22 October 2019: Climate change, inequality and the need for circular economy are key issues facing the five regions of the UN. The UN General Assembly’s Second Committee held a dialogue session with the heads of the regional commissions, with each updating delegates on the state of sustainable development in their region and current challenges.

The head of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Vera Songwe, cited an emerging “climate and resource economy vision” in Africa, noting that 50 countries from the region have signed the Paris Agreement on climate change. UNECA is supporting a rethinking of mineral resource development models, fostering a focus on local supplies and entrepreneurs for the mining industry, and a different approach to managing natural resources. Songwe also said UNECA is developing a fiscal policy to finance sustainable development, with Ethiopia and Sudan as pilot cases.

As the most disaster-affected region in the world, Asia and the Pacific is investing in hazard risk reduction and sustainable use of the ocean and seas, said Armida Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). Regional and sub-regional early warning systems are another focus area. She added that ESCAP is developing strategies for domestic resource mobilization, infrastructure financing and capital market development.

Olga Algayerova, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), highlighted the region’s transition to a circular economy, including through improved material productivity, reduced waste, and increased recyclability. She also noted the shift to a low-carbon economy and UN vehicle regulations developed at UNECE that focus on certifying vehicles and emission/consumption rates.

Rola Dashti, Executive Secretary of Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), said the Arab region must rethink its development model and take steps to increase the tax base. Currently the region faces unequal distribution of wealth, overstretched social protection systems, and unemployment or lack of decent work, especially for youth.

She added that the region is highly vulnerable to climate change, citing impacts on water resources, crops, livestock and heat stress. Water, in particular, could become a source of conflict in the region.

The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Alicia Barcena, highlighted that a “great shift in global wealth” is harming less developed countries, following a turning point in globalization and weakened multilateralism. ECLAC is calling for a new economic model that places less emphasis on GDP per capita, she said, and growth must be accompanied by strong income distribution in order to reduce poverty.

To achieve the needed circular economy, she called for a push for solutions based on nature, biodiversity and the blue economy, to drive changes in consumption and production patterns. Barcena also highlighted the effects of climate change on the low-lying communities in her region.

The Second Committee of the UNGA focuses on economic and financial matters. It annually holds a dialogue with the heads of the five regional commissions of the UN.

The work of the Second Committee got underway in early October 2019, with a promised focus on new economic models and innovative economic thinking as part of its guidance for advancing the 2030 Agenda. [UN Meeting Summary]