Speaking timeChair (22.5%) · Rabah Arezki (5.9%) · Abigail Perry (4.8%) + 28 more · Unattributed (20.9%)
Second Committee, 18th meeting of the 81st session. Agenda items taken up: “Opening statements”; “Panel discussions”; “Interactive discussions”; and 1 more. 22 speakers were heard, representing 21 delegations.
Partly attributed: 44% of speech unattributed. Attributed to a named speaker 34% · unattributed 44% · Chair 23%.
Points of disagreement
Cuba said that the United States blockade was severely limiting Cuba's efforts on food systems, women's empowerment and digital transformation, impeding access to financing, agricultural inputs, essential technologies and fuel imports.
Key points
European Union, on behalf of European Union and its member states, stated that the EU and its member states remain the primary donor, providing almost half of the global community's total ODA, but that, as confirmed in Sevilla last year, more practical and innovative financing solutions are needed to close the gap.
Palau, on behalf of Alliance of Small Island States, stated that the challenge for small island developing states is not simply the availability of finance but the increasingly difficult conditions under which they access it, citing repeated external shocks, mounting debt burdens and high borrowing costs that erode fiscal space.
Fiji, on behalf of Pacific Small Island Developing States, stated that Pacific states receive a small fraction of the finance notionally available to them because of the cost of access, and asked that the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index be applied in practice in concessional eligibility and that promised simplified and direct access procedures be delivered, not studied.
Statement by statement · 22 speakers
European Union · on behalf of European Union and its member states
European Union, on behalf of European Union and its member states, stated that the EU and its member states remain the primary donor, providing almost half of the global community's total ODA, but that, as confirmed in Sevilla last year, more practical and innovative financing solutions are needed to close the gap.
European Union, on behalf of European Union and its member states, presented the Global Green Bond Initiative, a Global Gateway flagship structured around three pillars: a fund aiming to mobilize up to 20 billion euros of private capital, technical assistance for issuers, and a Green Coupon Subsidy Facility. It has supported 15 partner countries.
🇵🇼 Palau · on behalf of Alliance of Small Island States
Palau, on behalf of Alliance of Small Island States, stated that the challenge for small island developing states is not simply the availability of finance but the increasingly difficult conditions under which they access it, citing repeated external shocks, mounting debt burdens and high borrowing costs that erode fiscal space.
Palau, on behalf of Alliance of Small Island States, called for addressing the structural drivers of debt vulnerability, changing how access to development finance is determined, including full integration of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, and shifting from reactive crisis financing to proactive resilience financing.
🇫🇯 Fiji · on behalf of Pacific Small Island Developing States
Fiji, on behalf of Pacific Small Island Developing States, stated that Pacific states receive a small fraction of the finance notionally available to them because of the cost of access, and asked that the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index be applied in practice in concessional eligibility and that promised simplified and direct access procedures be delivered, not studied.
Fiji, on behalf of Pacific Small Island Developing States, proposed capitalization of the Pacific Resilience Facility, a Pacific-owned, Pacific-led fund seated in Tonga with an initial capitalization target of US 500 million, and invited Member States, multilateral development banks and climate finance to capitalize it.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
United Kingdom stated the UK was working with partners to strengthen fiscal resilience and unlock sustainable investment, including in SIDS, with a focus on practical implementation following the agreements reached in Sevilla.
United Kingdom highlighted efforts on debt sustainability, including wider uptake of debt pause clauses and work through the London Coalition on Sustainable Sovereign Debt, as well as catalytic finance approaches and an ambition to increase pre-arranged finance from 2% to 20% of crisis finance.
🇵🇹 Portugal
Portugal highlighted three points: mobilizing investment particularly for the most vulnerable, with ODA commitments fulfilled; addressing debt burdens without cost to development, including through debt for climate and debt for SDG swaps; and strong partnerships.
Portugal announced that Lisbon would host the tenth international meeting on triangular cooperation this month, and said Portugal remained committed to turning these objectives into concrete progress towards the 2030 Agenda.
🇧🇿 Belize
Belize noted that Belize's average annual loss from tropical cyclones is estimated at about 27 million, and that a one in 100 year event could cause losses of roughly 22% of GDP.
Belize said Belize has reduced public debt to 61%, adopted a disaster risk financing policy and implementation plan, and deployed climate resilient debt clauses across 118 million of approved loans.
🇧🇧 Barbados
Barbados stressed that the challenge in financing the SDGs is not simply how much financing is available but who can access it, at what cost and on what terms, and that SIDS and other climate vulnerable economies face profound consequences.
Barbados called for a financing system that rewards investment in resilience rather than penalizing vulnerability, provides fiscal space rather than deepening debt distress, and recognizes climate action and sustainable development as mutually reinforcing priorities.
🇷🇺 Russian Federation
Russian Federation stated that instability in the global economy and the increasing role of developing countries prompt the need to reform the international financial architecture, including improving the representation of countries of the global south.
🇹🇭 Thailand
Thailand highlighted two approaches to innovative financing: advancing safe and inclusive digital finance, including through the Bangkok blueprint, and catalyzing green and sustainable finance, including the Thailand taxonomy and sovereign sustainability link bonds.
Thailand urged multilateral development banks and international financial institutions to leverage their expertise and resources to proactively advance safe digital finance and sustainable green finance.
