 Good good morning. Good afternoon to all our our listeners and participants on behalf of the Institute of International European Affairs I'd like to welcome you to the fifth event in this year's Irish Aid Development Matters lecture series My name is David Donahue special thanks to Irish Aid for its continued support for this series which gives stakeholders both here in Ireland and further afield a unique opportunity to engage with global thought leaders in the field of sustainable of international development We're very fortunate that we have with us as our special guest today Achim Steiner the Administrator of the UN Development Program, UNDP Achim took up this key post in the UN system in June 2017 apart from his leadership of UNDP, which is the preeminent UN entity dealing with Sustainable Development. He's also the Vice Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Group, which brings together all 40 or so entities within the system which play a role in relation to sustainable development Prior to joining UNDP, Achim led the UN Environment Program, UNEP from 2006 to 2016 And he was also director general of the UN office in Nairobi He'll speak to us today on how UNDP views the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of global development in this new context What kind of recovery strategies are needed for developing countries, particularly those with the poorest and most vulnerable populations? We invite you to send in questions using the Q&A function that you'll see Achim will speak for 20-25 minutes To begin with and then we'll open up the session for questions and answers From the audience. It's all on the record So I'd first like to give the floor to the director general by Rajed Rory de Burka who will introduce our speaker Rory Thanks, David and good morning, Achim and hello everyone Achim I know we'd hope to have you here in Dublin in person For for this particular discussion. We all know why traveling at the moment Unless it's very very essential isn't recommended And and that's a reminder. I think of the extraordinary times that we're living in and Why to to use the title of this lecture series why development matters more than ever? And I think we had a taste of the extraordinary times at the weekend when the UN Secretary General Antonio Gutierrez gave a very important speech where he challenged us all the UN member states the UN membership To to reinvest in the United Nations and the global order to make it fit for purpose For this century in which we were inhabiting and I don't think that speech would have been possible even six months ago prior to this pandemic but reform has been a A trope all through Antonio Gutierrez's leadership of the UN and I know that Reform is something which UNDP has been responding to And I think one of the themes that the Secretary General has talked about was was interconnection and the reminder of interconnection And that the pandemic has given us, you know, those those words of Mike Ryan and others, you know No one is safe till everyone is safe And and I think that sets us all a challenge Also challenge as UN member states as donors you as the you know the administrator of the biggest part of the UN Development system I challenge all the rest of the UN system as well Not just the development and humanitarian arms with that interconnected piece between Developments humanitarian action the political the security, etc You know and that prevention piece that the Secretary General also talks about I was very taken with a phrase that the Secretary General used at the weekend Which was the COVID crisis laid bare risks that we've ignored for decades Inadequate health systems gaps in social protection structural and inequalities environmental degradation the climate crisis And and he went on And in a sense, that's our agenda as Irish aid. We've set ourselves You know a number of overarching themes, you know climate gender governance And protection And these themes that we've been trying to address are ones that we hope as we move forward we can work much more closely with you and system to address and There are a lot of challenges in all of this for us all globally and and it's a time when I think There's a temptation for us to reflect maybe selfishly on On where we are at home what what that bit of interconnection on and Of living in each other's shadows as we say here is is really really important if we want to if we want to drive change And I think that's where we see a partnership with with UNDP as being Really really essential a function a functioning effect of multilateral response is the only way we can respond to a global crisis And hopefully through that we can work with you in that building back better agenda as well and You know and I think you know we want to build on on the existing partnership that we have with with UNDP David mentioned the stgs. I mean once we get past this hopefully Not not long lasting crisis, but we will see And with the cover brings us we still have the ambition of the stgs an agenda 2030 where you know UNDP and you personally play a really really strong role You know, David gave you a very good introduction And you know in some senses you're a man for these times You know your your personal story bridges, you know the developing world and the first world, you know with german and brazilian Uh as part of you, you know, but also your Long-standing investment in in climate and the challenges of climate and development. I think Make you a man for this decade and as we go past and through the covid response I think those questions around climate are going to be even stronger as we move to the second part for this decade So there's a lot there on our agenda to be working with you over the period ahead and We'd love to have you here in person for lots of reasons one is, you know and primarily because we'd like to hear you And see and have this conversation with you Not in two dimensions, but also because you've been here in person what I think Give us a signal that we will pass the major crisis We'll be on to the next phase, which I think is making real the agenda 2030 So looking forward to hearing what you have to say. I think the timeliness of you being with us today Is extraordinary and thank you very much for giving us time today. Thank you. Thank you That's right. So again, the floor is yours Thank you so much. Ambassador Donahue and Rory de Boca, thank you to the international institute or the institute of international european affairs For this invitation as you both have said it would have been such a pleasure to be with you in Dublin And I'm truly sorry that that was not possible But the reasons are obvious and I think even more important that we continue to exchange with one another and I truly appreciate the invitation for our discussion today because It comes at a moment in time as both of you have alluded to already where we as a global community first of all as the peoples of the world The nations of the world, but also the united nations faces