Fostering resilience and growth in an uncertain world: Joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council and the 2nd Committee of the 79th session of the General Assembly

The world continues to grabble with a confluence of crisis, including the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing conflicts and geopolitical tensions, and rapidly accelerating impacts of climate change which are compounded by increasing inequalities, pollution and accelerating biodiversity loss. Vulnerable populations, including women and girls, continue to bear the brunt of their impacts.

Investing in social protection systems, adaptation and resilience can protect countries from immediate risks as well as present opportunities for inclusive growth that benefit all segments of society. By prioritizing resilience, countries can cultivate a more stable environment that attracts sustainable investments and fosters long-term economic growth.

Furthermore, investments in early warning systems, disaster risk reduction, preparedness and recovery can be strengthened through a gender-responsive approach to social protection which can further foster prosperity and help individuals and communities to adapt. Properly designed, implemented and financed, social protection systems can maximize their contribution to gender equality, poverty eradication, crisis resilience, and broader processes of economic and social transformation.

Doing so requires a paradigm shift towards viewing public expenditure on gender-responsive social protection as an investment. Evidence shows that the positive impacts on GDP of each dollar spent on social protection surpass those of total government expenditure. Investments in complementary public services also have important multiplier effects.

Despite important progress, however, this potential remains far from realized. In 2023, 2 billion women and girls and 1.8 billion men and boys were still without any access to social protection. Even where women are relatively well covered, benefit levels are often inadequate and the range of provisions is not always attuned to their rights and needs, especially in times of crisis.

The meeting will draw on The World Survey on the Role of Women in Development, a Secretary-General’s report presented every five years to the Second Committee. The ninth edition focuses on the theme, “Harnessing social protection for gender equality, resilience and transformation”.

In the lead up to the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development and the second World Summit on Social Development to be held in 2025, the joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council and the Second Committee of the 79th session of the General Assembly will serve as an opportunity to explore pathways to foster more sustainable, resilient and shock-resistant societies in these uncertain times including through investments in gender-responsive social protection systems as well in early warning systems, disaster risk reduction, preparedness and recovery.  

The Second Committee Chair and the Economic and Social Council President will deliver brief opening remarks. This will be followed by two expert panels, addressing resilience and gender-responsive social protection strategies. The panels will feature experts, government representatives, representatives of UN system entities, and civil society representatives. After the two panels, the floor will be opened for interventions from Member States, for an interactive dialogue. Once the dialogue concludes, the Chair of the Second Committee and the President of ECOSOC will deliver closing remarks.

Programme

10:00 - 10:15 am - Opening Session

• H.E. Mr. Muhammad Abdul Muhith, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations, Chair of the Second Committee of the United Nations General Assembly
• H.E. Mr Bob Rae, Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations and President of the Economic and Social Council

10:15 – 10:25 am - Keynote Statement: Ms. Isabel Ortiz, Director, Global Social Justice, former Director at ILO and UNICEF (virtual)

10:25 - 11:40 am - Panel 1: Harnessing social protection for gender equality, resilience and transformation - Launch of the World Survey on the Role of Women in Development 2024, UN-Women

Moderator: H.E. Mr Bob Rae, Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations and President of the Economic and Social Council

Speakers:

• Ms. Sarah Hendriks, Director, Policy, Programme & Intergovernmental Division at UN Women
• Ms. Vidya Diwakar, Deputy Director of the Chronic Poverty Advisory Network
• Ms. June Barrett, Vice president of the International Domestic Workers’ Federation

Interactive dialogue and responses from the floor

11:40 - 12:50 pm - Panel 2: Financing Resilience: an imperative for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UN-DRR and WMO

Moderator: H.E. Mr. Muhammad Abdul Muhith, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations, Chair of the Second Committee of the United Nations General Assembly

Expert panel perspectives

• H.E. Mr. Krzysztof Szczerski, Permanent Representative of Poland to the United Nations, and Chair of the Commission for Social Development at its 63rd session
• Ms. Ruth Richardson, Executive Director, Accelerator for Systemic Risk Assessment
• Ms. Bridget Burns, Executive Director, Women’s Environment and Development Organization

Interactive dialogue and responses from the floor

12:50 - 1:00 pm - Closing remarks