Your Excellency, Ms. Kaba Nial¨¦, Minister for Planning and Development of the Republic of C?te d¡¯Ivoire,
Under Secretary-General and Special Advisor on Africa, Ms. Maria Cristina Duarte,
Dr. Cyril Obi, Director of the African Peacebuilding Network of the Social Science Research Council,
Ms. Jayathma Wickramanayake, Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to this Side-Event, to discuss the critical issue of institution building and youth engagement in public services delivery in countries emerging from conflicts.
I thank my UN DESA colleagues in the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government, especially today¡¯s moderator Ms. Alcinda Manuel Honwana, for organizing this event.
My sincere thanks also go to the speakers and panellists for your engagement on this important issue.
As you know, since last Tuesday, the HLPF has been examining progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, focusing on SDGs 4, 5,14,15 and 17.
The thematic discussions are addressing not only the various responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, but also the international partnerships that are required to promote a transformative and sustainable recovery and to galvanize renewed efforts toward the SDGs.
In this spirit, I am confident that this event will contribute, with concrete and innovative ideas and proposals, to building better, stronger, and resilient institutions and delivering more effective public services.
Such services are especially needed in countries emerging from conflicts, if we are to ensure that no one is left behind.
We are all aware that the COVID-19 pandemic has hampered progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
For countries emerging from conflicts, these challenges have been compounded by continuing social unrest, weak institutions and lack of trust in public institutions.
More than 40 per cent of the poorest people in the world live in economies severely affected by conflict and violence, and this figure is expected to rise to 67 per cent in the next decade. This places too many people in direct danger of being left behind.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought devastating impacts to SDG4 in these countries, with unprecedented school closings, imposed by lockdowns and the inability to offer digital learning.
Indeed, the digital divide and the inequalities it creates, continue to hamper efforts by governments and international partners to bring children back to class, either on-site or virtually, to make up for the lost learning opportunities.
The importance of tackling this problem cannot be overemphasized and it remains a top priority for the UN Secretary-General.
The pandemic has also set back years of progress in gender equality, with women experiencing higher rates of job losses, and with higher rates of school dropout for girls.
The increased burden of unpaid care for the sick and the elderly has disproportionately been carried by women and girls.
Despite all its disruptions, the COVID-19 pandemic presents a unique opportunity for change, as it has helped spotlight the challenges facing countries emerging from conflicts, especially girls and women in these societies.
We have seen collaborative partnerships and actions in response to the crisis.
There has been a renewed focus on strengthening public institutions to better meet the needs of people.
There have been re-energized initiatives to reconfigure public governance systems and leverage digital technologies to deliver services in faster and more inclusive ways.
I am encouraged by the way young people are stepping up and driving much needed change.
It is vital that we continue to empower young people to be critical leaders and champions in achieving the SDGs.
Young people account for more than 70 percent of the population in many developing countries, and it is critical to engage this large segment of the population in institution building and in public services delivery, especially in societies emerging from conflicts.
The Youth Forum of the Economic and Social Council that took place in April gathered thousands of young people from around the world to debate solutions and recommendations for accelerating progress toward the SDGs.
The Youth Forum made concrete recommendations on how policy makers can better support young people to take action, by engaging them in decision-making processes at all levels.
Young people need to believe that they have a stake in society, and that they have a viable future. They also need to see society believe and invest in them.
I trust that these discussions will inspire you to take action in creating spaces for youth and for their meaningful engagement in building strong institutions, in delivering effective public services, and in enhancing wellbeing for all.
Let me conclude by thanking all the speakers in this panel for engaging on this issue, for sharing your knowledge and expertise; and I thank all the participants for attending and contributing to this event.
I wish you a successful discussion.