extraordinary stress and and challenges also and my Objective in in trying to share some thoughts with you this morning Is really to draw a line between that which is happening in the world at large And what it implies to the development arena writ large because I think When we talk about development and this is just a premise I would like to put up front I view it as much more than development aid It is about cooperation It is about cooperation between nations. It is also about the choices we make About the future development in that sense is a metaphor in every country in every society about the kinds of pathways that Countries will choose and perhaps at this particular moment in time What choices do countries even have we have a cobit 19 pandemic? We have a geopolitical arena that is more polarized than it has been for decades And we have an economic crisis and recession unfolding that is almost without precedent But let me begin first of all by offering my congratulations And I will try to do so perhaps inadequately In the language that is not mine, but yours co-corder gusts Congratulations to Ireland on its election to the security council You could not have picked a better and you could not have picked the worst time in which to step into this forum that In many ways is emblematic of a vision dating back to 1945 Of a better way in which to resolve differences And yet also of the brutal pragmatism that governs the security council Which is that you know the united nations is not an institution and an idea that was established because nations are united It is precisely because of the opposite And so as Ireland steps into its security council membership and takes up its seat I think it is particularly poignant To reflect on the role that Ireland can and hopefully will play In that larger multilateral united nations arena But also in the global context of what I just briefly alluded to And I think in many ways I do congratulate Ireland because you Approach this membership With the notions of independence empathy and partnership Three attributes. I think that we will need desperately over the coming years Because in the way that we are moving forward right now Our outlook into the future is not one that's in gender's great optimism And let me begin by just reminding ourselves that Not to be a pessimist, but in my capacity as the UN representative to the g20s Meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors. I participated in this session on saturday again And I try to bring the secretary-general's Very clear view of where we are right now that you also expressed in the mandala lecture that you just alluded to mainly that As the world is going at different paces and is facing different impacts and a differential reality with covet 19 There is no doubt about it. The situation at the moment is getting worse We are nowhere near coming out of this pandemic, whether from a health crisis perspective Certainly not from a social economic impact perspective And this is also related to the fact that the chronology of this pandemic Is a strange one in some countries it begins with a health crisis in others It begins with a lockdown to protect yourself From a health crisis and therefore particularly in many developing countries We have seen over the last few months that the social economic impacts of the pandemic in a certain way have almost overtaken the health impacts and The very measures that are meant to protect people from the virus Are Fundamentally affecting their social economic well-being This is a very complex challenge to tackle and we can see that this is not just a matter of Strategies and policies it becomes intensely political such as in the united states Where the symbol of wearing a mask has become an issue of political discord So this is the backdrop against which I would like to reflect with you a little bit on what it Might mean to be a member of the security council for ireland at this moment Its strong commitment on development and humanitarian responses And its view of a global community that as we know so clearly Can only win this battle against the virus if it does so together And acts both jointly and in solidarity Let me for a moment turn to the un because this is the backdrop against which we are coming together this morning and certainly Everybody in ireland might be forgiven for wondering whether Stepping into the security council right now Is the best moment for ireland to play that role? I would argue absolutely not only because of the three Strategic objectives that you laid out But also because it is in moments of stress and in moments of discord That we need places and spaces where we come together As nations and try to first of all arrive at a common assessment of what needs to be done To be able to act in unison despite different interests the type political differences And to do so in a transparent way And to all those who rightly are frustrated with the security council but in terms of its membership today But in its initial inability to even agree on a ceasefire resolution and a response to the covet 19 pandemic Rest assured It is better that that discord which is real and exists in the world out there Transacts itself in the spotlight of the security council in front of the world as a whole And with the prospect that as long as nations talk to each other They have less reason to go to war with each other and that remains a fundamental principle That should make us all very protective Of the idea of the united nations Also of the challenge reality of a security council And therefore the politics of trying to navigate in this moment in time A global response but also global solidarity and global capacity to address this pandemic Is principally premised on the united nations being a forum in which we can come together But let me also be very clear in the united nations of today and it is the 75th anniversary Of the united nations There is besides the political fora and the negotiations A significant capacity that we can also call the operational capacity Over 40 agencies funds and programs covering virtually every aspect of how nations relate to each other Whether it is postal services, whether it is shipping airlines health children climate change agriculture intellectual property All these agencies and funds and programs are part of the backbone that allows us as nations to Collaborate and to cooperate with one another that operational system of the united nations Perhaps unbeknownst to many because of the great focus on one's own reality and the certain degree of understandable inward looking response to this crisis Has actually been working non-stop 24 seven without shutting down across the world As the world as countries as communities had to focus inwards the united nations Immediately stepped up whether it is the world food program keeping over 100 million people alive the high commission on refugees The united nations development program unicef looking particularly after the welfare of children And the