Ambassador Lisa Carty
US representative on the Economic and Social Council of the UN
New York, New York
October 4, 2022
Thank you, Madam President. The United States is grateful for your leadership. We also thank the vice-presidents and the secretariat for their hard work and cooperation. You have our full support.
As the Second Committee begins its work, we are keenly aware of the pressing crises and vulnerabilities we face as a global community. While our solidarity has been strengthened by our work together to blunt the worst effects of COVID-19, rising geopolitical tensions, growing food insecurity, and the ongoing consequences of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war in Ukraine have made our collective goals all the more difficult.
Russia’s violation of the UN Charter has thrown our world into chaos, jeopardized our fragile development gains and threatened the foundations of the international order we have worked together to protect. The Secretary unequivocally affirmed that Moscow’s decision to continue on this path will continue to jeopardize the prospects for peace, “The dramatic effects on the global economy, especially in developing countries, will prolong and hinder our ability to provide life-saving aid to deliver.”
As we come together to address these interlinked and cascading crises, let us remember this institution, the United Nations, is an act of hope that makes this body more consistent than ever. In this regard, the United States has worked tirelessly both at home and with our friends around the world to lift the 2030 Agenda.
The Sustainable Development Goals align with the United States’ national and global aspirations to expand economic growth, social justice, environmental stewardship, and good governance while ensuring that no one is left behind. We reaffirm our full support for the 2030 Agenda and remain committed to the principle that truly sustainable economic growth, social well-being and environmental protection do not come at the expense of human rights. We look forward to the committee’s critical contributions to achieving all 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Echoing a central premise of the 2030 Agenda, President Biden noted in his remarks to the General Assembly that “the future will be won by those countries that unleash the full potential of their populations.” The United States firmly believes that inclusive economic growth is the catalyst for a future where everyone can reach their full potential, and where women and girls, persons with disabilities, LGBTQI+ individuals, indigenous peoples, and other marginalized groups can fully participate in building stronger economies build and more resilient societies.
In our commitment to this vision, the United States is proud to be the largest provider of Official Development Assistance (ODA). In 2021, we contributed $42 billion to sustain development progress and respond to the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We recognize that ODA alone cannot achieve our ambitious goals. Domestic resource mobilization and private sector investment are critical to achieving sustainable economic development. In this regard, we are committed to stimulating partnerships with the private sector – partnerships that can catalyze investment in energy, health, infrastructure and technology.
Before the pandemic, the world made steady progress on several health indicators, including reproductive health, infectious disease prevention, and maternal and child health. For decades and with billions invested, the United States has worked to strengthen health systems, provide vaccines, and prevent and treat infectious disease. Millions of lives have been saved.
The United States is proud to be a leader in the global COVID-19 response. We have contributed $5.1 billion, and we have delivered more than 623 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 116 countries. And we are looking at how we can fill the remaining gaps in the pandemic response and better prevent, prepare and respond to future health threats.
Food security is fundamental to healthy and prosperous communities. For this reason, the United States has been investing in food systems for decades to build greater resilience and sustainability. We help farmers increase their harvests and incomes, and we expand access to inclusive food systems, provide people with safe, nutritious food, and help the most vulnerable households withstand food shocks. On September 21, President Biden announced over $2.9 billion in additional aid for life-saving food security assistance, putting the United States on track to provide more than $10.5 billion in total aid this year alone.
Our work to address urgent food needs requires a simultaneous commitment to climate change. As we’ve seen in headlines recently, from Florida to Pakistan, climate change is killing our environment, with the world’s most vulnerable often bearing the brunt. We call on all nations to bring their commitments and actions in line with the Paris goal to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. We are working with countries around the world to set and achieve more ambitious climate goals.
That’s why the United States launched the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience – to help more than half a billion people in developing countries adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change through locally-led development. We are also working with our Congress to provide more than $11 billion a year in international climate finance to help lower-income countries.
