World leaders, meeting at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 14 to 16 September, 2005, agreed to take action on a range of global challenges.
Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law
Decisive steps to strengthen the UN human rights machinery, backing the action plan and doubling the budget of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Agreement to establish a UN Human Rights Council during the coming year.
Reaffirmation of democracy as a universal value, and welcome for a new Democracy Fund, which has already received pledges of $32 million from 13 countries.
Commitment to eliminate pervasive gender discrimination, such as inequalities in education and ownership of property, and violence against women and girls and end impunity for such violence.
Ratification action taken during the Summit triggered the entry into force of the Convention against Corruption.
Management Reform
Broad strengthening of the UN oversight capacity, including the Office of Internal Oversight Services, expanding oversight services to other agencies, calling for developing an independent oversight advisory committee and further developing a new ethics office.
Update the United Nations by reviewing all mandates older than five years, so that obsolete ones can be discarded to make room for new priorities.
Commitment to overhauling rules and policies on budget, finance and human resources so the United Nations can better respond to current needs, and a one-time staff buyout to ensure that the Organization has the appropriate staff for today’s challenges.
Development
Strong and unambiguous commitment by all Governments, of donor and developing nations alike, to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
Additional $50 billion a year for fighting poverty by 2010.
Commitment by all developing countries to adopt national plans for achieving the MDGs by 2006.
Agreement to provide immediate support for quick impact initiatives to support anti-malaria efforts, education and health care.
Commitment to innovative sources of financing for development, including efforts by groups of countries to implement an international finance facility and other initiatives to finance development projects, in particular in the health sector.
Agreement to consider additional measures to ensure long-term debt sustainability through increased grantbased financing, cancellation of 100 per cent of the official multilateral and bilateral debt of heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs). Where appropriate, to consider significant debt relief or restructuring for low- and middle-income developing countries with unsustainable debt burdens that are not part of the HIPC initiative.
Commitment to trade liberalization and expeditious work towards implementing the development dimensions of the Doha work programme.
Terrorism
Clear and unqualified condemnation by all Governments, for the first time, of terrorism “in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes”.
Strong political push for a comprehensive convention against terrorism within a year. Support for early entry into force of the Nuclear Terrorism Convention. All States are encouraged to join and implement it, as well as the 12 other anti-terrorism conventions.
Agreement to fashion a strategy to fight terrorism in a way that makes the international community stronger and the terrorists weaker.
Peacebuilding, Peacekeeping and Peacemaking
Decision to create a Peacebuilding Commission to help countries transition from war to peace, backed by a support office and a standing fund.
New standing police capacity for UN peacekeeping operations.
Agreement to strengthen the Secretary-General’s capacity for mediation and good offices.
Responsibility to Protect
Clear and unambiguous acceptance by all Governments of the collective international responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. Willingness to take timely and decisive collective action for this purpose through the Security Council, when peaceful means prove inadequate and national authorities are manifestly failing to do it.
Environment
Recognition of the serious challenge posed by climate change and a commitment to take action through the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Assistance will be provided to those most vulnerable, such as small island developing States.
Agreement to create a worldwide early warning system for all natural hazards.
International Health
A scaling up of responses to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, through prevention, care, treatment and support, and mobilization of additional resources from national, bilateral, multilateral and private sources.
Commitment to fight infectious diseases, including a commitment to ensure full implementation of the new International Health Regulations, and support for the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network of the World Health Organization.
Humanitarian Assistance
Improved Central Emergency Revolving Fund to ensure that relief arrives reliably and immediately when disasters happen.
Recognition of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement as an important international framework for the protection of internally displaced persons.
Updating the UN Charter
A decision to revise and update the Charter by:
Winding up the Trusteeship Council, marking completion of UN’s historic decolonisation role;
Deleting anachronistic references to “enemy states” in the Charter.
The full text of the document is available on the World Summit website: www.un.org/summit2005 |
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