importance of maintaining vaccination programs We have not stopped for one day Our colleagues right now and in UNDP that is 17,000 people working in 170 countries Are on the front lines of actually supporting governments to maintain First of all their ability to operate But secondly also to assist them in this emergency to respond to be able to drive Strategies that are coordinated internationally, but that also depend on support and collaboration from partners That united nations is perhaps something that we also need to bring a little bit more to the attention of our citizens because It is both the embodiment of a promise we made in 1945 and that has evolved over time But it is actually at this very moment One of the vital platforms on which we can support one another and as we know This pandemic this virus will not stop unless we all are able to stop it And that is the fundamental premise from a purely selfish point of view in which we need to look at collaboration But I think that is also reaching too short because our public Is extremely conscious of the fact that we are entering to a period of fiscal stress Wherever you look around the world and indeed just now as we speak The european council is in its fourth day a record meeting of the heads of government since the year 2000 In trying to thrash out first of all a european response in terms of europe's economies But through its budget ultimately also its ability to commit to play a major role in the global recovery and response to covet 19 Now If I may briefly just point out when you look at covet 19 through a development perspective The first thing that is striking and united nations development programs human development report a few weeks ago Put out a scenario that for the first time in measuring the human development index for 30 years We are facing a situation where we will actually have a decline in human development. This is unprecedented and I could now Bring you many figures and numbers, but just a couple to show the magnitude of what it is to Both cope with and what the price would be if we do not come together in coping with it Over a hundred million people face a decline into extreme poverty as a result of covet 19 up to 250 million people could face extreme hunger and food and nutritional stress over the coming months As they are unable to either buy food or to access food We are looking at an economic and livelihoods collapse of literally hundreds of millions of people As economies shut down we often forget that in many developing countries the informal sector That sector that is built on the entrepreneurial and survival spirits of individuals The corner shop the workshop the service provider the carpenter These are in many economies 70 to 80 of all jobs in inverted commas. These are the livelihoods You lock down you shut down. You have no job. There is no social safety net. You have no income And to some extent you can extrapolate that even to Let's say small island developing states A middle income economy that is dependent on tourism Currently no longer has an economy. It is a brutal reality that is playing out And it is one that in these first few months People have been trying to resort to the reserves. They have The fiscal resources that may be at their disposal And to some extent the forward stepping or stepping forward of the IMF and the world bank In providing credit lines clearly has been critical to ensure that that fiscal space For governments to respond is available But everyone knows that that fiscal space Is not going to be enough. This pandemic is not over The numbers are going up in many countries. There's still increasing exponentially And we are facing a prolonged period of economic recession The likes of which we have not seen for a long time So that is the backdrop against which we need to judge The development choices The development capacities to respond And the ability of both national governments and societies but also the international community To remain capable of acting Now this is in many respects often seen as a health crisis I would argue very strongly that we are actually seeing an unprecedented development Emergency and quickly escalating into the crisis Why do I say that? Well some of the numbers I just provided you with already illustrated our global economy Is clearly one that is not going to recover quickly And here I also caution us to not be misled perhaps by the stock exchanges if you look to wall street To the Dow Jones or you look to London or Singapore or Hong Kong You might be forgiven for wondering how come that stock markets seem to be recovering so quickly Well, we saw that already in 2008 in 2009 We live in many respects in a dual reality Financial markets do not reflect the reality of citizens lives and livelihoods They are to some extent a separate track on which here certain things in our economies are measured But above all it is sentiment. How else would you explain that we are since weeks having Significant recoveries on stock markets and yet everything else that we are looking at in the world at large Speaks to the opposite It is one of the reasons why we also also strongly convinced and the Secretary General has repeatedly called for this That we cannot just go back to the normal of yesterday And both David and and Rory already alluded to it. We were already in the world That was facing many stresses The Secretary General's speech on saturday the Mandela lecture Through significantly also in the analysis of the 2019 human development report, which was focused on inequality And argued that behind the averages that we often use behind the narrow view of per capita income Is hidden a much more complex story Of development failures and we saw over the last two years where that leads to this is not just economics It is not just poverty. It is not just noticing that inequality is growing It has political ramifications political polarization People all over the world from Hong Kong to Paris to Santiago de Chile to Beirut stepping out into the streets Because they are disengaging from our political processes and institutions should worry us deeply And that is part of the development crisis that I see unfolding before our very eyes right now Take a region such as the Sahel Without support from outside without significant efforts within the region We may see not only political polarization and protests We will actually see more radicalization more extremism And more areas of the world in which a view of society of the rule of law And of governance will simply vanish These are the underlying conditions of a world that currently is trying to deal with a covet 19 pandemic And it is precisely these inequalities that have been put into such stark relief in this crisis poor people vulnerable people women Children 1.2 billion children not being able to attend school an extraordinary number and we know that even if schools reopen Quite a number of them will never return to their education girls in particular in certain parts of the world