2019 UNITED NATIONS NEW YORK
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COPYRIGHT: Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization (A/74/1, 74th session) Published by the United Nations New York, New York 10017, United States of America Copyright Š 2019 United Nations All rights reserved This publication in its entirety may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without written permission from the publisher. All queries on rights and licences, Including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to: United Nations Publications 405 East 42nd Street, S-09FW001 New York, NY 10017 United States of America E-mail: publications@un.org; website: http://shop.un.org Requests to reproduce excerpts should be addressed to: permissions@un.org ISBN: 978-92-1-860015-8 eISBN: 978-92-1-004485-1 Sales No. EGB503 Designed and produced by: Division of Conference Management, United Nations Office at Geneva, and Department for General Assembly and Conference Management, United Nations, New York Cover Hmong women and child. The Hmong are an indigenous group in East and South-East Asia. UN Photo / Kibae Park
2019
UNITED NATIONS NEW YORK
Read the full report on un-iLibrary.org: http://bit.ly/2VcgcQS
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION THE WORK OF THE ORGANIZATION
4 22
Promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development
22
Maintenance of international peace and security
40
Development of Africa
58
Promotion and protection of human rights
64
Effective coordination of humanitarian assistance
76
Promotion of justice and international law
88
Disarmament
92
Drug control, crime prevention and combating terrorism EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF THE ORGANIZATION
100 108
INTRODUCTION
Secretary-General Antรณnio Guterres delivers his remarks during the opening of the general debate of the seventy-third session of the General Assembly.
4 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
INTRODUCTION
OUR KEY PRIORITIES • Promotion of sustained economic growth and sustainable development • Maintenance of international peace and security • Development of Africa • Promotion and protection of human rights • E ffective coordination of humanitarian assistance • P romotion of justice and international law • Disarmament
UN Photo / Cia Pak
•D rug control, crime prevention and combating terrorism
Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 5
UN Photo / Cia Pak
INTRODUCTION
United Nations emblem in the General Assembly Hall.
6 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
As we approach the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, the world’s leading instrument of shared progress, our common purposes and principles remain as important as ever. The Organization, and its ethos of international cooperation, have yielded great and wide-ranging benefits to humankind, lifting millions out of poverty, upholding human rights and helping to forge peace in troubled lands. In today’s rapidly changing world, our enduring and Charter-driven duty is to build on those achievements and ensure that all people can enjoy safety, prosperity and dignity. In that spirit, I offer my third report on the work of the Organization concerned about the state of our world – but also encouraged by what I know we can deliver for the people we serve.
CHALLENGES THAT TRANSCEND BORDERS The world continues to face grave global challenges that no single Member State or organization can address alone. The existential threat posed by climate change is paramount among those perils. Climate change-related disasters affect an average of 350 million people every year, and every day global warming is reversing hard-won development gains and exacerbating poverty. Biodiversity is being lost at an alarming rate.
Those factors, among others, have contributed to increasing levels of displacement, which expose vulnerable populations on the move to human rights violations and create complex challenges in transit and destination countries. As these and other problems persist and proliferate, we see growing fear, uncertainty and frustration undermining public trust in institutions and political establishments and providing a breeding ground for hate speech, xenophobia and other divisive and dangerous narratives.
UN Photo / Mark Garten
INTRODUCTION
”Global challenges require global solutions. It is not enough to proclaim the virtue of multilateralism; we must prove its added value.” António Guterres, Secretary-General
My profound concern about this alarming trajectory – including hate-driven violence and atrocious attacks on places of worship – led me to launch a strategy to combat hate speech and to explore how the United Nations can support the protection of holy sites around the world.
In 2019, nearly 142 million people will need humanitarian assistance. Armed conflicts and violence continue to destroy lives and communities. Conflicts have become more complex and interlinked. Violent extremism and terrorism continue to destabilize countries and entire regions. Pervasive poverty and rising inequality across and especially within countries are of significant concern, as are the worrying trends of shrinking democratic and civic space, often affecting human rights defenders, health workers and journalists first. Violence against women and girls and renewed pushback against women’s rights and gender equality remain pervasive across the world.
Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 7
INTRODUCTION
Over
37,000
United Nations Secretariat staff and about 90,000 uniformed personnel working...
‌across
8 priorities in 35+ programmes‌
... to achieve results in 2018, for example: Sustainable Development
Peace and Security
Repositioned the United Nations Development System and agreed a Funding Compact to improve delivery of $33B in development assistance
Deployed 14 peacekeeping missions, 30+ special political missions, offices and envoys to foster peace and prevent conflict
Disarmament
Development of Africa
Launched Securing our Common Future. An Agenda for Disarmament, to place disarmament and non-proliferation at the centre of United Nations work
Signed 2 framework agreements between the United Nations and the African Union to support the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.
8 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
INTRODUCTION
…with the support of
…in
140+ countries
…
$13.8B
in contributions, including $2.6B regular assessed, $7.5B peacekeeping and other assessed and $3.7B voluntary...
Humanitarian Assistance
Human Rights
Helped mobilize and coordinate international assistance worth $15B for 133 million people in need
Reached 600M people with the UDHR@70 campaign to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Drugs, Crime, Terrorism
Justice and Law
Supported 90+ countries in preventing and countering violent extremism
Advanced new agreements on marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdictions
Serviced Member States in over intergovernmental meetings and conferences to help foster global consensus on the issues facing the world
35,000
Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 9
UN Photo / Cia Pak
INTRODUCTION
Animation of the Sustainable Development Goals and Member States’ flags projected onto the United Nations Secretariat and General Assembly buildings.
