Global food prices alone are now estimated to add a further 65 million more people to that total. The World Bank had projected 198 million more people living in extreme poverty during 2022 due to COVID-19. We live in a world of staggering inequality, with one study estimating that global inequalities are about as great today as they were in the early 20th century. In that spirit, and by drawing on the work of my office, allow me to highlight four areas of intervention that I hope can give us some direction in the face of the current crises.įirst, we need to tackle inequality and discrimination. That recognition has inspired Our Common Agenda and the Call to Action for human rights, in which the Secretary-General calls for a more networked and inclusive multilateralism, with actors joining forces to take on the global and interconnected challenges facing humanity. Within the eight years that remain we must take bold and urgent action to generate the transformative change that is needed to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement must remain our blueprint for this ambition. We are now facing a vital test of that commitment. We committed ourselves to learning the lessons of the pandemic, and to recover better.Įager to avoid the devastating consequences of the austerity that followed the 2008 financial crisis, the international community agreed to change course: building – together – transformative societies and towards greener economies that will be more resilient to crises. We gathered in multilateral fora, in high level debates and donor meetings and spoke of global solutions and of putting people at the centre of our efforts. I urge us, at precisely this moment of grave and profound threat, to pursue the path we had committed to in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to invest in addressing the conditions that provoke these crises. Yes, stronger, immediate action is needed to address the worst impacts and to limit human suffering. It is tempting to slip back into emergency mode and focus on putting out the first fires we see. In the face of these multiple and intersecting challenges and rising global tensions, many people I meet are questioning not only their own futures, but the future of their societies, and of our globe. Inequalities between and within countries are skyrocketing, threatening COVID-19 recoveries, undermining progress in the implementation of the SDGs and slowing down climate action. The World Food Programme estimates that the number of severely food insecure people is expected to grow from 276 million at the start of 2022 to 323 million in the course of the year.Īccording to the UN Global Crisis and Response Group the combination of higher food and energy prices, growing inflation, export restrictions, and tightening financial conditions will be devastating, in particular on the most vulnerable. 1.2 billion people live in countries that are severely exposed and vulnerable to all three dimensions of finance, food, and energy, simultaneously. Its social, economic and political ramifications ripple across the region and globally, with no end in sight.Ī global food, fuel and finance crisis now risks plunging millions into food insecurity and poverty. The horrors inflicted on the civilian population will leave their indelible mark, including on generations to come. Since we last gathered, the war in Ukraine continues to destroy the lives of many, causing havoc and destruction. It is an honour to address you today, in what continue to be challenging times for the promotion and protection of human rights.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |