UN economic committee approves work programme for 81st session

The UN General Assembly’s Second Committee opened its eighty-first session on 1 October and approved a work programme covering trade and development, illicit financial flows, poverty eradication and technology for sustainable development. The agenda sets the subjects for its economic and financial discussions in the coming weeks. [1]

Committee chair Suela Janina said the general debate was due to begin on 5 October, focusing on financing sustainable development and accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. A joint meeting with the Economic and Social Council on development finance is scheduled for 19 October, followed the next day by a dialogue on regional cooperation, trade, transport and connectivity. [1]

The committee has also scheduled a 16 October discussion on natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan. At the opening meeting, a Russian delegate said several reports had yet to reach the committee and called for faster delivery of reports on energy and sandstorms. [1]