Pakistan, speaking on behalf of Group of 77 (developing countries) and China, has called for boosting efforts for sustainable recovery in the coronavirus-hit countries and to accomplish U.N.\u2019s 2030 agenda aimed at ending poverty in all its forms.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must accelerate our efforts to reach the furthest behind first,\u201d Ambassador Aamir Khan, acting permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, told the annual session of the executive boards of three UN funds and programmes.<\/p>\n
The executive boards represented at the session were: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Office for Project Service (UNOPS).<\/p>\n
Pakistan is the current chairman of G-77 and China, which now has 134 members and is the United Nations\u2019 biggest intergovernmental group of emerging countries.<\/p>\n
In the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Ambassador Aamir Khan said, low vaccination rates, combined with mounting debt challenges, accelerating inflation, and rising food insecurity meant a long and arduous path towards recovery that would require about $1 trillion annually to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the 46 LDCs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe annual estimated financing gap in achieving the 2030 Agenda is at least $400 billion,\u201d the G77 chairman said.<\/p>\n
Noting the report of UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), the Pakistani envoy expressed appreciation for the role the fund plays in providing financing solutions that benefit LDCs\u2019s \u201clast mile\u201d populations, referring to people who are farthest away and most difficult to reach for a programme or service.,<\/p>\n
\u201cUNCDF\u2019s support for financial inclusion in developing countries is important and the organization\u2019s transition towards a greater focus on expanding digital financial services is a welcome step\u201d, the G77 chairman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEquipping LDCs to seize opportunities from digital finance and the broader digital transformation will be critical to allow their economies to grow and increase their productivity,\u201d he said, while urging UNCDF to continue efforts to support mobilization of SDG financing for local governments and other local actors as a UN hub for local government financing.<\/p>\n
The G77 also took note of the expansion in 2021 of UNCDF\u2019s loan and guarantee portfolio, focusing especially on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pakistan, speaking on behalf of Group of 77 (developing countries) and China, has called for boosting efforts for sustainable recovery in the coronavirus-hit countries and to accomplish U.N.\u2019s 2030 agenda aimed at ending poverty in all its forms. \u201cWe must accelerate our efforts to reach the furthest behind first,\u201d Ambassador Aamir Khan, acting permanent representative […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":265475,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[8374,388,20,649],"class_list":{"0":"post-265473","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world","8":"tag-accelerated","9":"tag-covid","10":"tag-pakistan","11":"tag-recovery"},"yoast_head":"\n