Deputy Secretary-General, at ‘Beyond Gross Domestic Product’ Briefing, Highlights Intergovernmental Efforts to Establish Broader Measures of Economic Progress

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed's remarks at the Member States' Briefing on Beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP), today in New York:

Thank you, Madam President, for your opening remarks and for your steadfast support to this initiative, and to the full implementation of the commitments we made together in the Pact for the Future. Thank you all for being here with us today.

As agreed in the Pact for the Future, Member States have mandated the Secretary-General to establish an independent, high-level Expert Group with a very clear task: to recommend measures - broader measures of progress that complement and go beyond gross domestic product (GDP).

You asked us to present the outcome of that work during the current session of the General Assembly and agreed that the launch of the Expert Group's report should trigger an intergovernmental process to deliberate on its recommendations, with the goal of agreeing concrete steps that would try to operationalize and institutionalize beyond GDP measures.

And you all gave us this mandate for good reason. GDP tells us what we produce, but not what we value. The reality of people's lives depends on far more than the goods and services that we exchange. It depends on well-being, on equity, on living on a sustainable planet and whether the progress we make today can endure for our children and grandchildren.

After decades of studies and initiatives on this question, we finally have both the lessons learned, the knowledge and the tools to move decisively, and the United Nations provides the right setting to agree global norms on how we do this. In other words, this is the time and place to act.

Last May, we briefed you immediately after we announced the Expert Group's launch. Ten months on, we are really pleased to report significant progress. And it has been a complex and difficult journey.

Joining us today are the two co-chairs of the Expert Group, Professor [Kaushik] Basu and Professor [Nora] Lustig, who are in the final stages of shaping their recommendations, after an intense process of research, consultation, and I can tell you: many a debate.

I have been fortunate to walk part of this journey with this illustrious group, so I can speak from experience: the wisdom, the creativity and the ambition that they have brought to this task has been remarkable. And so, I'd like to take a moment to thank them, and the full membership of the Expert Group, for their extraordinary work.

Beyond their own deliberations, the Group has conducted extensive outreach. They have listened to stakeholders across sectors and regions. They have engaged with a wide range of perspectives. They have ensured transparency at every stage. Today's briefing is further testament to that open, inclusive approach.

I will turn to the co-chairs in a moment so they can share more about the process they have led and the ideas emerging from the Group, building on the interim report they published in November at the World Summit for Social Development in Doha. But before I do that, let me outline the proposed four next steps.

First: the launch. We anticipate the release of the Expert Group's report at the end of April. And the launch will take place here in New York. Second: Member States' engagement. In the weeks leading up to and beyond the launch, we will continue to keep you informed and engaged.

Earlier this week, a Special Forum on Beyond GDP was held by the UN Statistical Commission, bringing together National Statisticians from around the world supported by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Beyond GDP will be discussed at the ongoing annual convenings of the Regional Economic Commissions. Our resident coordinator offices have also been activated to brief their government counterparts and the key stakeholders on how this work is progressing.

Third: the intergovernmental process. Following the launch, we will work with the President of the General Assembly to support the intergovernmental process. And I encourage every one of you to engage fully. Use the process to deepen your understanding of the issues. Scrutinize the Expert Group's recommendations. Work together to agree the best possible way forward.

And fourth: early action on the ground. As the intergovernmental process gets under way, the UN will work with Member States to initiate early engagement of Beyond GDP measures in countries. This will generate real-world learning, build the confidence in the tools and keep momentum behind this initiative.

We do have a genuine opportunity to equip every country with a better compass for policymaking, a compass that reflects what people truly value, that captures what sustains well-being over time, one that points us towards inclusive, resilient economies built for this generation and the ones that will follow. And that's what we are here to do. I look forward very much to working with each of you to make this a reality.