10 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
Khawla Alazabi / UN Climate Change
INTRODUCTION
COP24 President Michael Kurtyka, State Secretary, Ministry of Energy, Poland, jumps after approval of the Paris Agreement Work Programme at 2018 Katowice conference.
In 2018, the United Nations system demonstrated what we can accomplish when we work together, and what we need to do to generate further progress.
the temperature rise to 1.5°C and to meet other climate targets for 2020 and beyond.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, encapsulated in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, continues to provide a clear and universal road map for building a fair globalization and transforming economies and societies to ensure that no one is left behind. Much progress has been achieved. Yet, at the current pace, we will not reach our targets. We need to bring much greater urgency and ambition to this work, through enhanced international cooperation, private-public partnerships, adequate financing and innovative solutions. We also need to empower young people as partners and leaders, as envisaged in Youth 2030: The United Nations Strategy on Youth.
In December 2018, the agreement by Member States on a landmark Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration provided a voluntary platform for countries of origin, transit and destination to maximize the benefits of migration and tackle its associated challenges. Along with the global compact on refugees, affirmed that same month, the world now has far-reaching pathways to ensure that human mobility works for all.
Despite hurdles, the climate change conference held in Katowice, Poland, in December agreed on a work programme to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, a notable step forward. The climate summit to be held in September 2019 will be an opportunity to accelerate the global response towards the goal of limiting
UN Photo / Mark Garten
MULTILATERALISM MATTERS
”International cooperation is key to lifting the decade of action to deliver the SDGs by 2030. We need transformations that leave no one behind.” Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General
Our peace operations continue to be vital. Through the Action for Peacekeeping initiative, we have strengthened our partnership with troop- and Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 11
INTRODUCTION
SELECT TRANSFORMATIVE AGENDAS* The long-term objectives of the United Nations revolve around transformative agendas endorsed or welcomed by the Member States.
YOUTH, PEACE AND SECURITY
ACTION FOR PEACEKEEPING
Security Council resolution 2419 (2018) building on resolution 2250 (2015)
Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations
2030 AGENDA AND AGENDA 2063
OCEAN DECLARATION
Framework for a Renewed United Nations-African Union Partnership on Africa’s Integration and Development Agenda 2017–2027, in support of the African Union’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want
Our Ocean, Our Future: Call for Action
2018
2017 BEIJING DECLARATION
MAURITIUS DECLARATION
Fourth World Conference on Women, and Platform for Action
Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States
WORLD SUMMIT DECLARATION WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY
Development, peace and collective security, human rights and the rule of law, and strengthening the United Nations
Security Council resolution 1325 (2000)
DOHA DECLARATION Follow-up Conference on Financing for Development
MILLENNIUM DECLARATION
ISTANBUL DECLARATION
Summit and Millenium Development Goals
Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011–2020
MONTERREY CONSENSUS
RIO+20
International Conference on Financing for Development
1995
2000
2002
Conference on Sustainable Development
2005
* The diagram shows select transformative agendas since 1995. The list is not exhaustive. The United Nations programme of work is also guided by several other legislative mandates. 12 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
2008
2011
2012
INTRODUCTION
MIGRATION
REFUGEES
Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration
Global Compact on Refugees
NEW URBAN AGENDA
COUNTERING DRUGS
United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development (Habitat III)
Joint Commitment to Effectively Address and Counter the World Drug Problem (General Assembly resolution S-30/1)
SUSTAINING PEACE New framework for sustaining peace, adopted in General Assembly resolution 70/262 and identical Security Council resolution 2282 (2016)
2016 DOHA DECLARATION Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
ADDIS ABABA ACTION AGENDA
AGENDA 2030
Third International Conference on Financing for Development
VIENNA DECLARATION Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014–2024
SENDAI FRAMEWORK
SAMOA PATHWAY SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway
2014
Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030
PARIS AGREEMENT Agreement of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
2015
Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 13
UN Photo / Rick Bajornas
INTRODUCTION
Secretary-General António Guterres and Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed during a meeting in New York.
”The purpose and principles of the United Nations are more relevant than ever. They remain our shared compass to a more peaceful and sustainable world. We will get there by working together.” Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Chef de Cabinet
police-contributing countries, Security Council members and host countries. Since the launch of this effort in March 2018, more than 150 Member States and 4 international and regional organizations have endorsed the Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. We have conducted independent reviews of our operations to assess how we can better deliver on our mandates, and have prioritized efforts to increase the number of female uniformed personnel. We are also promoting women’s meaningful inclusion in peace processes, given that experience shows that this produces more robust and sustainable agreements.
14 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
I have proposed a new disarmament agenda to address weapons of mass destruction and conventional weapons and to ensure that wondrous new technologies do not spark a horrendous new arms race. Our aim is threefold: disarmament to save humanity, disarmament to save lives and disarmament to safeguard our future. While the United Nations continues to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance and strengthen peace operations, we are all keenly aware that ending wars and violence is the only real and long-term solution to the destruction and human suffering they cause. This is why, since taking office, I have placed an emphasis on prevention, mediation and a surge in peacemaking and diplomacy. Recent months have seen progress in addressing volatile situations, resolving conflicts and restoring hope to those affected by years of war, violence and instability, for example by ensuring peaceful and democratic elections in Madagascar. In February 2019, Greece and North Macedonia settled their long-standing “name” dispute, showing that even seemingly intractable issues can be resolved through dialogue and political will. Close cooperation with regional organizations has been essential.
UN Photo / Mark Garten
INTRODUCTION
Miroslav Lajčák (centre), President of the 72nd session of the General Assembly, and Co-facilitators for the United Nations Global Compact on Migration process, Juan José Gómez Camacho (second from right), Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations, and Jürg Lauber (right), Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations, hold up the gavel at the end of the meeting finalizing the draft document.
