9 October 2012
UNGA Second Committee Begins Debate
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The Chair of the UN General Assembly's Second Committee, George Wilfred Talbot of Guyana, noted that the Committee will launch preparations for the Third International Conference on SIDS.

He also called for keeping the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) process “coordinated with and consistent with the process of defining the post-2015 development agenda.”

UN logo8 October 2012: The UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) Second Committee opened its General Debate on 8 October 2012, at UN Headquarters in New York, US, with remarks from George Wilfred Talbot of Guyana, Chair of the Committee, and Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. These statements were followed by a keynote address and interactive responses.

Talbot briefed participants on revisions to the Committee’s Organization of Work. Commenting on its focal areas for the year, he stressed: that to advance sustainable development it is necessary to “unlock” substantial additional financing; and the high priority of accelerating progress toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially for countries in special situations. He noted that the Committee will launch preparations for the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS). He also called for keeping the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) process “coordinated with and consistent with the process of defining the post-2015 development agenda.”

Wu said getting the world on a sustainable development path must remain a high priority. He outlined three ongoing processes that “look set to reshape the UN’s development work.” The first is turning the vision of the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD, or Rio+20) into reality, including by: promoting agreement on the SDGs; developing a facilitation mechanism to disseminate eco-friendly technologies; and adopting a 10-year framework of programmes (10YFP) to encourage sustainable consumption and production (SCP). Wu also noted Rio+20’s agreement to hold the 2014 SIDS conference, and called on the Committee to lay out a platform on which to coordinate “balanced, integrated action” in support of SIDS.

The second ongoing process is preparing for the post-2015 UN development agenda, given that only three years remain to achieve the MDGs. The UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) is co-leading the UN System Task Team on this matter, together with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Wu said. Third, he noted the role of global economic governance, including to mobilize resources for sustainable development. He also said the UN system is counting on the Second Committee to provide leadership on the upcoming Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR).

James Robinson, David Florence Professor of Government at Harvard University, gave the keynote address. Discussing his research on the global inequality of development, Robinson said the key determining factor in a society’s economic growth is its ability to harness the talents, skills and ambitions of everyone in society. These factors are promoted by a nation’s inclusive economic institutions, as opposed to the harms of extractive structures. Behind economic institutions lie political institutions, and he said these, too, must be inclusive. To achieve a broad distribution of political power, a society requires pluralist accountability and an effective centralized state. Robinson’s address was followed by a question-and-answer session with Member States, and extended interaction about the evolution of state institutions and their impact on national development.

The Committee’s general debate continued with statements from political groupings and individual Member States, which will conclude on 10 October. [Provisional Programme of Work – Calendar] [Webcast of Meeting] [DESA Press Release]

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