Madame Chair,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
I am honoured to join you at this opening of the 59th Session of the Commission for Social Development.
The priority theme is ¡°Socially just transition towards sustainable development: the role of digital technologies on social development and well-being of all¡±.
This theme has high relevance to supporting Member States in their efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and recover better from the tragic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Countries across the world are facing daunting challenges to the social fabric of their societies. The pandemic is erasing hard-won progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, and compounding the climate emergency.
As countries struggle to recover, the long-term outcomes of these crises will be determined by policy responses. We need decisive, innovative and bold action in order to limit their negative socio-economic effects.
And here, digital technologies play a crucial role. Indeed, their rapid advance has brought tremendous benefits, especially as social interactions are restricted to contain the spread of the virus. In this context, digital tools such as e-Health, remote learning platforms and e-Commerce, have been essential in providing access to health, education and essential goods during the pandemic.
It is further evident that advances in technology are critical for the achievement of all the SDGs. However, to fully harness the benefits of digital technology, rapid action is needed to:
? close the digital divide;
? promote digital inclusion; and
? make the Internet available to the 3.7 billion people who are not online.
To lay the foundations of an inclusive digital economy, investment in ICT infrastructure is critical. So too is an enabling ICT regulatory environment that promotes competition and equitable access. Digital inclusion also requires that vulnerable groups are equipped with the capacities to access and use digital platforms. Improving accessibility and affordability is paramount to reducing the digital divide.
Excellencies,
A socially just transition to sustainable development is more important than ever. High and rising inequalities, a climate crisis, and unsustainable consumption and production patterns are the current norm. They continue to take a toll on social development and on people¡¯s well-being, especially the most vulnerable.
A socially just transition therefore entails a rethinking of economic activity. Not as an end in itself, but rather as a means for advancing human well-being and capabilities, while protecting the environment. The objective of economic policies and development must have the well-being of people at the centre.
That is why forging a better, more sustainable recovery calls for re-imagining the social contract, in order to address the root causes of inequality and vulnerability.
Allow me to highlight four key priorities on the way forward:
First. A new social contract needs to guarantee:
? quality public services that promote equal opportunity;
? universal social protection systems that foster economic security; and
? robust public institutions that ensure equal rights.
Second. Promoting equal opportunity also means investing in labour institutions. It requires labour regulations and employment contracts that provide decent work ¨C especially for workers in the gig-economy, the care economy and related sectors.
Third. Fostering economic security is an imperative. Without a doubt, the rapid pace of technology has profound implications for the future of work. This calls for nationally appropriate social protection systems and floors. Without social protection, workers have to choose between their health¡ªand that of others¡ªand economic hardship.
Fourth. Closing the digital divide is a must. Actions are urgently needed to:
? increase the roll-out of the necessary infrastructure while making internet connection more affordable;
? make digital content accessible, including through local language content as well as disability-enabling support; and
? address specific barriers to digital inclusion faced by marginalized groups and communities, in particular, women and girls, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and older persons.
Madame Chair,
Distinguished Delegates,
A better future is within reach. We have seen achievements in digital technologies implemented at a scale never seen before. But a socially just transition towards sustainable development is a global endeavor that requires collective action.
I wish you a fruitful session of the Commission for Social Development, and look forward to the outcome of your deliberations.
I thank you.