The Summit Week at 74th session of the UN General Assembly
This bulletin contains information about the opening of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly, and the Summit Week which occurred in parallel. Last week world leaders gathered at the United Nations in New York pressing global issues, from Universal Health Coverage to climate change and progress toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Key moments included when UN Secretary-General António Guterres opened the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly and in his speech included persons with disabilities applauding that he launched the first United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy. Mr. Viera, Chief Executive Officer, World Blind Union and Permanent Representative of the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities officially addressed the SDGs Summit during the Leaders Dialogue. Also, a small delegation of the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities (SGPwD) attended some meetings, despite extremely limited space for civil society.
Contents:
- The 74th session of the General Assembly opens with the announcement of the disability inclusion strategy!
- High-level reception on the margins of UNGA on the launch of UNDIS
- Climate Summit
- Universal Health Coverage Summit concludes with outcome document with references to persons with disabilities
- SDG Summit is addressed by Jose Viera, Permanent Representative of the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities
- First ever Summit Civil Society Forum with speakers from disability community
- People’s Assembly concludes with outcome document, that includes dedicated chapter on disability
- High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development
- Additional events attended by SGPwD
- Key takeaways from the Global Sustainable Development Report, which informed the SDG Summit
- Key takeaways from the Summary by the President of the Economic and Social Council of the high-level political forum on sustainable development convened under the auspices of the Council at its 2019 session
- CBM blog
1. The 74th session of the General Assembly opens with the announcement of the disability inclusion strategy!
UN Secretary-General António Guterres proudly announces “this year I launched the first UN Disability Inclusion Strategy” in his opening remarks to the 74th UN General Assembly. Also, Lenín Moreno, President of Ecuador stated that “my dream is... we should dream.. that someday, we will measure development by the number of people with disabilities who have been included fully.”
World leaders gathered in New York for the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The annual overarching topic of the 74th session of UNGA is “galvanizing multilateral efforts for poverty eradication, quality education, climate action and inclusion.” The general debate began on September 24 and ended on September 30, with dozens of world leaders addressing the General Assembly. UNGA began just days after millions of young activists and their supporters marched in thousands of cities worldwide to demand greater action on climate change. World leaders addressed in their speeches the climate emergency, rising inequality, an increase in hatred and intolerance, as well as an alarming number of peace and security challenges. The rise in tensions everywhere, focus on the need for international cooperation were among the highlights. World leaders highlighted that it is the time to promote dialogue, pave the way to political solutions and take immediate actions.
During the UNGA opening multilateralism was at the center of attention. For example, Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia, made concrete commitments to combat disadvantages and discrimination based on disability, gender, religion, sexuality, age, race or ethnicity, and further emphasized that “these are the liberal democratic values underpin the UN at its inception; these are Australia’s values.” Lenín Moreno, President of Ecuador highlighted that the “construction of societies that do not discriminate but rather include everyone.” He further stated that the necessity of multilateral action is the key to global challenges. Finally, he concluded his remarks by saying: “My dream is.. we should dream.. that someday, we will measure development by the number of people with disabilities who have been included fully.“
2. High-level reception on the margins of UNGA on the launch of UNDIS
Celebrating the launch of the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy on the margins of UNGA High-level week. Read the GLAD Network blog about the event here.
On Thursday, 26th September, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the UNICEF House, New York, UNICEF and the International Disability Alliance (IDA) hosted a reception to celebrate the launch of the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) and the Global Disability Summit one-year progress report. The reception was an opportunity for UNICEF, the International Disability Alliance and partners to reiterate their commitments towards disability rights and inclusive development. Read the GLAD Network blog about the event here.
3. Climate Summit
The Climate Action Summit took place on 23 September. It addressed mitigation strategies, social and political factors, youth and public mobilization, energy and industry transition, infrastructure, resilience and adaptation, and climate finance and carbon pricing.
