The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) opened its eighty-first session today, approving a programme of work covering international trade and development, international cooperation to combat illicit financial flows, poverty eradication and information and communications technology (ICT) for sustainable development.
Introducing the Bureau, Committee Chair Suela Janina (Albania) welcomed Vice-Chairs Hussain Azhaan Mohamed Hussain (Maldives), Walter José Mira Ramírez (El Salvador) and Robert Bunbury (Canada), as well as Rapporteur Ivo Miguel Rubio (Angola).
She advised that the general debate would begin on 5 October on the theme “Financing sustainable development in a changing global economy to accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, preceded by a keynote address by Professor Parfait Eloundou-Enyegue of Cornell University.
Directing delegates to the Committee’s organization of work for the session (document A/C.2/81/L.1), she noted that action on draft resolutions would be scheduled in November, calling on delegations to “do their utmost in concluding negotiations in time” in order to allow for action on the draft resolutions to be taken on the dates identified in the document. She further highlighted several pertinent paragraphs in the report of the General Committee (A/81/250).
The joint thematic meeting of the Second Committee and the Economic and Social Council, scheduled for the morning of 19 October, will focus on “Closing the financing gap in a changing global economy: innovative finance for accelerated SDG action”, with more information to be circulated to delegations in advance.
Further, the annual dialogue with the Executive Secretaries of regional commissions, scheduled for the morning of 20 October, will address the topic: “Regional cooperation in an age of fragmentation: Harnessing resilient trade, transport and connectivity for sustainable development”, with a concept note to be circulated in advance. She informed the Committee that its body of work must be completed on time, namely by 25 November.
A general discussion on the “Permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources” is scheduled for 16 October at 10 a.m., with action on draft proposals scheduled to begin on 23 November at 3 p.m.
Briefly taking the floor on a procedural matter on the status of documentation (document A/C.2/81/L.1/Add.1), the Russian Federation’s delegate voiced regret that the Committee had yet to see a number of reports, urging the Secretariat to “move more quickly” in presenting reports on energy and sandstorms.