At the same time, we are committed to a collective system-wide approach to addressing such challenges as the outbreak of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which continues to unfold in a challenging environment marked by conflict and insecurity. I urge Member States and partner organizations to ensure that the responding agencies have the resources they need to succeed.
UNITING FOR REFORM To meet current and emerging global challenges, we have embarked on major reforms of the Organization. We have transformed the United Nations development system and rolled out a new generation of country teams and resident coordinators. We have strengthened and streamlined our peace and security architecture to better integrate prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. We have created new management structures at Headquarters to provide
Susan Hopper
However, in the face of complex conflicts, this work is difficult and requires patience and persistence, as we have seen in the Central African Republic, South Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic. In Yemen, the United Nationsbrokered Stockholm Agreement, reached in December 2018, represented welcome progress, although there are still many obstacles, and more needs to be done to ensure that the parties live up to their commitments and that a true political process finally leads to peace. Across these and other situations, I continue to offer my good offices and personal engagement wherever they can add value, alongside my envoys and special representatives, drawing on the experience of the United Nations and those in the broader mediation community.
”Ultimately, the success of our work is measured by the results we achieve for the people we serve.” Volker Türk, Assistant SecretaryGeneral for Strategic Coordination
Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 15
UN Photo / Eskinder Debebe
INTRODUCTION
UN Photo / Mark Garten
Secretary-General António Guterres meets with United Nations Resident Coordinators to advance United Nations reforms.
”Leaving no one behind means putting inclusion at the center of our work.” Ana Maria Menéndez, Senior Adviser on Policy
better policy advice and operational support to the rest of the Secretariat, in particular in the field. We have decentralized decision-making authority to ensure that managers have the means at their disposal to deliver their programmes, while at the same time being held accountable for the use of their resources and the performance of their entities. We have adopted new management practices and developed new capacities.
Reform is ultimately about ensuring that we are best positioned to serve people – people suffering in poverty or exclusion, victimized by conflict, those whose rights and dignity are being denied, and so many millions with ideas and dreams who need a helping hand. To fulfil our mandates more efficiently and effectively, our actions must be rooted in transparency, coordination and accountability. We must break silos and bring the pillars of our work together so that efforts to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights are mutually reinforcing. We also continue to make significant progress towards gender parity: for the first time in the Organization’s history, we have achieved parity in the Senior Management
16 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
ACHIEVING GENDER PARITY AT THE UNITED NATIONS % of women in senior leadership (2019)
64%
Senior Management Group
50%
Resident Coordinators
47%
Under-SecretariesGeneral and Assistant Secretaries-General
INTRODUCTION
ADDRESSING A FINANCIAL CRISIS Success in reform also rests on sufficient and predictable financial contributions from Member States. Yet regular budget operations financed from assessed contributions face severe cash shortfalls and deficits that are happening earlier, going deeper and lasting longer. In addition, structural weaknesses in the budget methodology can cause expenditures to outpace the approved budget level and the collection of assessed contributions. The peacekeeping budget faces similar problems. More than one third of our peacekeeping missions do not have cash resources to cover their costs, which creates delays in
UN Photo / Eskinder Debebe
Group and among resident coordinators, and are almost at parity among the senior leadership ranks across the Organization, well ahead of my target date of 2021. This is not just an exercise in numbers; it is about creating an inclusive workforce. With respect to sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, our focus remains on prevention, responding rapidly to allegations, supporting victims through their trauma and ensuring accountability. Towards that end, we have established a helpline for staff, strengthened our investigative capacity and established a screening database to prevent perpetrators from moving undetected from one part of the United Nations system to another. Those three challenges together – achieving gender parity, preventing sexual harassment and preventing sexual exploitation and abuse – are critical to my overall reform initiatives and for taking the Organization forward.
Meeting of the Fifth Committee on “Improving the Financial Situation of the United Nations”. Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 17
INTRODUCTION
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL’S INITIATIVES IN 2018-2019
DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM REFORM Launched a new generation of United Nations country teams centred on Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks and led by empowered Resident Coordinators
MANAGEMENT REFORM Launched a new management paradigm to improve mandate delivery: new decentralized delegation of authority, accountability and monitoring framework, operational support and policy support, annual programme budget, and review of policy framework to simplify processes
PEACE AND SECURITY REFORM Restructured the pillar to prioritize prevention and sustaining peace, enhance effectiveness of peace operations, move towards a single, integrated peace and security pillar, improve cross-pillar coordination and coherence of United Nations support across the peace continuum
18 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
INTRODUCTION
Launched the High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation to provide a platform for discussion on how new technologies can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and mitigate risks
Successfully convened Member States to agree on a Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration and a Global Compact for Refugees
Successfully convened nearly 200 parties to adopt the Katowice Climate Package and agree on a work programme to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement
Designed the Disability Inclusion Strategy to mainstream disability inclusion across the United Nations system
Launched a civility campaign and helped more than 2,700 staff by providing a safe space to discuss workplace challenges
Achieved gender parity in the Senior Management Group and among Resident Coordinators, and renewed efforts to attain a more equitable geographical distribution in the United Nations Secretariat
Youth2030, a United Nations system-wide strategy to deepen youth participation and empowerment
Developed a strategy on the use of new technologies in the work of the United Nations and fostered innovation labs
Launched the Agenda for Disarmament to place disarmament and non-proliferation at the centre of the work of the United Nations
Response rate improved by 50% for internal requests for confidential ethics advice and guidance on whistle-blower protection
Received endorsement from 150+ Member States for the Declaration of Shared Commitments on the Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) initiative
Established a 24/7 helpline on sexual harassment and set up a database to screen the sexual misconduct history of job applicants
Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 19
UN Photo / Eskinder Debebe
INTRODUCTION
UN Photo
Secretary-General António Guterres (centre) meets with members of the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation. He is flanked by Melinda Gates (left), Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Jack Ma (right), Founder and Executive Chairman of the Alibaba Group.
making payments to troop- and police-contributing countries. I have done everything within my power to persuade Governments to pay assessed contributions on time, and I thank those – the vast majority – that have done so. But we are still nowhere near where we need to be. We are at a tipping point, and what we do next will matter for years to come. That is why I put forward a set of concrete, common-sense proposals to squarely address the deteriorating and unsustainable financial situation. The proposals were aimed at preventing any disruption to our activities and ensuring that our work is guided by prioritized mandates.