This is the real cost of this pandemic. It is not just a temporary one Now what can we do in the way that we respond and I want to end with that if you allow me David Um, certainly there is no silver bullet But at the beginning I already alluded to the fact that as Ireland enters the security council as the european union Which will emerge as a critical anchor and player in that international development arena We face a situation which we have to address first of all macroeconomic issues No question about it and the g20 so far Is found wanting if I may be very honest with you And it is something that the secretary-german has repeatedly appealed also to the g20 because that macroeconomic stability Is one fundamental premise upon which countries can then respond The credit lines that the imf has provided are vital But they will add to national debt What the world bank may be able to lend and the increased fiscal space that this creates Is a short term bonus in an a government's ability to respond But what do we do beyond that the secretary-general has said that we need an equivalent response to what countries in the developed world Have stood up for themselves somewhere around 10 plus of global gdp We need to address the injection of both fiscal resources and secondly more structural challenges related to debt I have no doubt that on the current trajectory by the end of this year early into next year The world will face in many parts in many countries a severe debt crisis Not acting on it now Not being able to agree not only amongst countries and the paris club at non-paris club members And also the corporate world banks and funds because We have unprecedented levels of corporate debt today in the world much more so than in 2008 and 2009 That kind of concerted response is fundamental and essential to avoid a situation Where countries will default with all the consequences for that country is standing in the financial markets But also for the global financial system So that is one tier of response the second one clearly has to be That we need to look at how we can help countries to quickly Deal with this terrible dilemma The more effective you are in containing the virus the more brutal an impact you have on your economy and society The way in which we can reduce that contradiction Is to actually have the fiscal means by which to enable people and communities and national economies To sustain A more targeted effort certainly complete lockdowns will become less and less feasible But we're learning to be more targeted But we also need to look at how we will be able to maintain people's livelihoods if they cannot stay at home They will simply break out onto the streets and we have seen how the virus quickly picks up its pace again That is why UNDP in a few days time is Looking at putting out a paper that will try to study the impacts of these cash transfer programs Their extraordinary impact that they're having but also Looking at the temporary basic income notion as perhaps one way in which we very effectively Can ensure That people are able to maintain the health crisis response actions while not going into starvation mode And this is one area where I believe we need a great deal of thinking and where particularly richer nations will now become either the backbone Or the constraint on countries being able to act in that direction now For me and for my colleagues in the united nations development program We have begun in a first phase of this covid 19 response to focus on basically being able to help countries maintain their operational capacity respond with the world health organization w of p unicef and others In quickly being able to provide emergency supplies to countries as you know in these first few weeks Something that was not available in many developing countries. Some didn't even have ventilators available But our response that we have now put out our strategies based on our role as the socioeconomic lead within the united nations development system Where the secretary general has requested us to work with our resident partners in u and country teams In over 130 countries actually covering 160 nations To assist with an assessment together with the government of the priorities the vulnerabilities But then also to work with them on their socioeconomic response strategies These will be fundamental in first of all making very difficult choices These are you know in some people's uh minds trade-offs. I would rather refer to them as choices because Bailing out an airline and maybe saving 5 000 jobs versus bailing out perhaps um 100,000 small medium scale enterprises Saving one or two million jobs. These are the literally everyday choices that heads of government and national institutions face right now How do you make those choices? What matters? Where do you invest first? And how do you ensure that the mitigation measures the investments you make now to stabilize these prices Are actually investments into a future development path recovery This is where I see undp's role being absolutely central both in the way that governments can be assisted But also as part of the un development system And in our offer that we have put forward it has been interesting That four areas emerge from the demand of countries as central to their immediate response with a view to also investing in a recovery governance an agency The notions that government the role of government in this crisis is fundamentally Its ability to continue to operate for parliaments to be able to meet and sometimes it is literally down to Providing a zoom license for a government to be able to continue to meet for parliament to meet in a proven emergency budget We have over 180 digital solutions that we have deployed with countries in a completely new context just in the last 12 weeks The second area is social protection for obvious reasons. We need to identify the most vulnerable We need to look at where For example gender differentiated responses are called for how children are affected people with disability Those who live in the rural economy and what kind of measures can be put in place Cash transfers the digital platforms are extraordinary opportunities for us to do things that were perhaps on the horizon in five years time Are now being stood up literally in weeks Thirdly the green economy Many governments at the moment are looking at how they can address not just an issue such as climate change or The loss of biodiversity and ecosystems or pollution But how to invest in an economic strategy that allows them to have less risks more resilience And take advantage of the shovel ready projects such as in Africa right now Renewable energy off-grid energy Could be one of the major boosts to a continent where more than 60 percent of people in this day and age Do not yet have access to electricity And finally digital disruption and innovation I do not need to speak a lot about it. We are seeing it in our everyday lives But just remember 50 of the world's population does not yet have access to