STATEMENT
Integrating Human Rights into the International Financial architecture reforms: A Cornerstone for Realizing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and a Human Rights Economy, 18 January 2024
as delivered by Mr Tormod C. ENDRESEN
Ambassador - Permanent Representative to the UN and other International Organizations. The Permanent Mission of Norway in Geneva.
Check against delivery
18 January 2024
President,
We welcome today’s discussion. It is important because human Rights and the SDGs are two sides of the same coin.
The fulfilment of human rights is an investment in human dignity, conflict prevention, and in building prosperous societies. Norway is pursuing a human rights-based development policy because we are convinced that it promotes social development and reduces poverty.
International Financial Institutions – IFIs - are at the heart of achieving the SDGs. With the increased pressure on many countries’ fiscal space, the large investments from the Multilateral development Banks, such as the World Bank, in health, education and social safety nets are needed more than ever.
We agree that the on-going reforms of the IFIs is an opportune moment to explore how IFIs could further support the realization of human rights, within their respective mandates. We should work to ensure that Human Rights are advanced in the different work streams, strategies and collaboration modalities.
Thankfully we have a lot of good work to build on, including the commitment by the World Bank and others IFIs to accountability, participation, equality and non-discrimination, and social inclusion– all important human rights principles.
There are also important lessons learned from decades of work of the World Bank and other IFI’s on gender equality. The knowledge and data of IFIs such as the World Bank are important in building evidence on what works - and what does not.
Partnership is key. We welcome therefore the dialogue between the IFIs and the human rights communities, including the World bank and the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Thank you.