Amidst the situation created by the novel coronavirus, The Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed informed the journalists on Monday about a new women-led initiative that will gather support, save lives, and protect the livelihood of many. Amina, while affirming the situation as a specially critical one, said, "In the face of a sweeping threat of such historic magnitude, our collective response must be equally historic and urgent”, she said. She also inaugurated the Rise for All – a socio-economic recovery initiative. The plan will bring women leaders together to take action globally.
Women are saving lives on the frontlines as first responders, finding solutions, and facing the crisis as political leaders. She welcomed the leaders who have put themselves to the fore: President Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia; Prime Minister of Norway and Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, Erna Solberg; Sustainable Development Goals Advocate and Founder of the Education Above All initiative, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser and the Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Mottley. Ms. Mohammed flagged that “now more than ever, we must come together to overcome this global threat that affects us all”.
Ms. Mohammed also explained that the UN Framework complements the UN initiatives to support the nations, including healthcare response from WHO, and the Covid-19 Global Humanitarian Response Plan. “It reflects the call of the 2030 Agenda to build more resilient societies and a future that is sustainable, inclusive, and just”, she said.
The framework is aimed at supervising the action over the next 12-18 months under the guidance of UN Resident Coordinators leading the country teams and the United Nations Development Program UNDP. The UN Framework seeks to mobilize $1 Bn to support the first 9 months of operation and $2 Bn overall. “We need to move fast”.
While concluding, she stated that the UN is fully committed to supporting the governments. “Together, we will win the fight against COVID-19 and come out stronger,” concluded the Deputy Secretary-General. UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner, who also co-chairs the UN Sustainable Development Group, elaborated that the five pillars of the UN Framework are not only measured in monetary terms but livelihoods, vulnerabilities, and confidence in government to lead economies and societies “through this process”.
Source: UN
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