”We are at a defining moment in the history of our institution, of humanity, and how we deal with it will impact future generations and the planet, our only home.” Fabrizio Hochschild Drummond, Special Adviser on preparations for the 75th anniversary of the United Nations
I appreciate the General Assembly’s positive response in July to some of the proposals. Those actions will not entirely solve the problem, but will at least enable us to reimburse troop- and police-contributing countries in a more timely manner. Unfortunately, we have not yet resolved the crisis facing our regular budget operations, which, if left unaddressed, will undermine our ability to implement mandates and the approved programme of work. I urge Governments to find common ground to address this crisis and put the Organization on a solid financial footing.
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HARNESSING NEW TECHNOLOGIES Transformational technologies and scientific advances will continue to bring change at a rapid pace, outstripping the capacity of Governments and multilateral institutions to respond appropriately. Strong international cooperation, as well as inclusive processes open to all relevant stakeholders, are critical if we want to grasp the opportunities created by new technologies to reduce poverty, reverse climate change, fight hate speech, expand opportunities for young people and address other pressing global challenges. The debate initiated by the report of the independent High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation will continue in the coming months. The United Nations stands ready to serve as a platform for a discussion of how these new technologies can serve as a force for good and help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
INTRODUCTION
such as those in Mozambique and the Caribbean – places that have done little to contribute to the climate crisis yet are often its first victims.
I have had countless memorable encounters in the first half of my mandate, and witnessed and heard vivid testimony from people who are counting on us to deliver – from families in the Pacific fearing the inundation of their countries by rising seas, to Rohingya refugees seeking their rights, to civil society activists in communities and conference rooms mobilizing behind our shared work.
Across these diverse circumstances and many more, I have seen a common thread: a deep conviction by people all over the world that the United Nations must live up to its ideals. I take that duty to heart and am strongly committed to pushing Member States to do their part while I do mine – to build an effective and responsive agent of progress for all.
I have visited the Central African Republic and mourned fallen peacekeepers in Bangassou who gave everything for the cause of peace; met with courageous human rights defenders in Colombia and elsewhere; been inspired by the passion of young students for education in schools run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East; journeyed to central Mali and heard the profound determination of local leaders to fight for peace and reconciliation; and travelled to the front lines of the world’s climate emergency and seen the devastation resulting from extreme weather disasters,
There is no other way to address global challenges but to act collectively. But in today’s difficult context, it is not enough to proclaim the virtue of multilateralism; we must prove its added value. On the eve of the Organization’s seventy-fifth anniversary, the Charter of the United Nations points the way, with its hope for a future in which people and countries live together as good neighbours, defending universal values and shaping our common future. Commitment to this vision is needed now more than ever.
UNHCR / Andrew Kelly
LOOKING FORWARD
Bertine Bahige, former Congolese refugee and now principal of an elementary school in the United States of America, speaks to Member States representatives before they approved the Global Compact on Refugees aimed at transforming the way the world responds to mass displacement and refugee crises. Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 21
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Promotion of sustained economic growth and
Assadhid Souwelam, of Arab ethnicity, poses with his wife, who is of Songhai ethnicity. Mixed families are numerous in the Gao region and symbolize the peaceful coexistence between different ethnic groups and the possibility of reconciliation and social cohesion in Mali.
22 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
KEY PROGRAMMES • Support to global policymaking organs • International cooperation for development • Regional cooperation for development
INDICATIVE RESOURCES
$1.3B $484M regular assessed and $820M voluntary contributions
SELECT MANDATES • Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, GA resolution 70/1 • Paris Agreement, GA resolution 71/228 • Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development, GA resolution 69/313 • Repositioning of the United Nations Development System, GA resolution 72/279 • Istanbul Declaration and Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries, GA resolution 70/294 • Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries, GA resolution 69/137 • SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, GA resolution 69/15 • New Urban Agenda, GA resolution 71/256 • International trade and development, GA resolution 73/219 • Global Compact for Migration, GA resolution 73/195
SELECT ENTITIES • Department of Economic and Social Affairs • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• Regional Commissions • UN-Habitat • United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
UN Photo / Marco Dormino
• Office of the High Representative for the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS
Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 23
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Laureate and Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, leads an SDG Moment before the opening of the 73rd session of the General Assembly. The Moment aimed to draw the attention of world leaders to the importance of taking bold action on the Goals.
