High Level Event on Financing for Development
in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond
on
Thursday, May 28, 2020

* As you have seen from the widespread participation at today’s meeting, the international community is united and committed to taking the action required to mount a robust and coordinated response to the devastating economic and human impacts of COVID-19.

* Over 50 Heads of State and Government responded to our invitation to participate at this High-Level Event.

* It is fitting that the UN has taken the initiative as our co-convenor in this regard, as it comprises the broadest and most inclusive range of countries of any international organization.

* By leveraging its convening power, the UN and its Member States have today launched a partnership with key stakeholders, including the private sector and civil society.

* Our aim is to facilitate a process to devise concrete solutions to the development emergency that stems from the COVID-19 pandemic.
* As we heard today, there is general agreement that the response to this pandemic will require large-scale, comprehensive multilateral effort particularly to support countries most in need.

* By recovering better, we mean that countries vulnerable to systemic shock must be made more resilient, from an economic, social and environmental standpoint. Our overarching objective is to create the conditions for sustainable, just, inclusive economies and societies.

* After all, this is the collective endeavour to which we all committed in 2015. We remain focused on achieving the SDGs and in implementing the NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) we agreed to under the Paris Climate Accord.

* The next stage in this process involves the work that will be undertaken by the six thematic working groups that have been established.
These groups will comprise representatives of government, international financial institutions and other key actors.

* Their mandate will be to build on the ideas that emerged from today’s discussions, with a view to developing concrete solutions to address the crisis. They will report to us, the three co-convenors, on three occasions throughout the rest of this year: in July during the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), in mid-September at the opening of the 75th session of the General Assembly, and in mid-December.