noting that his country has adopted special attention to the social dimension since it regained its independence, he emphasized a link between the social dimension and sustainable development.  He added that social justice is enshrined in the country’s Constitution.  Despite the devastating impact of the pandemic, Algeria managed to strengthen its social approach by providing financial support to families, unemployment grants and raising salaries to face inflation.  Moreover, the country’s education policy triggered 100 per cent enrolment of children, half of them female.  Having allocated resources in the education sector, the country managed to modernize its education, making it more efficient and effective.  Consequently, it supported other countries by providing university education to foreign students coming from 62 countries.

JAVIER LEONARDO SALAS DE LOS RIOS (Peru) said that the cumulative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, inflation, rising energy and food costs have not only slowed progress on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, but also reversed some.  “Global crises affect us all, but in particular the poorest, most vulnerable and most excluded,” he emphasized.  Indigenous people, women, people with disabilities, children and adolescents bear the brunt of these phenomena, which prevent those people from enjoying their rights.  He called on the international community to work together toward reducing inequality, and putting an end to poverty.  The social agenda focuses on empowering people to create more inclusive and fair societies.  To that end, Peru created a document, Vision for 2050 that described a “future of well-being”, by establishing guidelines for a dignified life without gaps in access to public services.  The resources required to implement these policies are based on a growing economy and a robust economic policy.  Turning to the resolution that Peru will facilitate in the session, “Human Rights and Extreme Poverty”, he added that extreme poverty undermined human dignity; urgent measures were required at a national and international level to eliminate it.  He asked for the support of all Members States so that it may be adopted by consensus.

Mr. HAMID (Maldives) said that for the first time, all Supreme Court justices in his country were female, including the leaders of the Judicial Service Commission and the Human Rights Commission.  Maldives was one of the main sponsors of the resolution on “International Day of Women in Diplomacy”, supported by 191 Member States.  He underscored the importance of ensuring adequate representation of women in decision-making processes in order to achieve true social development.  There can be no social development without access to quality education.  Government policies provide equal opportunities for boys and girls, which has resulted in 98 per cent of school enrolment.  Moreover, the Government initiated a free education scheme for students pursuing their first degrees.  Touching on youth, he underscored that the future of his country was deeply interwoven with the future of the youth, which constituted half of its population.  He also noted that the Government was drafting a “youth bill” to expand access to health care, employment, economic opportunities and education for young people.

SALAMATA ODETTE NIAMBA CONGO (Burkina Faso), aligning herself with the Group of 77 and China and the African Group, said her country was being confronted with a security crisis that has caused unprecedented humanitarian crisis marked by massive population movement.  As of 31 August, the number of internally displaced persons reached over 1.5 million, with 61.27 per cent of them children and 22.13 per cent women.  Along with a series of initiatives on social and humanitarian matters already in place, other measures were taken to improve the basic social sectors, ranging from the reduction of inequalities to the promotion of universal access to health services.  Further, policies have been adopted on food security and nutrition.  Noting that young people and women constitute respectively 77.9 and 51.7 per cent of the population, she detailed efforts to promote education, employment and participation in decision making, as well as address violence against women, female genital mutilation and early or forced marriage, among other issues.  To this end, several funds have been put in place, aiming at financing with preferred rates activities of the low-income population and the most vulnerable.  Centres for the victims of violence, a hotline to report gender-based violence and a protocol for delivering assistance to gender-based violence gender-based violence were also established.  She also touched on her country’s development policies in support of older persons and persons with disabilities, who still fall victim to human rights violations.

Ms. AHMAD (United Arab Emirates) said, as a country with over 200 nationalities and ethnicities, it is committed to sustainable development, with initiatives to help all strata of society including youth, the elderly and those with disabilities.  Her Government attached particular importance to the young, she noted, citing the United Nations programme for youth delegates — an ideal platform for involving them in decision-making on the international stage.  The United Arab Emirates established a Young People’s Union in 2018 and works through municipal councils to empower them and review policies and strategies.

Mr. ALSAQQAF (United Arab Emirates), noted that the country also prioritized senior citizens, honouring their efforts in service of the nation, instituting a policy to improve their lot.  The country also prioritized the rights of those with disabilities, passing a law in that domain and launching a national policy in 2017 to empower them through training, and access to social security, culture and sport.  He reiterated the commitment to consolidation of national efforts to ensure social development and establish cooperative partnerships with all countries of the world.

Source: United Nations