24 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
ALIGNMENT WITH SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
As the world faces mounting challenges, including protracted conflicts, inequality, persistent pockets of poverty and hunger and a fast-changing climate, international cooperation is essential if no one is to be left behind. The work of the United Nations is focused increasingly on prevention and on taking an integrated approach to development, peace and security and human rights. The United Nations system continues to support the efforts of Member States to implement transformative agendas and fulfil the promises made under the Sustainable Development Goals, including by addressing cross-sectoral and crossborder issues and leveraging innovative multi-stakeholder partnerships. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development represents a blueprint for action for Member States and all stakeholders in areas of critical importance for humanity. Significant progress has been made. Extreme poverty and maternal and child mortality rates continue to fall, and the prevalence of HIV has been reduced. Several countries have made significant gains in advancing women’s political representation and have continued to strengthen laws and policies to address discrimination. Millions more people in the poorest countries have access to electricity. Globally, labour productivity has increased, and unemployment is back to pre-financial crisis levels. But much more remains to be done. While global poverty rates have decreased by more than half since 2000, more than 731 million people – 10 per cent of the world’s population – still live in extreme poverty and struggle to meet their most essential needs, such as health care, education, water and sanitation. The population of the working poor has increased, with the precariousness of their condition leaving them vulnerable to shocks. Global unemployment levels have dropped since 2015, yet wage growth has stagnated. Some 30 per cent of young women and 13 per cent of young men are not in education, employment or training. Alarmingly, in 2018, world hunger rose after a prolonged decline. No country has yet achieved gender equality.
Today, 55 per cent of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to increase to 68 per cent by 2050.1 Sustainable development will depend increasingly on the successful management of urban growth, especially in low- and ”Aligned with the lower-middle-income countries, 2030 Agenda, we where the pace of urbanization will provide the agile is projected to be the fastest. and valuable support With rapid population growth in that Member States cities and continuing vulneraneed to address bility in rural areas, some 60 the economic and million people were directly social challenges affected by extreme weather of our day.” and climate events around the globe in 2018. Earthquakes, Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs tsunamis and volcanos took thousands of lives, and millions more people were displaced by floods, droughts and storms. People living in extreme poverty are often those who are the most exposed to climate shocks and the least able to manage them. Without drastic action to reduce risk today, global warming will lead to unprecedented economic and social destabilization. Addressing poverty, vulnerability and inequality under the framework of the 2030 Agenda contributes to reducing human suffering and sustaining peace. In countries where conflict has resulted in dire humanitarian and human rights situations, sustaining peace depends on sustainable development but, equally, progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires lasting peace.
World Urbanization Prospects 2018: Highlights (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.19.XIII.6).
1
Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 25
UN Photo / Loey Felipe
CONTEXT
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
THE 2030 AGENDA SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS An overview
NO POVERTY
ZERO HUNGER
Poverty headcount ratio at $1.9 a day (2011 PPP) (% of population)
Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population)
29% 29%
GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING Neonatal mortality rate (per 1,000 live births)
15% 15% 11% 11%
31 31 18 18
Source: The Sustainable Development Goals Report
Source: FAO
20172017
20152015
After extended progress, the number of people suffering from hunger is on the rise.
20002000
20172017
20152015
20002000
Although declining, roughly 9% of the world’s population still lives in extreme poverty.
20182018
20152015
19991999
9% 9%
The neonatal mortality rate has consistently declined. Source: United Nations Inter-Agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation
QUALITY EDUCATION
GENDER EQUALITY
Primary school completion rate (% of relevant age group)
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments (%)
90% 90%
CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION People using safely managed sanitation services (% of population)
45% 45%
24% 24% 14% 14%
28% 28%
Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union
20172017
20152015
20002000
20182018
Major progress made towards addressing female underrepresentation in parliament.
More people have access to safely managed sanitation services today.
Source: WHO; UNICEF
AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY
DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
INDUSTRY, INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Population with electricity access (% of total) 87.4% 87.4%
Global unemployment rate (%)
Research and development expenditure (% of GDP)
The vast majority of the world’s population now has access to electricity.
Global unemployment has declined relative to 2000.
Research and development is increasingly prioritized across the globe.
Source: World Bank
Source: ILO
Source: UNESCO
26 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
20152015
20152015
20002000
20152015
20162016
20002000
20182018
5.0% 5.0%
77.7% 77.7%
2.1% 2.1%
20002000
5.5% 5.5%
2.2% 2.2%
20162016
Source: UNESCO
20152015
Universal and equitable access to primary education is yet to be achieved.
20002000
20172017
20002000
20152015
82% 82%
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
REDUCED INEQUALITIES Labour share of GDP (percentage)
54% 54%
RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES
51% 51%
28% 28%
Proportion of urban population living in slums, informal settlements or inadequate housing (% of total)
Material footprint (metric tons per person)
12.2 12.2
23.5% 23.5%
Source: UN-Habitat
Source: Statistics Division
The global material footprint per capita has increased. Source: Statistics Division
CLIMATE ACTION
LIFE BELOW WATER
LIFE ON LAND
Parties that have communicated their first nationally determined contributions to the United Nations
Marine biodiversity –protected areas (% of total)
Forest area (1,000 km2)
46% 46%
183 183
40,556 km2 40,556 km2
31% 31%
Source: Statistics Division
Source: Paris Agreement
PEACE, JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS
PARTNERSHIP FOR THE GOALS
Countries with human rights institutions in compliance with the Paris Principles (% of total) 39% 39%
Net ODA (% of DAC GNI)
0.3% 0.3% 0.2% 0.2%
20172017
20152015
20002000
20182018
20162016
More efforts are needed to conserve and restore forests around the world. Source: FAO
17% 17%
20152015
20002000
Even more must be done to safeguard key biodiversity areas.
20172017
20152015
20002000
20182018
20152015
183 of the 185 Paris Agreement signatories have communicated their first NDCs.
20152015
39,958 km2 39,958 km2
0 0
20002000
20172017
20152015
20002000
The number of people living in informal urban settlements has declined steadily.
20182018
20152015
The share of national income going to labour has shown a downward trend.
20002000
20172017
20042004
20152015
8.8 8.8
Less than 50% of countries have human rights institutions in compliance with the Paris Principles.
The 0.7% aid/gross national income target for international aid has yet to be collectively achieved.