Broadband and internet we could change that in just a few years We could connect every school in a developing country on the continent of Africa To broadband and to internet imagine what it would do for education These are the kinds of projects. These are the kinds of ideas that I think our taxpayers our citizens can relate to Not just bailout packages, but generational projects that demonstrate solidarity Partnership and a fundamental change in the outlook of development for the future So david if you allow me let me end by saying that I do consider today's discussion not just one amongst many. I truly treasure Ireland's self view of itself in the international arena It's deep and long-standing commitment to humanitarian responses But also to the united nations multinationalism and to development I hope that as part of your role in the un In the european union and as an actor in your own right in the development arena The coming months and the year will demonstrate that you don't always have to be A large nation in order to have a significant impact. We need voices that provide clarity Rationality independence and that build cooperative and collective capacity to act Not dividing us not polarizing us and therefore paralyzing us as a world community That is also very much the focus of the second generation of all of us working the united nations We are extremely worried about the geopolitics But we know that we have been through tough times before And here in our 75th year our promise holds and that is very much true of the event As it is of you in the p. Thank you Well, thank you very very much. I think for that uh, uh comprehensive and and marvelous analysis. I have to say it's it's um It's it's a compelling analysis of where we are at the moment In the context of COVID-19, but it's also a somber one and Troubling in many ways We'll have a number of questions Let me kick off with one which arises from something you were One of the many points you made Um if we I mean, there's no doubt that collective solutions collective action is is More important than ever in order to come out of this situation In a sustainable way and you you brought that out, but on the other hand The political will is patchy to put it mildly. We've seen countries Retreating into uh nationalist and protectionist reflexes for example over the search for vaccines and Quite a number of countries have been guilty in that respect. Um Can one be confident that as the scale of the crisis Deepens further and you know, you pointed to the macroeconomic Pressures that we're all facing. Can one be confident that somehow The the the need for Concerted global action will will become more apparent. I mean one can think of Political changes in certain countries which might expedite that but one can't be absolutely certain I mean looking at the next six months to a year. Do you think that we will be able to recover that sort of? A global consensus which has enabled us for example to Use the un to produce the sustainable development goals the Paris agreement You know the un has come into its own in recent years because it was possible to find a global consensus Do you see that consensus coming back as it were over the next six to twelve months? Well David, I think It is to some extent a speculation I think right now we would have many reasons to be to be concerned I think the short term outlook That we see in the g20 in the negotiation of the communique that I followed just over the last week The discussions in the security council are clearly reflective of a hardening of a geopolitical scenario In which China and the u.s. First of all are clearly in an increasingly standoff mode And unfortunately as we know When key global powers do not see The reason or the need to collaborate it inevitably impacts the whole global system. So Our capacity to respond our collective action Ability clearly is impaired at the moment And I think it is to some extent a function of also that larger geopolitical picture. But having said that We have been through these crises before whether it is a cold war or whether it is in in a regional context Sooner or later That political strategy Um does not seem to pay off and you know, even if you look at Many who currently say Multilateralism is facing a crisis I would argue. Well, you know after 75 years in many crises Perhaps we should have a little bit more confidence in the fact that the system has actually been designed in a way To survive stress and to survive This unity and to some extent at those moments also show this functionality But the truth is If you look at how the world is in fact trying to collaborate then the vast and overwhelming majority of countries Are turning to our international institutions the breton woods institutions clearly in this economically highly distressed moment Being the first line of defense and the ability of the imf Reformed them with more resources after the 2008 2009 financial crisis Is able to deploy up to trillion dollars in resources right now. That is a good illustration of this And as I mentioned the united nation's Operational system with the support of many donors who have reprogrammed funds initially Is in fact standing up a response and even in the political Complex arena of the world health organization What you have seen is one country stepping back All others maintaining their view that yes, there are challenges But this is the institution. This is where collective action is possible But let me be very honest. I think There are moments when the world indeed faces something that could be consequential for years to come You mentioned the vaccine The secretary general and many others have called for a people's vaccine And I think it is extremely important that we do remember How critical the handling of the vaccine should it even become available will be It could be the moment where the world truly sees the value of coming together Or it could be a terrible moment When we really fall apart because the rich the wealthy those who've got control intellectual property Will corner a market that clearly overnight cannot produce seven billion vaccines So working together here is crucial And I think common sense hopefully will prevail and even those who at the moment are in a polarized Relationship with one another can step back from that precipice and you know This is something that runs through the whole history of development. Some of you may know that expression of the tragedy of the comments It basically says that You know individuals will go and use a pasture and you know because if it is not agreed how the community will use it Everybody will use it to their own advantage until the pasture collapses and everybody has no more grazing left It goes from the fundamentals of something as simple as that in the development choice To a global response to vaccines Back to you Thank you very much. Okay. Um, I have a number of questions which are coming in focusing on the issue of of resources and and Donors willingness to provide