STATEMENT BY MR MARK SEAH, DEPUTY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE, PERMANENT MISSION OF SINGAPORE, AT THE UN SUSTAINABILITY WEEK, HIGH LEVEL MEETING ON SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT, 17 APRIL 2024

Excellency,

1                 I thank you for convening this meeting today, and for the briefing on the GDI’s priorities and the workplan for 2024.  I also congratulate China for building the GDI into a platform for international cooperation on development issues. We note that most of the first batch of the 50 projects in the GDI project pool across the eight priority areas have demonstrated progress. Singapore continues to support the goals and the vision of the GDI.  We also welcome the fact that the GDI puts the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the heart of the UN development cooperation agenda.  International cooperation has a multiplier effect, and we should continue to leverage initiatives like the GDI, as well as cross-border partnerships, to leave no one behind.

2                 On the Summit of the Future (SOTF), we welcome members’ efforts to engage constructively in the process as it provides a crucial opportunity to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs. We believe that the Summit will also strengthen the UN and making it future-ready.  In this regard, it is important for the Summit to produce bold, ambitious, and action-oriented commitments, particularly to address challenges faced by developing countries.

3                 In this regard, Singapore had contributed its views to the drafting of the non-paper submitted by this Group of Friends.  We put forward two key suggestions that we would like to share with members of the Group.  First, we believe that it is important to underline the need for reform of the international financial architecture, in line with the common position paper adopted by the Group of 77 and China.  Secondly, we believe that digital technologies can become a new driver of inequality and poverty.  Accordingly, it is very important to urgently address the need to close the digital divide.  In this regard, the Global Digital Compact is an important vehicle to close the digital divide and accelerate the implementation of the SDGs.  We also believe that the GDC is aligned with the spirit of the agreed GDI approach of being project-driven, action-oriented, and where policy dialogue, experience sharing, capacity building and practical cooperation are prioritised.

4                We hope that our views will be reflected in the non-paper of the GDI.  We also hope that there will be more opportunities for an in-depth exchange of views for subsequent joint documents the Group may wish to issue.

5                       In closing, we look forward to engaging constructively in future discussions of this important group.

6                      Thank you.

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