In his opening remarks, UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres stressed that this Summit was not intended for negotiation, of which there has been enough, but the point was for concrete action and commitments. He emphasized the presence of young people to provide solutions, insist on accountability and demand urgent action. Guterres claimed that the race to solve the climate crisis is one we can win and the tools are there. Overall, he expressed the general sense that there is a need for strong acceleration in climate financing.
Key takeaways from the Youth Dialogue with the Secretary-General
Key messages were that Indigenous peoples, along with other marginalized groups need to be considered when assessing the impacts of climate change. Also, overall, youth are demanding more action, such as sixteen-year old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg who explained that she should not be addressing the UN, rather, she should be in school. She asked world leaders how they could continue to pursue policies that they knew were detrimental to the environment. She ended forcefully, telling leaders, “You are failing us! Young people understand your betrayal. The eyes of the future generations is on you. We will never forgive you. The world is waking up. Change is coming whether you like it or not.”
Key takeaways from countries
Various world leaders focused on marginalized groups in their discussions on climate action. Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal, emphasized that marginalized communities must be at the forefront when discussing climate justice, and that these communities should be included in dialogue and planning, as they can and should be a part of the solutions. President of the Slovak Republic Zuzana Čaputová stressed that everyone can contribute to solutions, and all will benefit from climate action, and this is important for the well-being and dignity of all, in particular the most vulnerable. Carlos Alvarado Quesada, President of Costa Rica, stressed that it must be ensured that climate goals are gender and human rights inclusive. A representative from China stressed all countries need to be committed to multilateral cooperation, and that developing countries have special conditions, and developed countries should take responsibility for having been the biggest contributors to climate change. President of Columbia, Iván Duque Márquez, stated that the most vulnerable communities in his country do not have access to electricity, and that all marginalized groups must be included in the transformation. You can read further information on the Summit here.
4. Universal Health Coverage Summit concludes with outcome document with references to persons with disabilities
The High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage adopted an outcome document with significant references to disability and mental health. Please read and share your views on the document in order to compile a response on behalf of the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities. (Send your thoughts to hlpf2019 [at] ida-secretariat.org with subject line UHC). The outcome document can be found here. Read the summary of the UHC meeting below.
On 23 September, the UN General Assembly held a high-level meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC) under the theme, “Universal Health Coverage: Moving Together to Build a Healthier World.” The meeting aimed to accelerate progress towards UHC and addressed financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and safe, effective, quality and affordable medicines and vaccines for all. It concluded with the adoption of a declaration, available here.
During the opening segment, multiple marginalized groups were mentioned (e.g., older persons, women, girls, and children), but disability was not included. A key theme from the meeting was the intersection between finance and health care. Many speakers echoed calls for multilateralism, utilization of advancements in technology, and more investment in research. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres explained that exorbitant healthcare costs keep people bogged down in poverty, and is an impediment to productivity; therefore, UHC is not only a moral imperative but an economic one. Guterres emphasized the need to shift the healthcare paradigm to ensure no one is left behind.
The first multistakeholder panel emphasized health as a precondition for and an indicator and outcome of the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, while contextualizing UHC as an umbrella for achieving healthy lives and well-being for all. Key messages included that many are pushed into extreme poverty each year as a result of health care costs and inadequate resource mobilization is a fundamental obstacle in many countries to ensuring UHC. Persons with disabilities were mentioned by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as those left furthest behind in terms of access to health coverage (along with women and children). Other key ideas from this panel include: rejecting models that put extreme wealth before health, and profit before people. The Deputy Minister of Health for Canada called for UHC to be inclusive, free of discrimination, and responsive to the needs of the population. More progressive taxation as a means of financing UHC was also called for by several participants. A representative of France noted that governments have the power to regulate access to healthcare, and it’s important that this access goes to those hardest to reach, those most disadvantaged.