🇵🇪 Peru
Peru highlighted the importance of ensuring timely access to non reimbursable resources and to accessible, predictable financing under concessional conditions, noting that middle-income countries face structural gaps, growing costs of financing and a reduction in ODA.
Peru asked how governments, through alliances and partnerships with the private sector, can strengthen their financial resilience against major external shocks such as the El Nino phenomenon, and how the international financial architecture can support these efforts with timely, accessible and predictable financing instruments.
🇦🇲 Armenia
Armenia highlighted innovative financing instruments, particularly debt swaps, saying Armenia had secured its first debt for climate grant financing from the government of Germany and was in active negotiations with other development partners to scale up this mechanism.
Armenia called for access to grant and concessional financing, more affordable resources with longer-term maturities and lower interest rates from international financial institutions, and a reduction in the fragmentation of development assistance.
🇭🇷 Croatia
Croatia stressed that achieving the SDGs by 2030 requires urgent coordinated action, and that international cooperation must be strengthened and the mobilization of resources for sustainable development rethought.
Croatia said closing the financing gap requires mobilizing private capital alongside public investment through blended finance, green financial instruments and public-private partnerships, with domestic revenue mobilization and access to concessional financing equally important.
🇹🇱 Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste stressed that expanding fiscal space is essential for developing countries to sustain investment in the sustainable development goals, and that national efforts alone cannot fully overcome the structural constraints facing vulnerable developing economies.
Timor-Leste called for international financing arrangements that better recognize structural vulnerabilities, noting that the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index can complement income-based criteria, and for a global financial safety net providing timely, predictable and coordinated support, complemented by accessible concessional financing and technical assistance.
🇱🇧 Lebanon
Lebanon reiterated the importance of reforming the international financial architecture, ensuring access to affordable and concessional financing, and advancing effective debt treatment mechanisms in line with the commitments of the Compromiso de Civilla.
Lebanon asked how innovative debt instruments, such as automatic debt service suspension clauses, could be designed to also benefit vulnerable middle income countries facing multiple crises, and what role Ecosoc could play in facilitating international cooperation to advance such mechanisms.
🇰🇷 Republic of Korea
Republic of Korea reiterated its strong support for turning the Sevilla commitment into action and reality, and stated that public resources still have an indispensable role for development, including in leveraging other financing resources.
Republic of Korea stressed that effective development cooperation is vital, that duplication and fragmentation must be overcome, and that ECOSOC should exercise stronger governance and oversight for a more effective and fit for purpose UN development system.
🇨🇺 Cuba
Cuba stated that achieving the 2030 agenda was in serious peril, citing an SDG financing gap of more than 4 trillion dollars per year and resources going to war rather than development, which limited investment by countries in the global south.
Cuba said that the United States blockade was severely limiting Cuba's efforts on food systems, women's empowerment and digital transformation, impeding access to financing, agricultural inputs, essential technologies and fuel imports.
🇮🇳 India
India said investment in agriculture must support small and marginal farmers, improve their incomes and ensure affordable access to safe and nutritious food, and that international cooperation should make agricultural technologies, weather information and advisory services accessible and affordable to developing countries.
India reiterated the need for a permanent solution at the WTO on public stock holding for food security purposes, enabling developing countries to sustain programs that provide affordable food to vulnerable populations.
🇲🇾 Malaysia
Malaysia stated that strengthening financing for sustainable food systems is exemplified by national initiatives such as the National Agro Food Policy 2021 to 2023, and recognized the importance of innovative financing, including public-private partnerships, to mobilize greater investments in climate smart agriculture, agriculture infrastructure, and sustainable food systems.
Malaysia said inclusive and gender responsive financing should be integrated into broader development strategies, and that leveraging digital transformation can improve agricultural productivity, enhance risk monitoring and facilitate timely delivery of assistance.
🇪🇸 Spain
Spain stated that improving financing for small scale producers is fundamental, and highlighted the catalyzing role of public investment and financing for development in mobilising private capital for the SDGs.
Spain highlighted the inclusion of women from the start in planning, design, allocation and evaluation of financial instruments, and the need to close digital divides through investment in infrastructure and digital skills.
🇭🇹 Haiti
Haiti stressed that developing countries, especially LDCs, face converging crises, and that the deficit in financing for the SDGs is a tangible obstacle facing many countries.
Haiti reaffirmed that the global financial architecture needs to evolve and become more responsive and more equitable, and that multilateralism and alignment of institutions with the 2030 agenda is the only viable path forward.
🇶🇦 Qatar
Qatar stressed that bridging the gap regarding the SDGs was of utmost necessity for developing states, namely least developed nations, and reiterated the importance of increasing international cooperation and honoring commitments, namely in the Compromiso de Sevilla, to reform the financial architecture.
Qatar expressed concern over the negative socioeconomic consequences of conflicts, namely for states not parties to them, including damage to infrastructure, and reiterated the importance of abiding by para 13 of the outcome document of the high level forum of ECOSOC.
🇧🇭 Bahrain
Bahrain expressed concern over the economic and developmental consequences of international disputes, namely for states non parties to these disputes, including damage to infrastructure, water and energy facilities, and waterways.
Bahrain called for a cessation of any act that endangers vital infrastructure and may lead to its disruption, and reiterated the need to ensure respect for international law and the UN Charter.
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