Statement by
H.E. MR. HARRI HOLKERI
President of the General Assembly
Second Session of
the Preparatory Committee for the
High-level International Intergovernmental Event on Financing for Development
12 February 2001
I am pleased to have this
opportunity to address the Preparatory Committee for the High-level International
Intergovernmental Event on Financing for Development, and to share with you
some thoughts at the outset of your deliberations.
The Millennium Declaration, which expresses the resolve of the Heads of State
and Government, underlined the important linkage between development and peace.
It also reiterated the goal of halving the extreme poverty by the year 2015.
In my view, the clarification of the roles of the various partners involved
in development financing is one necessary step in our fight against poverty
and in our efforts to reach the other goals of the Millennium Summit. I am convinced
that the Financing for Development process per se will contribute to a variety
of other discussions taking place within various fora and events.
I am personally committed to the Financing for Development process, which is
seeking fresh ways of thinking and acting together, and looking for fresh angles
and interlinkages, rather than preparing merely for an isolated event. As a
global intergovernmental forum, the United Nations is well suited to facilitate
this preparatory process - a process which implements the philosophy of working
together towards a common goal. The report of the Secretary General, which is
before this preparatory committee, represents an unprecedented effort to involve
all concerned. The issues on your preliminary agenda are difficult, but absolutely
vital and need to be discussed openly.
I believe that complementarity between different forms of development financing
can be improved. I have made personal efforts to convince colleagues and partners
within and outside the United Nations of the necessity of achieving horizontal
coherence and thinking both nationally and internationally. I should like to
add here that coherence starts at home. I have personally brought this matter,
and the need to participate in this process, to the attention of the ministers
of finance and international trade of my own country. To me this process represents
an important link between the domestic and international levels of thinking
and decision-making, and therefore, I am happy to note that the whole process
is built on constructive participation by various entities: governments, United
Nations secretariats, funds and programmes, the Bretton Woods institutions,
WTO, and the regional organizations, as well as on active contributions by the
civil society. Complementarity is sharing.
Finally, Mr. Co-chairmen, I am convinced that under your able leadership, this
preparatory committee will be able to tackle the difficult questions ahead of
us. I believe that confidence and trust between all partners concerned in this
process will help secure financing for development on a predictable and sustainable
basis. I wish you success during the coming two weeks and in the months to come.