Joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council and the Second Committee of the General Assembly on “Building productive capacities in LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS as well as MICs for more resilient recovery and sustainable development in the post-COVID-19 era”

WHAT

The joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council and the Second Committee of the General Assembly will discuss the opportunities, challenges, key policies and investments needed to build productive capacities in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as well as Middle-Income countries (MICs) as a critical step for recovering better and getting back on track towards achieving the SDGs, in the decade of action and delivery. It will aim notably to explore innovative solutions and enabling policies to facilitate and augment LDC’s, LLDC’s, SIDS’ as well as MICs’ resilience through building productive capacities.

WHO

United Nations Member States and Observers to the United Nations, as well as guest speakers from private sector, academia, and civil society.

HOW

Brief opening remarks will be delivered by the Chair of the Second Committee and the President of the Economic and Social Council. Addresses will be delivered by the Secretary-General of UNCTAD and the UN High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS, which will be followed by two panel discussions moderated by the Chair and the President, respectively. The joint meeting will include a policy dialogue with a panel of speakers addressing priorities for action for building productive capacities post-COVID-19. The floor will be opened for interventions from Member States. After the discussions, the Chair of the Second Committee, the President of ECOSOC and UNDESA Under Secretary-General will deliver closing remarks.

GUIDING QUESTIONS

1. Why are productive capacities important for the development process in LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS as well as MICs?
2. What are the key interventions and investments needed to enhance the productive capacities in recovering and rebuilding from the pandemic and accelerating economic growth and sustainable development?
3. What are some lessons learned and good practices to enhance productive capacities?
4. How can the existing sources of finance including the innovating ones, multilateral system as well as regional and south-south cooperation be harnessed more effectively to support the development of productive capacities in LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS as well as MICs?

INFORMATION

• Concept note
• Programme 

Statements

• Opening statement 2C Chair Malta
• Opening statement President of ECOSOC
• Opening Statement UNCTAD SG
• Opening Statement USH OHRLLS
• Intervencion Paraguay
• Statement Trinidad and Tobago
• Statement 76th PGA
• Statement Taffere Tesfachew
• Closing statement Mr Liu
• Closing statement President of ECOSOC

• 1. Opening statement 2C Chair Malta
  2. Opening statement President of ECOSOC
  3. Opening Statement UNCTAD SG
  4. Opening Statement USH OHRLLS
  5. Intervencion Paraguay
  6. Statement Trinidad and Tobago
  7. Statement 76th PGA
  8. Statement Taffere Tesfachew
  9. Closing statement Mr Liu
  10. Closing statement President of ECOSOC

REFERENCES

• Implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014–2024, Report of the Secretary-General (A/76/267)
• Follow-up to and implementation of the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway and the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, Report of the Secretary-General, and corrigendum (A/76/211 and A/76/211/Corr.1)
• Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries for the Decade 2011–2020, Report of the Secretary-General (A/76/71, E/2021/13)
• Implementation, effectiveness and added value of smooth transition measures and graduation support, Report of the Secretary-General (A/76/271)
• Review of the first three years of the Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries, Report of the Secretary-General, and corrigendum (A/76/272 and A/76/272/Corr.1)
• Development cooperation with Middle-income countries, report of the Secretary-General (A/76/375)
• UNCTAD Background Materials on Productive Capacities
• STATE OF THE LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES 2021 - Building back better in response to COVID-19 – UN-OHRLLS