finances and so on let me perhaps give you a couple of together One one colleague Professor Patrick Paul Wantship University College Dublin Looks at the the question of the withdrawal of us funding from the WHO and really asked more generally against the background of that kind of Dramatic development should the un system be looking more at funding and partnership with you know the private sector and non-governmental organizations in other words to what Does one need to take a different route in terms of providing funding in future for the work of the un system another questioner Barbara White from concern worries in the same way about and Decrease in funding for un agencies because of populist politics and indeed Recessions so what do you anticipate the future will hold for the funding of un agencies? Whether it will be an increase holding or or a decrease and a third question I'll stop at that point is from Patrick comedy of trinity college Dublin. Do you support the Issuing of new special drawing rights by the IMF? And if so, what do you think the priority area for spending should be? Thank you David and thank you to to all the questioners. So Why should we be concerned about financing? I don't think it takes a lot of imagination to realize that The outlook at the moment Could be very concerning first of all We have an I often say to some extent understandable The initial focus being on domestic response governments are judged by their citizens on how they are able to protect them So the cobit 19 Situation and pandemic clearly has Initially to countries looking inward to the point where you know, they even in Europe struggle to sometimes see that the European project is is actually one that is very much premised on being able to Work with one another in this crisis now extrapolate that to a global community And clearly we have seen in the first few months a very inadequate response But I I qualify that inadequate term. We're simply saying this is also in some respects understandable I think what would be less understandable and probably in the long term less forgivable If we then see a more structural inclination towards cutting overseas development assistance international financing I think it would be Short-sighted it would backfire And it would be the opposite of the logic of what every country is doing domestically So surely the argument that we do not lean forward right now Is going to take us in the opposite direction. So Yet the outlook just take gdp. Everybody is facing and contracting national economy If it is between four and five percent of gdp Even the current percentage commitments of countries will decline So it's not enough to simply say they're committed to oda In fact, we need to lean forward We need to persuade our citizens that investing at this moment in time Is in our own self-interest as countries that provide donor funding And it is also in the self-interest of a global community that needs to be able to first of all Help particularly poorer countries absorb the shocks. Otherwise, we will face more and more political crisis Secondly, we need to lean forward to avoid the kind of government default that would lead to significant consequences in financial markets And I believe that that is Realizable, but let me just give an example. I think many in Ireland will be able to relate to Mark locoke my colleague the emergency relief coordinator in the united nations leads our efforts to raise humanitarian funding We just increased the appeal to the world to 10 billion last week But after three months the initial response stood at somewhere around 1.8 billion dollars 1.8 billion dollars From the entire international community for the u n to respond to over 70 million refugees in displaced over 100 million people Who are currently receiving food rations and our ability to respond in countries like yemen or libya Where people literally have nothing and we are currently cutting rations We are closing closing health centers because funding is not coming through Yet the bailout package of one airline Let me pick lufthansa for that matter, but it you know could be a france klem and could be others But just lufthansa's bailout is worth more than two to three times The entire financing currently being provided in this crisis For saving lives literally saving lives and we are talking about trillions 11 trillion dollars perhaps being deployed in domestic response packages Surely surely we must find a way to persuade our political leaders But also our public because this is going to be the arena in which politicians have to make decisions Members of parliament that in supporting the most vulnerable in helping developing countries recover and contain the pandemic We are not taking something away from them. We are hopefully creating a more likely prospect for A recovery to happen in europe in the united states in japan as well So on the sdr's I think without question There are one or two countries that remain skeptical the overwhelming majority in the imf Support the special drawing rights being used I think They will be part of the firepower of the imf which clearly under the leadership of christalina georgeva has proven vital in these first few months But we also have to look very clearly at the fact that both imf and world bank as i mentioned before Are providing credit lines And therefore this must be embedded in a larger strategy to address that's not only that stands stills But we need to start looking about that forgiveness that restructuring and that's where Significant generational programs such as providing access to electricity in africa Investing in bringing broadband to schools become the kind of shower ready projects that can start tomorrow can create employment And help the poorest of the poor to not face destitution It is in that context that this sort of financing needs to be addressed back to you david Thank you. Thank you very much. I think um I suppose the the the general picture of uh, um International willingness to uh Provide resources in this context is gloomy. That's let's be let's be honest But one questioner. James mcgarde love SRI executive asks do you feel there are any ways of hope in relation to particular governments or countries and Enlightened policies or steps. They are taking at the present time Are there good examples that we can point to against this gloomy backdrop? well, I would Say there are good examples probably across many countries right now But they are of a magnitude and an an initial nature that is not commensurate or adequate. So I think I don't want to give any country right now a Sort of well, you've done enough, but I think there are some that Are stepping forward and I think particularly the european union And as I said as we speak today European council is meeting in brussels for a historic task and I would say It is the european union and again ireland within the european union could play an extraordinary role because It is in the u that I think many recognize right now the greatest capacity