The COVID-19 pandemic has dislocated all aspects of life. It has laid bare the significant vulnerability of our current development model which is at war with nature and leaving many behind.

But the magnitude of the shock has also shown the breadth of our collective possibilities. Member states have taken extraordinary measures to dampen the socio-economic impact of the crisis. Globally, USD2.9 trillion have been invested since the start of the pandemic. Vaccines have been produced at record speed through science and determination.

Unfortunately, we know the crisis is not over. In part because of our collective failure to effectively support those with less capacity to respond. As of today, 60 percent of the population in high-income countries has been vaccinated, only 3 percent in low-income countries has.

Policy makers around the world need to show courage, ambition, and solidarity to ensure a sustainable and inclusive recovery that leaves no country or person behind and gets us back on track to achieve the SDGs.

The United Nations has worked alongside partners in governments and communities to respond. Working together, the UN has directly supported close to 2 million workers in the formal and informal sector, assisted more than 300,000 Micro and Small Medium Enterprises, and protected the livelihoods of 5.7 million people, to mention just a few examples.

The case of Comoros, as we have heard from the UN Resident Coordinator, is illustrative of the importance and value of the UN Development system in support of partner countries.

The Inter-Agency cluster on Trade and Productive Capacity is well placed to provide joined-up support to developing countries as they use the socio-economic fall out from COVID-19 as an opportunity to transform and build forward better.

We will contribute alongside our sister agencies in the Inter-Agency Cluster, towards the structural transformation of the economy, improving the regulatory framework and the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the blue and green economy, where young men and women will work in future.

We welcome UNCTAD’s policy expertise on trade and investment and the tools and best practices of agencies such as FAO, ILO and UNIDO. We see great complementary between UNDP and Cluster agencies to help advance circular economy principles.

Decarbonizing the economy will realize the potential of renewable energies, enhance energy security, reduce vulnerability to external shocks and adapt to climate change (in Comoros). All of this requires collaboration also on SDG financing, including innovative financing mechanisms adapted to the needs of countries.

Chair, colleagues,

The UN is at its best, when UN agencies work together. Mechanisms such as the Inter-agency Cluster and complementary financing mechanisms are extremely valuable in our ability to deliver more effective and sustainable results to partner countries.

We are grateful for the continued support of development partners. Working together, we can tackle the complex and intersecting risks and vulnerabilities facing the world today.

Thank you.