The second multi-stakeholder panel explored the importance of investment in UHC. Many speakers expressed that a strong health system must be founded on equity. Notably, many spoke about how it is women and children who are being most left behind in the health sector, but neglected to mention persons with disabilities. Strengthening primary health care was widely regarded as essential to building healthy societies. Panelist Keizo Takemi, World Health Organization UHC Goodwill Ambassador and member of the Japanese House of Councilors called for improvement of access to health services for those in the most need. He mentioned persons with disabilities as part of this group and explained that prioritizing these groups is crucial to achieving health equity. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia called for capitalizing on technological advancements that will facilitate more inclusive healthcare. Several speakers called for increased focus on infrastructural concerns that are important for UHC. It is not enough to have affordable care if there are no ambulances to take people to the hospital, or inadequate roads to get there. The point was also raised that investing in clean water and sanitation may save more lives than investing in health care directly. A representative from the World Economic Forum called for incorporating the principle of “leave no one behind” in business models. Representatives from Thailand informed the panel that they consider the needs of the most vulnerable first, and in addition, encouraged other member states to think about the most socially vulnerable, such as those with disabilities, immigrants and refugees. This was emphasized as an important first step when trying to translate planning into action. Further information on the meeting can be found here.
5. SDG Summit is addressed by Jose Viera, Permanent Representative of the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities
SDG Summit - Mr. Jose Viera, Permanent Representative of the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities officially addressed Heads of State and Governments during the SDG Summit Dialogue 6. Summary of the Summit can be found below.
On 25 September, Mr. Jose Viera, Permanent Representative of the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities officially presented at the SDG Summit, following Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN-Women. Mr. Viera was one of six civil society speakers invited to address the SDG Summit among Heads of State and Governments. Mr. Viera presented on human rights, data disaggregation, accessibility, climate change, and multilateralism. Click here to read his full speech and watch here https://bit.ly/2nyfIYR (at time 1:48).
SDG Summit Overview
Overall, the SDG Summit highlighted that while progress is being made on achieving the SDGs, this progress is uneven and we are off track. Common themes that emerged during the summit included a call for partnerships, a focus on leaving no one behind, the importance of multilateralism, the need for robust data, increased youth engagement, and more investment in the SDGs.
The overarching principle of reaching the furthest behind first was reiterated throughout the Summit, with disability being referenced on occasion. For example, a presentation of the key messages from the Global Sustainable Development Report included persons with disabilities as a group experiencing multiple forms of inequalities in concentrated areas leading to multidimensional poverty.
Key recommendations to accelerate reaching the SDGs included establishing partnerships to finance the SDGs, and bridging the gap in investment towards the SDGs with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for development as their compass. Also needed is a stronger focus on inclusion; poverty eradication; education and the strengthening of national statistic and capacities; and creating partnerships with civil society, grassroots organizations, media, private sector, unions, academia and others.
6. First ever Summit Civil Society Forum with speakers from disability community
The very first civil society forum during the SDG Summit took place with Mr. Jose Viera and Mr. Mohammed Loutfy both presenting on behalf of the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities.
The first Civil Society Forum during the SDG summit took place on 24 September and featured discussions on systemic analysis for the current state of SDG implementation, key proposals to unlock progress, and institutional arrangements that could facilitate implementation. Key takeaways included the need for enhanced cooperation among civil society groups, specific indicators and disaggregated data, equitable inclusion and participation for those furthest left behind, further engagement with youth, the role of local people as partners, and HLPF reform - that the HLPF should be more substantive in addressing key barriers to achieving the Goals. Permanent and Alternate Representatives of the SGPwD Jose Viera and Mohammed Loutfy both presented at the event.
Mr. Loutfy offered key points with regards HLPF review process:
- The review process of HLPF should emphasize the political role of this global framework to enhance action orientated steps and outcomes, in order to make sure governments are committed to solving global issues through multilateral partnerships
- The review process takes place among a system of silos, and the interlinkages must be emphasized. It’s good to engage in dialogue amongst civil society organizations but there should be more emphasis on global issues.
- There should be more meaningful dialogue (beyond the VNRs) among stakeholder groups and governments with an emphasis on safe space.
- The process of implementation of the Goals should be inclusive every step of the way.
