Remarks by H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, President of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly

7 December 2021

 

Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this discussion.

My appreciation to the Permanent Mission of Thailand and to the Food and Agriculture Organization for hosting today’s event in recognition of World Soil Day.

While an essential component for life on Earth, it is fair to say that we take soil for granted.

What seems both infinite and infinitely simple, is in fact quite finite and complex.

We depend on soil for our food, for the quality of our water, for forestation, for carbon capture… I could go on.

Yet, for all its benefits to us, our soil is threated by excessive and unsustainable land use, by climate change, by deforestation, and by chemical pollutants, to name a few.

As is so often the case, it is those most vulnerable who suffer the most.

Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States are amongst those who have seen their soil quality diminish the most.

This has far reaching implications on livelihoods, on food security, on health and education, and on overall economic growth.

Yet, hope remains.

We have seen the incredible benefits of soil restoration. They are promising.

We have seen communities rehabilitate lands – tree by tree – that were once dismissed as inhospitable.

We have seen water conservation fuel land restoration and vice versa.

We have seen agriculture adapt to new conditions and thrive.

Ladies and gentlemen, we must not give up hope on something where solutions are so plentiful and so affordable.

As the world moves to recover from COVID-19 and simultaneously recalibrate its relationship with the natural world, we would be wise to invest in soil conservation and rehabilitation.

This approach not only offers climate friendly benefits, but boosts livelihoods, combats poverty, puts food on tables, alleviates water stress, and enables a number of social and economic indicators to thrive.

Truly, the entirety of the 2030 Agenda can be strengthened with healthy soil.

Support from the international community and from the private sector is essential to this.

Together we can help alleviate the socio-economic and environmental stresses of soil degradation and boost progress on the SDGs during this Decade of Recovery.

The Guidelines for Sustainable soil management, as laid out by FAO, are of high value in that regard, as they help with science-based decision making required to achieve success.

Ladies and gentlemen, I look forward to addressing this issue in earnest in July, during the ‘Moment for Nature’ event that I will convene to take stock of environmental issues this year.

In my five rays of hope – my priorities for this Presidency – I have emphasized the need to recover sustainably, and to respond to the needs of the planet. Support to rehabilitate soil is very much in line with those priorities.

I thank you again for the opportunity to contribute and I wish you a fruitful discussion.