Source: OHCHR
Source: OECD
ACCELERATING PROGRESS Four years since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, progress has been made in some areas, such as on extreme poverty reduction, decrease in child mortality rates and increase in people’s access to electricity, but the global response has not been ambitious enough, leaving the most vulnerable people and countries at risk of falling further behind. For a detailed SDG progress report, visit www.un.org/ sustainabledevelopment/progress-report/
Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 27
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
A NEW WAY OF WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE 2030 AGENDA United Nations Member States decided to fundamentally transform the development coordination system to better enable United Nations teams to support countries to achieve the 2030 Agenda.
A NEW GENERATION OF UNITED NATIONS COUNTRY TEAMS
STRONGER SUPPORT CAPACITY
At the heart of the transformation of the United Nations development coordination function are 129 resident coordinators, who are the Secretary-General’s designated representatives for development at the country level.
The United Nations Development Coordination Office serves as the secretariat for the Sustainable Development Group – 40 agencies, funds and programmes working on development – at the regional and global levels.
GLOBAL COORDINATION At the global level, the Group is chaired by the Deputy SecretaryGeneral. The Vice-Chair of the Group is the UNDP Administrator. The Office provides managerial and oversight functions for the resident coordinators, based on collective ownership by the Group.
TO ENSURE SUSTAINED GAINS, WHILE LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND
We work with governments and partners in
165
countries and territories for the 2030 Agenda
We help coordinate over
$33B
in United Nations development operations
We represent
40
United Nations agencies delivering together for sustainable development
129 RESIDENT COORDINATORS ARE THE CORNERSTONE OF THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM
The depiction and use of boundaries, geographic names and related data shown on maps are not guaranteed to be error free, nor do they necessarily imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. 28 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
2018 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS STOCKTAKING
125
senior government officials convened in 2018 at the United Nations … with over
2,000
representatives across sectors… … to examine SDG progress in
46
countries (+3 in 2017)…
and will complete reviewing progress in
142
countries by 2019
Benedikt von Loebell
KEY OBJECTIVES The United Nations provides a range of solutions to help foster international cooperation and ”In our work, we are partnerships in the follow-up focused on equality to transformative agendas, as a foundational including the 2030 Agenda for value of the 2030 Sustainable Development, the Agenda and as an Paris Agreement, the Sendai irreducible ethical Framework for Disaster Risk principle based Reduction, the Addis Ababa on rights.” Action Agenda and the New Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary, Urban Agenda. Member States Economic Commission for Latin with specific needs receive America and the Caribbean support in accordance with the Istanbul Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011– 2020, the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014–2024 and the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway. Various units of the Organization provide strategy, policy and operational support on many issues, including multidimensional poverty and inequality, social cohesion, demographics, economic governance and planning, international trade, fiscal and macroeconomic sustainability and transitioning from situations ”The SDGs provide of instability to long-term susour compass-heading. tainable development. The Organization’s regional engagement is spearheaded by the regional commissions in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and Western Asia. They provide normative, analytical, planning and capacity support to
We are overhauling how we work and are marshalling our people and assets to accompany countries on this urgent journey.” Robert Piper, Assistant Secretary-General for Development Coordination
Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 29
UN DCO
The United Nations is working to promote greater coherence of humanitarian and development action, both in crises and in the transition to sustainable development, as well as to build the resilience of communities and institutions. The Organization is developing a new generation of partnerships – one that truly enables all relevant stakeholders to engage in meaningful participation and strategically leverages the collective insights, networks, resources and capacities of the global community – to implement transformative agendas. Only through collective action and a global movement can the ambitions of leaving no one behind and a ensuring a healthy planet for all be realized.
UN Photo / Manuel Elias
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
ESCAP
Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed (on screen) makes remarks during an informal meeting of the General Assembly plenary to discuss the scope and format of activities for the high-level political forum on sustainable development.
national Governments, regional organizations and other stakeholders, with a focus on macroeconomics; financing for development; social policy; regional integration and connectivity, including trade, transport and energy; innovation; technology; management of natural resources; disaster risk reduction; statistics; gender, women and development; institution-building; and development policy.
KEY OUTCOMES ”We want to ensure our region’s technological prowess and innovation leave no one behind in pursuit of the 2030 Agenda.” Armida Alisjahban, Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
Stocktaking and acceleration of the Sustainable Development Goals Four years into the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, countries have created a global movement for action and a learning and sharing platform for the Goals. As the main platform for taking
30 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
stock of progress on the 2030 Agenda and the Goals, the high-level political forum on sustainable development meets yearly under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council and every four years under the auspices of the General Assembly. In July 2018, with the support of the United Nations, more than 125 Heads and Deputy Heads of State and Government, ministers, vice-ministers and other ministerial-level officials and more than 2,000 representatives of Governments, international organizations, civil society and the private sector gathered to discuss the transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies. At the 2018 meeting, 46 countries presented voluntary national reviews on their respective efforts in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals, an increase from 43 reviews in 2017 and 22 in 2016. Some 47 voluntary national reviews are scheduled for 2019. With the theme “Empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality”, the 2019 forum will conclude the first review cycle. By then, 142 countries will have presented their first set of progress reports on all 17 Goals.
OCHA / Vincent Tremeau
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Ismat, 15 years, Rohingya refugee in Bangladesh, on her aspirations in life: “One day, I would like to become a doctor. I would like to treat all kinds of people. When I was 10 years old, I had to stop going to school. I hope one day I will be able to continue my studies.”
Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 31
UN Photo / Mark Garten
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
View of the Polar ice rim, Arctic Ocean.