Mr. Viera called for more action from governments and for civil society to reach out to these governments. Also, he emphasized that civil society must question itself, ask what they want to do, and what are they willing to do. Finally, Mr. Viera echoed the calls for underrepresented groups to engage, including more youth activists in the various constituencies.
7. People’s Assembly Declaration includes persons with disabilities in key messages and in a stand-alone paragraph (on page 6)
The People’s Assembly was a two-day conference for Civil Society Organizations that occured parallel to the SDG Summit during the opening of the General Assembly. It was organized as a response to the limited opportunity for Civil Society participation in the Summit. The objectives of the Assembly were: to bring people’s voices to the forefront at the SDG summit, collectively strategize to reclaim civil society space, discuss the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and make recommendations for a stronger accountability mechanism, and strengthen the cooperation with various CSO networks and INGOs. The Assembly hosted a number of events around the themes: climate justice, descrimination, transparency and accountability, gender equality, indigenous people and land rights, HLPF reform, tax justice, civic space, and democracy and political participation.
The Assembly resulted in a Political Declaration which identifies the world’s most urgent challenge areas, and demands that world leaders take action to address them. Among the major challenges identified are: peace and conflict, climate and environment, inequality, decent work, and civic space. Most notably, the declaration includes an entire section on persons with disabilities. It calls on governments and the international community, including civil society and multilaterals:
- To ensure that all measurement, indicators, targets and reports should take steps to address persons with disabilities, including its overlaps with other markers of identity, including gender and age.
- To ensure that data on climate change and environment is interrogated with the lens of disability.
- To ensure that humanitarian assistance and development programmes should centre on the needs of persons with disabilities.
- To uphold the commitments set out in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), including the optional protocol and general comment 3 on women and girls with disabilities.
8. High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development
The Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities participated in the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development (FfD) and briefing on the 2020 Interagency Task Force (IATF) on FfD report.
During the opening of the 74th session, the General Assembly convened the first High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development (FfD) since the adoption of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda in July 2019. The Dialogue aimed to renew global commitments to financing, and served as a call for collective action to energize growth and tackle challenges in the global economy, encourage public and private investment to align with the 2030 Agenda, and promote new and innovative initiatives that target gaps in financing sustainable development. The full list of speakers can be found here, and the Programme here. The Dialogue concluded without any outcome document, and the official summary by the President of the General Assembly is forthcoming.
Key takeaways
The negative impacts of illicit financial flows was emphasized by many speakers. Every year, 1.5 billion USD is lost in these flows. Tax matters were also heavily discussed, as tax evasion prevents the effective allocation of resources, and offshore tax havens, which facilitate tax evasion and in which trillions of US dollars are lost, are a major problem to address. In order to combat this, enhanced cooperation and multilateral partnerships are needed. Resource mobilization and reliable statistics are key, and if those parameters aren’t mastered, it will be impossible to finance the SDGs. The impact of storms on Small Island Developing States (SIDS) was raised by many participants. Storms devastate SIDS and prevent them from getting beyond a certain level of development, because rebuilding is financed by loans. Once projects are completed, storms ruin them quickly, and more loans have to be taken out while still paying others off. This renders the debt burden impossible to shake. Therefore, there is a need for better debt sustainability frameworks. Lending contracts should have clauses tied to national disasters, and when a country is in debt crisis, better systems are needed to provide relief. High transaction costs must addressed by development banks and the international community. Ultimately, there is a growing gap between the need for funding and available resources, which is increasingly exacerbated by rising debt burdens. There is great need to expand the available pool of capital, and the system of lending and borrowing as it stands now must become more responsible. The countries most affected by climate change must have easier access to funding, and criteria for this access should be facilitated by the establishment of a vulnerability index.
9. Additional events attended by SGPwD
The People’s Summit on Climate, Rights and Human Survival called for urgent climate action with the leadership of disproportionately affected groups and took place on 18-19 September in New York
On 18 and 19 September, the first ever global summit on human rights and climate change was hosted by Amnesty International, Greenpeace International, the Center for International Environmental Law, Wallace Global Fund and the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York University, and the UN Human Rights Office. The Summit aimed to galvanize the human rights community to urgently scale-up its efforts on climate justice, creating the most diverse movement ever assembled to tackle the climate crisis. Further objectives were to establish a common vision on human rights and climate change, to send a powerful message on the need for greater urgency, to facilitate joint planning and tighter collaboration, and to increase civil society pressure on States.