to um look outwards to the world and despite the polarization in the geopolitical arena to provide significant positive impulses and I want to recognize some countries because in the midst of this crisis many donors have been willing to reprogram the european commission with us Germany in fact has just doubled its core contribution to UNDP to almost 120 million this year As part of its new supplementary budget that it adopted just a couple of weeks ago in parliament Also here in the united states, I mean in the congressional resolutions There have been significant targeted increases in funding. So there are for for the breton woods institution So there are examples and let me mention japan also a you know, I speak now from a UNDP perspective $65 million in emergency covid funding made available immediately deployed and this is where the strength of UNDP I think in concert with our country teams, but also our partners in the in the civil society and geo sector Works we stood up a rapid financing facility And we managed to turn around approvals in 72 hours and put programs on the ground In literally, I think it was nine weeks eight weeks in 130 countries and we are continuing to build on that because That operational backbone Is a part of the financing debate also if you are able to mobilize funding How do you then in a highly stressed economic and even institutional context where governments are stressed? How do you land it so it actually reaches people and it can stimulate the economy in critical areas? And I did not respond in your previous question to the question of the private sector The private sector is an integral part. I mean first of all If you look at where people earn their livelihoods, it's in the small medium-scale enterprise sector It's 98 of the world's businesses are small medium-scale enterprises. It may surprise some And it is therefore in the ability to also work with them And their economies to to recover But also with companies. I mean we have many partnerships in the digital arena right now in the last few weeks unprecedented Setting up platforms in the digital arena connectivity Um countering false information reaching two billion people with the united nations family These are partnerships at work, but let's also be clear right now We have a very strange situation where actually It is government that is stepping in to stabilize the private sector and taking public funding And taking a stake in the private sector to stabilize it Hopefully the moment will come where the private sector will be able to also invest in macroeconomic recovery and in the sustainable development goals as a strategy for Building forward better because this is where we need private sector leaders also to embrace The reality we face the reality we face and the need for transformation on climate change on inequality on poverty on healthcare systems I think the relationship between government and the market is fundamental and thankfully We are out of the you know, I'm either somebody who believes government is a solution to everything or the milton freedman view The less government the better that era is over. We need smart government Working with markets in the private sector and that's where the 300 trillion dollars in wealth that we have accumulated In this moment in time unprecedented human history Could easily be deployed into helping us out of this crisis. So there is money in the world There is money in the financial markets But if you cannot find a way in which government and markets work together that money simply remains in lockdown Yeah, thank you very much Joachim. I have a question from jill Clemens From ireland's department of foreign affairs and trade She points out that undp works alongside its un colleagues in complex contexts including and particularly fragile and conflict affected regions Could you provide an example to show us how the un system is responding to the the or how it's repurposing its core work in light of the pandemic And the the the new stresses that this is bringing Thank you very much and and to jill's point. I mean I should mention that undp is actually in the un family one of the agencies most heavily invested in fragile and Conflict countries almost 45 percent of our total annual turnover Is actually invested in 10 fragile conflict affected countries. So it gives you a sense of how heavily The attempt to try and respond from a development perspective is also part of undp's approach We see ourselves in the sahel in libya But also in yemen in the central afghan republic just to mention Four countries that are facing different kinds of crisis somalia being another one iraq These are places where you know, we begin to first of all Under highly constrained conditions because in some of them conflict continues And if you look at yemen right now And the un has tried and continues to try everything from the political mediation to the humanitarian response To also development and and in yemen We have been trying and here working very closely with the world bank the european union and commission And individual countries also donor countries To provide employment livelihoods training so that people can Begin to survive the crisis of war and conflict But in addition right now in yemen the truth the harsh truth is that Funds are insufficient to even provide the basic humanitarian support. So yes, we are not in a Great place and I think we will need to confront these immediate funding needs in the context of longer-term financing But in libya Um, we have very quickly been able to provide for instance local government institutions Who are perhaps the most hopeful and functional level of government right now with critical infrastructure be the ambulances digital connectivity in order to manage cobit testing and tracking systems that are put in place and you know Sometimes it doesn't take a highly developed OECD country to manage a significant testing and tracking effort We saw that in the drc during the bold outbreak in the drc with the support of the who and others There were at some points in time over 30 000 people being tested and tracked or tracked digitally Which is more than some european countries have been able to put in place within three or four months So our ability obviously depends very much on each country The kind of financing is also critical. We need humanitarian finance But I often say it is in the bringing together of an immediate Saving lives response and an investment people's ability to build a development pathway forward That both recovery and ultimately peace building are far more likely to succeed Indeed. Thank you very much. Joachim. Um, a question from quiba debara Who's the head of trocra, which as you know is a leading development and humanitarian organization in ireland? quiba Makes the point that There is perhaps an opportunity Uh in the present pandemic situation to Sorry, i'm just reading out her her message. Um She that there's perhaps an opportunity to develop a more structured approach to