32 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
KEY OUTCOMES OF THE KATOWICE CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE (COP24):
1 2
A transparency framework on how countries will provide information about their national action plans, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A process for establishing new financial targets in support of climate
action in developing countries from 2025 onward
3 4
Agreement on how to collectively assess the effectiveness of climate
action in 2023
Agreement on how to monitor and report progress on the development and transfer of low-carbon
technology
Through multilateral efforts, a “rulebook” on how to implement the Paris Agreement was adopted at the twenty-fourth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in December 2018 in Katowice, Poland, accompanied by initiatives from the private sector and local governments and actors. The Paris Agreement is aimed at maintaining the average global temperature rise to well below 2°C in this century and limiting the rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Supported by the Climate Change secretariat, the rulebook, known as the Katowice climate package, establishes how Member States will provide information on their nationally determined contributions, including how they will measure, report and verify their emissions reductions. One of the key components is a detailed transparency framework to promote trust among nations on their actions to address climate change. In 2018, the United Nations also introduced the online Sendai Framework monitor, which allows Member States to track progress towards achieving the Sendai Framework targets for disaster risk reduction. The entire United Nations system is supporting many countries in the development of disaster risk reduction strategies in alignment with their climate change adaptation plans.
IISS
UNFCCC
Global climate action
”We serve to build a stable, just and flourishing region with shared prosperity and dignified lives for all.” Rola Dashti, Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 33
UN Photo / Evan Schneider
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS Scaling up financing for development
UN Photo / Mark Garten
In 2018, the United Nations continued to help advance progress on financing for the sustainable development agenda (see E/FFDF/2018/3). Facilitated by the Organization, the 2018 Development Coope-ration Forum produced concrete policy guidance on the strategic role of development cooperation in achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda. Drawing on recommendations set out in the report entitled Financing for Development: Progress and Prospects 2018,2 the United Nations also participated in designing an agenda for global action. In addition, the Secretary-General launched his Strategy for Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in which he sets out actions to better align global economic policies and financial systems and to enhance sustainable financing strategies at the regional and national levels. Looking ahead, the United Nations will help build consensus on defining sustainable investing and measuring its impact.
�The scale of the 2030 Agenda requires intense international cooperation and partnerships, which are at the centre of our work.� Olga Algayerova, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Europe
2
The United Nations intensified its partnership with the World Bank Group in 2018, signing a Strategic Partnership Framework for the 2030 Agenda to consolidate joint commitments on cooperation in four key areas: finance and implementation support for the Sustainable Development Goals; decisive global action on climate change; joint work in post-crisis and humanitarian settings; and the harnessing of data to improve development outcomes.
United Nations publication, Sales No. E.18.I.5.
34 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
STRATEGY FOR FINANCING THE 2030 AGENDA Aligning global
economic policies and financial systems with the 2030 Agenda Enhancing sustainable financing
strategies and investments
at the regional and country levels
Seizing the potential of financial
innovations, new technologies and digitalization to provide equitable
access to finance
Enabling sustainable development and sustaining peace Member States approved a landmark decision to reposition the United Nations development system to enhance support for the 2030 Agenda through more effective, accountable and cohesive country teams, as well as empowered resident coordinators. Working hand in hand, the United Nations development system entities laid the groundwork in 2018 to ensure the successful transition of the resident coordinator system and the establishment of a new stand-alone Development Coordination Office within the United Nations Secretariat. Institutional partnerships for implementing the 2030 Agenda and supporting Member States have been prioritized through the formation of strategic partnership frameworks with
UN Photo / Egor Dubrovsky
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed at the Republican Rehabilitation Center for Disabled Children in Minsk, Belarus, where she had the opportunity to interact with children, parents and health workers.
LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND, INCLUSION AND EMPOWERMENT To assist Member States in “leaving no one behind,” work on the United Nations system-wide plan of action for the Third United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2018–2027), proclaimed by the General Assembly in 2018, focused on accelerating global actions for a world without poverty. The United Nations supported law reforms, gender responsive planning and budgeting and – in partnership with the European Union – launched an unprecedented initiative to end violence against women and girls. The
United Nations designed a Youth Strategy to scale up global, regional and national actions to realize the rights of the 1.8 billion young people worldwide and tap into their potential as agents of change. And the first United Nations Disability and Development Report detailed progress made on disability in the context of the 2030 Agenda and found that much more needs to be done to empower the 1 billion persons with disabilities worldwide.
Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 35
UN Photo
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
key development actors, including the African Union, the European Commission and others. The repositioning of the development system will reduce the fragmentation of the United Nations system response on the ground. It will strengthen accountability and foster coherence. Improved context-specific Inger Andersen, Executive Director, coordination in peacebuilding, United Nations Environment development and humanitarian Programme actions presents opportunities to better mitigate risk, foster more sustainable outcomes and ensure that no one is left behind.
”The environmental challenges our world faces cannot be addressed by any one country or institution alone.”
Ensuring availability of data on the Sustainable Development Goals In close collaboration with development partners, regional development banks and the private sector, the United Nations strengthened its advocacy for the use of new data sources and innovative technologies to improve the availability of high-quality statistics, geospatial data and evidence to inform decision-making and enhance collective accountability for results in accordance with the Cape Town Global Action Plan for Sustainable Development Data. The Organization also established a coordinated and coherent approach to ensuring legal identities for all to help close the global identity gap affecting an estimated 1 billion people. Through this unified approach, the United Nations is supporting Member States in building holistic,
CIFOR / Patrick Shepherd
The Organization is driving a shift in mindset, working across and dismantling silos to address the humanitariandevelopment nexus and its linkages to peace in a synergetic way through a coherent whole-of-system approach. The
Joint Steering Committee to Advance Humanitarian and Development Collaboration was established as a critical problem-solving mechanism in support of field efforts and to strengthen coordination across humanitarian, development and peace activities.
