Welcome to the United Nations
As decided by the General Assembly, the High-level Segment of ECOSOC shall focus on “future trends and scenarios related to the Council theme, the long-term impact of current trends, such as contribution of new technologies, in the economic, social and environmental areas on the realization of the SDGs.”
The world continues to face serious challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the climate crisis and growing inequality and divisions. The lasting effects of the pandemic continue to impact the world through the health, social and economic repercussions. After a brief respite, the environmental trends in climate change, biodiversity loss, desertification, deforestation, and pollution continue to be on the rise. The war in Ukraine has also contributed to uncertainty about inflation, food security, energy and international stability.
Since the onset of the pandemic, various policy and societal responses have been implemented to recover and build back better. Many countries are implementing ambitious plans that invest in sustainable development. Some of these plans are based on strategic foresight, analyzing long-term trends and formulating scenarios to characterize and plan for the future.
The policies, reforms and investments implemented today to restructure and strengthen our economies and societies will impact economic, social, and environmental trajectories for years to come. In this context, strategic foresight can highlight opportunities for more sustainable and resilient trajectories that address existing and potential crises, reduce inequalities and achieve the SDGs.
This session will present different perspectives and experiences and engage participants in a dialogue on forward-looking policy approaches to building back better and investing in sustainable development. It will apply a forward-looking lens to analyse the long-term policies and multilateral collaboration needed to build back better, achieve the 2030 Agenda, and achieve and maintain sustainable development in the future beyond the year 2030. Countries will share their experience in elaborating long-term visions for their sustainable development paths and scenarios and how these are being impacted by ongoing crisis.
The discussion will be informed by Secretary-General’s reports on this year’s theme (E/2022/57) and on long-term future trends and scenarios (E/2022/58).
Proposed guiding questions:
- What significant trends are currently being observed that could greatly impact the future? What trends need to be changed or adapted? What current trends carry the greatest risk and opportunities towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda?
- What are different scenarios for a successful recovery and building back better from the COVID-19 pandemic? What steps need to be taken to achieve these scenarios?
- How can plans for building back better incorporate innovations for reducing inequalities and bridging the digital divide over the long-term?
- What strategies need to be adopted to ensure that financial stimulus packages are applied toward sustainable solutions for future resilience?
- What are examples of near-term decisions that can be made to ensure long-term positive outcomes, such as in the areas of food security and climate change?
- How can we achieve the best-case scenario whereby mobilization of technologies and other policies allows the world to realize the 2030 Agenda?
- What are the opportunities to be realized, and pitfalls to be avoided, in the immediate and medium terms towards these ends? How can international cooperation best provide support?
Chair:
- H.E. Mr. Collen Vixen Kelapile , President of Economic and Social Council
Presentation:
- Mr. Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations, on demographic and other scenarios and future trends
Interactive panel discussion
Moderator:
- Mr. Adil Najam, Dean Emeritus and Professor of International Relations and Earth & Environment, Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University
Resource Persons:
- Mr. Narasimha D. Rao, Associate Professor of Energy Systems, Yale School of the Environment, and Senior Research Scholar, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
- Ms. Tomoko Hasegawa, Associate Professor, College of Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Japan
- Ms. Jaana Tapanainen-Thiess, Secretary General, Government Report on the Future and Government Foresight Group, Office of the Prime Minister of Finland
Lead discussants:
- Ms. Kristel Van der Elst, Director General, Policy Horizons Canada, Government of Canada
- Mr. Alfredo González Reyes, Director of the National Council for Agenda 2030, Mexico
- Ms. Laurel Patterson, Director of the SDG Integration, Global Policy Network, United Nations Development Programme
- Mr. Michael Shank, Director of Engagement, Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance
Respondents:
- H.E. Mr. Dato' Sri Saifuddin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia
- H.E. Ms. Philda Kereng, Minister of Environment and Tourism of Botswana
- H.E. Mr. Ossian Smyth, Minister of State for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Public Procurement, eGovernment with special responsibility for Communications and Circular Economy, Ireland
Interventions of other Ministers and participants (3 minutes each)