eradicating poverty And in particular to put in place shock responsive social protection systems across low and middle income countries Do you agree that that opportunity exists and I suppose Would you have views on whether ireland could play a role in that respect? Absolutely, and I I think we're for for raising this question because I think um, you know In every crisis there lies an opportunity it sounds a very back to a statement, but it is ultimately true This is human history and I often actually remember my my visit to dublin and being Intrigued to learn about the history of one of your greatest and proudest exports born out of a tragedy in us I mean there there are many ways in which We as humans but also as communities and societies rise to a challenge in the moments of crisis And I think right now It is first of all the recognition that poor people Are simply unable to protect themselves in this crisis And I think we do need to put a very strong focus on vulnerability and poverty embedded in that larger Um understanding of inequality, which is so corrosive in many of our societies and Again that undp human development report um beyond income beyond averages beyond today of last year Very much put a focus on the connection between poverty and inequality, but also The the the resilience of societies and nations Now I made a brief reference earlier on that in these Times where we witness tober setting up in four weeks a cash transfer program for over a million people Pakistan reaching over 70 million people 12 million households and you know the examples about We perhaps need to look very carefully also at um notions of temporary basic income Um, I think this is you know still a debate that is Unfolding in in the larger macroeconomic policy and development arena when we talk about universal basic incomes But I think there can be little doubt in our minds that If we want people to adhere to the pandemic containment strategies We have to give them a means and with which to be able to practice that so distancing minimizing interactions Going beyond an absolute lockdown Requires us to be able to help people to at least have access to basic food and basic services So in a few days time we will publish a paper in which we are putting forward scenarios for a temporary basic income That could apply to perhaps three billion people in national context Finance through national resources and international financing and it may be surprising to some that the effectiveness and the Financiability of such an approach. It is actually not at all in the astronomic Domain and therefore my response would be We do need to focus On the poorest the most vulnerable If that part of our society and community goes into survival and crisis mode The entire national economy the entire national political process will face extremely stressful conditions and If you look to regions such as the sahel You can imagine what that will lead to it will simply open the doors to those who say Governments are of no value It is in our radical movements. It is in radicalization and the extremism that they preach That you future lies and then they bring their financial resources to bear on those communities in desperation So whether you look at it from an ethical as humanitarian or a political strategy and security perspective There is no doubt in my mind that our focus on the poor on poverty And inequality is fundamental in the crisis and the instruments we put in place to manage the crisis and in designing ways forward And that is why also perhaps a last reference on Friday last week, I think we launched the 2020 multi-dimensional poverty index which we produced together with OPH i at the University of Oxford and UNDP And you know the harsh truth is 1.3 billion people Are living in a multi-dimensional poverty reality right now Going well beyond the $1.90 simple income threshold that puts it at around 700 million So these are the lenses we have to apply to understand this reality and to be able to act on it indeed um A question from michael mccarty flin of oxham ireland in a way it touches on the the issue of global inequality That you've just mentioned I mean he notes that The secretary general made the point at the weekend that the underlying challenge Holding back human development is global inequality This may be difficult to answer, but what do you think are the main? solutions to global inequality and He asks also whether you have a view on a role that ireland might play in that respect Well, let me start with the second part of the question I think the first part is you know, as I said earlier on you don't have to be The united states or china or another mega economy In order to take your seat in the security council and speak and in the united nations perhaps one of its most brilliant design features is that every country Has a voice and has a seat at the table So articulating first of all the importance and providing not just a description of the problem, but also The policy space and the alliances of countries in an international community To face the reality of quality Of inequality and being able to move forward. I think is critical in more practical terms since we don't have much time I I don't want to be Over simplistic, but perhaps to those who are interested I I would urge you to take another look at at the UNDP's human development for 2019 He was focused on inequality And it spoke about the legacy of inequalities from from the past But also two major other drivers namely climate change and digital technology If left unaddressed they would become amplifiers of inequality very quickly if we address them proactively They could actually be drivers for reducing inequality and that is the kind of policy agenda that we need to focus on I can thank you very very much for that. Unfortunately, that brings us to the end of our of our Session and I'd like to thank you for being so generous in your time and in your Comments and and analysis. There is much that could keep us going for four hours in fact and Thank you for everything that you've contributed to us today I know that my colleagues At the UN worked closely with you and the UNDP and now that we are joining the security council There is a very important common agenda as a word which they will want to to pursue in your your remarks today have have Have increased our sensitivity to the development and humanitarian dimensions of the of the current crisis And I I am sure that we will want to reflect in our input to the security council Everything that you have been discussing with us today On my own behalf on behalf of the institute. I can thank you very very much. I just asked rory de burka whether he would like to make Have a final word rory. Are you there? No, he's not okay. I can thank you so much And I hope that we will get you in in person to Dublin at some point You are very very kind to join us today. Thank you Thank you, David. Thank you to all of you and thank you to the institute for hosting us and hopefully see you soon