The organizers and participants agreed on a political declaration (in which persons with disabilities were referenced once; see below), which aims to place human rights at the core of climate action. Key takeaways from the declaration: disproportionately affected groups such as persons with disabilities will be followed by civil society to achieve bold, people-powered and human rights consistent action. The demand is that all government climate policies, measures and actions respect, protect and fulfill human rights including meaningful participation in climate decision-making. The pressure will be increased on the countries and corporations which are most responsible for climate change in order to enforce emission reduction targets. Further, states with the most available resources will be pressured to financially and technologically support affected communities in the global south. Climate destructive industries, and their financial backers will be held accountable. A just, fair and inclusive transition away from fossil fuels towards sustainable agriculture and green energy will be demanded from member states. As all environmental human rights defenders will be supported, effective and adequate justice for people whose rights are impacted by the climate crisis will be demanded. Read the declaration here.
Reference to persons with disabilities: “We will increase our efforts to place human rights at the core of climate activism. We will do so by following the lead of Indigenous Peoples, youth, women, people living in poverty, persons with disabilities, fisherfolk, peasants, pastoralists, local communities, workers, and other disproportionately-affected groups, who are leading the call for climate justice and against activities that destroy the planet.”
The Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities present among thought leaders and decision-makers from the public, private, and civil society sectors on data at the event “Contracts for Data Collaboration Workshop” on 23 September
The Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities attended the data collaboration workshop on Monday, September 23, 2019. Mohammed Loutfy, Alternate Representative of the Stakeholder Group of Persons with Disabilities spoke about the importance of collecting disability data at the global, regional, and local levels in the global sustainable development framework and working in partnerships.
As background, the workshop convened thought leaders and decision-makers from across the public, private, and civil sectors seeking to unlock the public value of private-sector data. Participants at the event learned from those advancing data collaboratives across sectors and our understanding of their legal basis, reviewed an initial prototype of a C4DC online tool, and contributed to the development of a requirements sheet for legal agreements supporting data collaboration. Throughout the event, participants connected with other stakeholders seeking new ways to responsibly leverage novel data sources and applied them in new and existing ways to advance the common good. Click here for more information
The 2nd High-level Local and Regional Government Forum on 24 September
On 24 September, the 2nd High-level Local and Regional Governments Forum was held with the objective to expand the engagement of local and regional governments, their networks and partners, to showcase results on SDG implementation and to promote synergies with climate actions. The Local and Regional Governments Forum represented an opportunity to take stock of the lessons learned until now, and to explore new ways in which successful local, national and international policies can be scaled up. The Forum also featured the announcement of Acceleration Actions towards SDG and climate action implementation. The session concluded with the adoption of an Outcome document. The Forum was informed by the Report on the forum from the Global Task Force.
This event was important since local and regional governments are the gamechangers when it comes to SDG implementation. During the Forum, local government representatives discussed good practices on localizing SDGs, elaborated on new actions, including initiatives voluntarily taken on by governments and other actors. For example, basic services provided by local and regional governments are critical and integral to the realization of the SDGs, particularly important in sustainable infrastructure, such as wheelchair accessible public transport (stated by the Mayor of Belize). Cities and local governments have excellent knowledge of what the challenges are, and are best placed to find innovative, sustainable and inclusive solutions. Partnerships and collaboration were highlighted as well as the participation of stakeholders in concrete actions and initiatives.
10. Key takeaways from the Global Sustainable Development Report
The Global Sustainable Development Report was recently published and states that “13 years after the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, progress in its practical implementation remains quite limited.”
In 2015, UN Member States agreed to produce a Global Sustainable Development Report quadrennially by an independent group of scientists to inform on the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. The SGPwD provided feedback during the report writing. “The Future is Now: Science for Achieving Sustainable Development” is the first Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR) to be released.
