Statement by the delegation of Ukraine at the UN GA Second Committee under Item 25 "Operational activities for development"

Mr.Chair,

Distinguished Delegates,

Dear colleagues.

I would like, first of all, to congratulate you and the Vice-Chairs on your election as the Bureau of the Second Committee, and assure you of the full support of my delegation.

Now we face an unprecedented challenge created by the coronavirus COVID-19. The development gains and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals are at risk of being reversed. This pandemic is altering social, economic, and financial systems compounded by the worsening economic crisis, reduced social protection, food insecurity, increasing humanitarian needs, and other factors.

The pandemic consequences, as we see it, are more severe for vulnerable countries, in particular for the Least Developed Countries, for the Small Island Developing States as well as fragile and conflict-affected countries. The situation is also quite difficult in middle-income countries, especially if they have a high debt level.

No country is able to address this crisis alone, and we need a global response.

In this regard, we note with satisfaction that it is the United Nations that plays a crucial role in coordinating global actions during the pandemic.

We welcome the UN Secretary General’s leadership in the global response.

As a country in which most UN agencies are represented, Ukraine commends the comprehensive and integrated approach taken by the UN agencies on the ground in assisting countries to better contend with the pandemic, including rapid response.

In this light, Ukraine fully supports the prioritization of UN agencies’ programming, which was focused on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including medical supplies procurements, infection prevention, and control and hygiene promotion campaigns. Their assistance in responding to the first stage was especially important.

We believe the UN activities aimed at coordinating all UN system agencies in countering this pandemic should continue to be one of the most critical and core priorities of the United Nations.

I also want to mention that the comprehensive reform of the UN development system, especially the resident coordinator system, initiated by the UN Secretary-General, made the UN deliver a more effective and integrated response on the national level.

Ukraine is convinced that the activities of the UN General Assembly and ECOSOC should be focused on post-pandemic recovery and economic development, as well as on ensuring adequate social protection.

There is no illusion that this pandemic is the latest. We must be prepared for similar complicated challenges in the future. Therefore, we have to react correctly to the current crisis. In this regard, we are looking forward the information from the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, co-chaired by former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark and former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

As Vice President of the Economic and Social Council and responsible for the 2021 operational activities for the development segment, Ukraine will make every effort to improve its effectiveness and revitalize operational activities to respond to the pandemic.

In conclusion, I would like to underscore that we need to respond through concrete action to the pandemic in these difficult times and promote collective efforts to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic consequences.

The United Nations development system has a crucial role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and creating a sustainable world, fulfilling the promise of leaving no one behind. During the next years, the United Nations development system is to support countries for overcoming this crisis and post-pandemic recovery.

Thank you for your attention.