Eucalyptus trees and tea fields in the Mau forest, Kenya, where forested mountains are serving as ‘water towers’ because they contain many springs and streams that are the sources of major rivers that support the livelihoods of millions of people.
36 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
GLOBAL TEMPERATURE CHANGES At the current rate, the global temperature is likely to reach 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels between 2030 and 2052
Current rate 1.5°C
Global temperature change relative to 1850-1900 (°C)
2017 1°C Human activity-induced warming Likely range of modeled temperature responses to stylized emission and forcing pathways
2100
2080
2060
2040
2020
2000
1980
1960
Observed warming
country-owned and sustainable civil registration, vital statistics and identity management systems, and is able to also provide the information and data needed to enhance socioeconomic gains, improve public administration, strengthen the planning and targeting of development support and monitor its progress and impact. In addition, the United Nations Expert Group on Migration Statistics is working to build and enhance national capacities for the collection, analysis and dissemination of migration data in support of countries’ efforts to implement the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
Addressing climate change with United Nations support Solving climate change is fundamental for achieving sustainable development and realizing the 2030 Agenda. The world is far off track to reach the Paris Agreement targets, careening towards an increase of 3–5°C in global temperatures compared with pre-industrial levels, which is potentially catastrophic for any development gains achieved thus far.
Throughout 2018, the United Nations system came together to highlight the impending climate crisis. It collaborated with the United Nationsaffiliated Inter-govern-mental ”The high vulnerability Panel on Climate Change on a and risk levels of groundbreaking special report LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS outlining the pathways to limexceed the capacity iting the global temperature of these countries to rise to no more than 1.5°C. In respond to and response, the United Nations recover from disaster.” system prioritized support for Member States in developing Fekitamoeloa ‘Utoikamanu, ambitious national plans and High Representative for the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS long-term decarbonization strategies. United Nations entities responded to the Secretary-General’s call for a climate summit to be held in September 2019 to help enhance national commitments on greenhouse gas reductions and strengthen adaptation measures, while showcasing transformations in the most high-emitting industries. Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 37
IISD (International Institute for Sustainable Development)
Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
To assist Member States in “leaving no one behind”, work on a United Nations system-wide plan of action for the Third United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (2018–2027) was focused on accelerating global actions for a world without poverty. The United Nations supported legal reforms and gender-responsive planning and budgeting and, in partnership with the European Union, launched an unprecedented initiative to end violence against women and girls. The United Nations Youth Strategy was designed to scale up global, regional and national actions to realize the rights of the 1.8 billion young people worldwide and tap into their potential as agents of change. The first-ever flagship Disability and Development Report 3 described progress made with respect to disability in the context of the 2030 Agenda and found that much more needed to be done to empower the 1 billion people with disabilities worldwide.
Supporting small island developing States
”Our work is about transforming cities, human settlements and communities, to improve the quality of life for all.” Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Executive Director, UN-Habitat
In 2018, the United Nations provided support to small island developing States in preparing a high-level midterm review of the SAMOA Pathway, to be convened by the General Assembly in September 2019. The Organization also advised small island developing States on how to meet their obligations under the Paris Agreement,
including by designing strategies for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, building capacity for adaptation, gaining access to finance and enhancing resilience.
Assessing trends and harnessing data To strengthen the science-policy interface, the United Nations began to work in 2018 with an independent group of scientists that will prepare the first global sustainable development report. The report, to be launched at the high-level political forum on sustainable development in September 2019, will provide an analysis of progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and identify key areas in which policy interventions can set the world on a more sustainable path. In response to the unprecedented change brought about by digital technologies and their potential impact on the 2030 Agenda, the Secretary-General convened a Highlevel Panel on Digital Cooperation in 2018. The Panel’s report4 includes pragmatic proposals on how to strengthen cooperation in the digital space. Stronger global cooperation will be critical in realizing the full potential of digital technologies, mitigating risks and curtailing unintended consequences. In addition, the Organization advanced a broad range of technology initiatives related to sustainable development. This included facilitating the annual multi-stakeholder forum on science, technology and innovation; the Access to Space for All initiative; a public-private partnership on the open data hub for the Sustainable Development Goals; and collaborative data projects under the Global Working Group on Big Data for Official Statistics.
ITU / M. Jacobson - Gonzalez
UN Photo / Pierre Albouy
Leaving no one behind
Artificial Intelligence (AI) for GOOD Global Summit in Geneva, Switzerland. Disability and Development Report: Realizing the Sustainable Development Goals by, for and with Persons with Disabilities (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.19.IV.4).
3
38 Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization
4
United Nations, “The age of digital interdependence”, 2019.
UN Photo / Mark Garten
PROMOTION OF SUSTAINED ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OUTLOOK Building on its work in 2018, the Organization will continue to enhance its strategic and substantive support for the reinvigorated resident coordinator system and to the new generation of United Nations country teams to maximize impact on the ground. The repositioning of the United Nations development system will strengthen accountability for results and increase coherence within the United Nations system. To help sustain peace, accompany transitions from instability and establish environments conducive to sustainable
development, the United Nations will continue to prioritize prevention and focus on the root causes of vulnerability. The Organization is committed to shedding new light on frontier and emerging topics and to taking an approach that brings the benefits of digital progress to sustainable development, while countering the pitfalls.
UN Photo / Pierre Albouy
Students with climate action signs in Albert Park, Suva, Fiji.
�A smart embrace of new technologies enhanced partnership and strong intellectual leadership can help redefine development strategies.� Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General, UNCTAD
Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization 39
Read the full report on un-iLibrary.org: http://bit.ly/2VcgcQS