The GSDR emphasizes the situation of persons with disabilities with 26 references. Other population groups referenced include: women 106 times, children 33 times, and indigenous peoples 18 times. Nevertheless, the information included on persons with disabilities is more of a reflection and repetition of various previous advocacy papers compiled. With respect to human well-being and capabilities, persons with disabilities are acknowledged as a population group exposed to extreme poverty, overlapping and concentrated deprivation, social, economic and political barriers, and impacts of climate change. In terms of urban development, inclusive, sustainable and people-centered cities with pro-poor development must be built for the full and equal participation of 1 billion persons with disabilities globally. Science and technology are introduced as means to enable increased access of persons with disabilities to education, employment, community activities and other services in order to leave no one behind. However, the inclusion of persons with disabilities in governance and decision-making processes are neglected.
There are gaps in the report, such as in the section on individual and collective action and governance, the only marginalized group mentioned is women (31 times). Persons with disabilities are not considered as political agents to be empowered yet acknowledged as a marginalized group facing inequalities. Further, the climate change section lacks a human rights approach as such marginalized groups are merely introduced as “potential agents” to be involved in generating solutions only because of their exposure to climate change effects.
11. Key takeaways from the Summary by the President of the Economic and Social Council of the high-level political forum on sustainable development convened under the auspices of the Council at its 2019 session
The Summary by the President of the Economic and Social Council of the high-level political forum on sustainable development convened under the auspices of the Council at its 2019 session was released and emphasizes that progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is too slow and will not happen by 2030 unless action is taken by Member States to meet targets now.
The summary report includes strong reflections on the situation of persons with disabilities in five sections (refer to quotes below). Key messages include to improve engagement with civil society/stakeholders, and at the same time called for the High-level Political Forum (HLPF) to “become more accessible to people with disabilities." The summary of the thematic discussions during the HLPF state shortcomings in equality and inclusiveness as the major barriers to achieving Goal 4, particularly for persons with disabilities, and in order to reduce inequality, barriers to full and equal participation in society must be removed or persons with disabilities are at high risk of being left behind. To address this, a call for more disaggregated data was recommended. During the second week of HLPF at the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), it was widely expressed that enhanced efforts should be taken across all sectors to reach those furthest behind, and to do this, the root causes of inequality must be addressed. The VNR process also highlighted priorities to ensure inclusion, ownership and accountability of all groups in SDG implementation. It was widely reported that countries are working with diverse groups of stakeholders in the implementation of the SDGs by including them in established coordination mechanisms at the national level so no one is left behind.
The report can be found here, and explicit references to persons with disabilities are listed below:
- "The most vulnerable groups, including women, children, refugees, internally displaced people and persons with disabilities, continue to be at risk of being left behind" (4);
- "Educational barriers to girls, youth in rural areas, persons with disabilities, refugees and migrants, and children in areas of conflict must be urgently addressed" (6);
- "Legal barriers and discrimination are among the biggest challenges to reducing inequality. Groups including women, migrants, children, people living with hunger and food insecurity, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, ageing populations and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex community are at risk of being left behind if barriers to their full and equal participation in society are not removed" (7);
- "Science and technology – and the process for preparing the report – should leave no one behind and should ensure that the needs and perspectives of women, persons with disabilities and others in vulnerable situations are fully integrated into all sustainable development actions" (15); and
- "The high-level political forum on sustainable development, as a “marketplace of ideas” could more effectively transmit key outcome messages to improve dialogue at the national, regional and global levels. It should include a greater number of stakeholders, more space for interaction, more cross-cutting issues and a stronger secretariat. It should also do more to strengthen the analysis of linkages among the Goals, focus on regional implementation of the Goals, improve engagement with civil society – especially youth – and become more accessible to people with disabilities" (20).
12. For a recap of the high-level week, read the CBM blog that provides a summary of the participation of SGPwD at the high-level meetings during UNGA74
