New UN finance panel to push Global Goals (SDGs) forward
The President of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday encouraged Member States to support a new panel that has been set up to help make the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) a reality, by 2030. On Tuesday, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande and Mona Juul, the President of the UN Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC, introduced a joint initiative to establish a high-level panel on financial accountability, transparency and integrity, called FACTI.
âIt is critical that Member States get behind the panel’s work, both substantively and financiallyâ, he urged, noting that in light of the Decade of Action, it would help promote faster progress towards achieving the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development.
He said the flow of illicit cash and goods on the international black market, impacts every nationâs ability to mobilize domestic resources.
Moreover, it is a cross-border problem that requires âinclusive multilateral actionâ.
ECOSOC chief Ms. Juul said that this year was âa significant milestone in our journeyâ to implement the 2030 Agenda and strengthen multilateralism and appealed to everyone to âmake the world a better place for us and for those coming after usâ.
Panel timeline
She noted that both the major UN bodies are working together within the framework of the 2030 Agenda to end poverty, reduce inequality, protect the planet and ensure peace and justice for all.
âFinancing for development (FFD) is a priority for my ECOSOC presidencyâ, she stated, stressing the need to show âreal progressâ in eliminating the flow of illicit finance.
Ms. Juul set out a timeline, saying the panel would be launched in early March and its members to meet âface-to-face at least four times, in different regions of the worldâ.
âIt is a tight schedule, but we are aware of the urgency to address these issuesâ, she stated.
The panel will produce an interim report in July 2020, and its final report with recommendations in January 2021.
Encouraging collaboration
Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed highlighted three areas where she felt collaboration between the Assembly and ECOSOC âcan make a strong contributionâ.
In this regard, she cited the importance of cooperation across the UN System, the High-Level Political Forum and the centrality of the ECOSOC-General Assembly partnership.
She concluded by encouraging the joint efforts âWe look forward to working closely with you all as we make 2020 a year of urgency, and the 2020s a decade of action to deliver the SDGsâ.- UN News