Iraq’s Representative to United Nations Meets Under Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs

The Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations in New York and Chair of the Group of 77 and China Dr. Abbas Kadhom Obaid, received Li Junhua, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, the meeting discussed the ongoing preparations for the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), scheduled to be held in the middle of this year.

Representative Obaid pointed to the large gap between the declared international commitments and pledges to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and actual implementation, stressing that the world has achieved only 17% of these goals so far, with only five years remaining until the 2030 deadline.

As well Mr. Obaid expressed the concerns of the Group of 77 and China regarding the decline in contributions from donor countries, which negatively affects the ability of United Nations development entities to assist countries in achieving the SDGs. The meeting also discussed challenges related to financing for development, including debt relief, domestic resource mobilization, and reform of international financial institutions (IFIs), explaining that the Group Chairmanship is continuously working with the coordinators to inform them of the group’s priorities and concerns.

On his part, Mr. Li Junhua confirmed that the initial draft of the negotiating paper received positive feedback, noting that the final amendments will be made next week, in addition he expressed the United Nations’ readiness to cooperate with the Group of 77 and China to ensure the success of the conference and the achievement of its objectives.

Dr. Obaid underlined the need not to hold back from the commitments agreed upon in the Addis Ababa 2015 Agenda during the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD3), calling for a comprehensive and balanced approach to addressing debt issues and systemic issues that hinder progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, affirming that the FFD4 conference should be a turning point in addressing debt issues, structuring development cooperation, and coordinating the United Nations system, pointing to the importance of high-level representation at the final consultation conference scheduled to be held next April.

The meeting concluded with both parties stressing the importance of continuing coordination and partnership between the United Nations and the Group of 77 and China to ensure the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, with a focus on mobilizing the necessary resources and adopting innovative solutions to global challenges.