MOVING FORWARD ON DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES
The Secretary-General and the Member States have emphasized the need to reenergize the fight against poverty and strengthen the development pillar of the United Nations. The 2005 World Summit underscored the critical role played by the major United Nations summits and conferences, particularly the Millennium Summit, in shaping a shared vision of development and in agreeing on common development objectives, including the internationally agreed development goals of which the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are an integral part. The resulting UN Development Agenda promises development for all. The development pillar of the UN must remain strong to keep this promise.
Addressing the needs of the poorest of the world
“We stand at the mid-point of the race to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. A strong and sustained effort now can mean the difference between the success and failure of our grand endeavour."- The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) agreed to by Member States in 2000 represent the most ambitious international commitments to addressing the world’s main development challenges. The Secretary-General has called for a redoubling of efforts by all actors to advance the realization of these Goals.
- The progress in the achievement of the Goals, however, remains uneven. In particular, Africa – the home to most least developed countries – remains off track.
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To respond to this challenge, the Secretary-General launched in September 2007 an innovative partnership arrangement in the form of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Africa Steering Group. For the first time, the leadership of the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, has been brought together with the leaders of the African Union, the African Development Bank, the European Commission, the Islamic Development Bank and the Development Assistance Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to follow through on existing commitments to tackle the special needs of Africa and accelerate efforts to achieve the MDGs in the continent.
- The Steering Group resolved to focus its efforts on three main areas:
- To identify effective mechanisms to implement commitments in the areas of health, education, infrastructure, agriculture and food security, and statistical systems;
- To improve aid predictability so that African governments can make long-term plans for additional hospitals, schools and for the training of the health-care workforce; and
- To strengthen and create synergies between and among joint efforts at the country level.
- The MDG Africa Steering Group will continue to be supported by the MDG Africa Working Group, chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General and comprising representatives of the UN system and other major multilateral organizations.
- In a similar effort to maintain momentum for the achievement of the MDGs, the Secretary-General will jointly with the President of the General Assembly, convene a High-Level Event (HLE) on 25 September 2008. The HLE will be a critical part of the 2008 calendar of major events focused on implementation of existing development commitments and on the effectiveness of development cooperation in supporting achievement of agreed development goals. Moreover, it will be a forum for world leaders to announce the practical steps they will take to translate commitments into action. By asking world leaders to announce their concrete plans and proposals, the HLE will help accelerate implementation and follow through.
- Follow-up to and implementation of UN conferences and summits, through the intergovernmental processes in the General Assembly and the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), will continue as a key course of action. ECOSOC in its Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) in 2008 will pay special attention to MDG 7 which is sustainable development.
- In addition, following a decision of the 62nd General Assembly (A/RES/62/203), the Secretariat will prepare a road map for the fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, including its modalities and preparatory process.
- The Secretary-General has also called for an improved focus in the work of the Secretariat on the needs of the poorest of the world’s poor, the “bottom billion” left behind by economic expansion nationally and globally.
Providing leadership in achieving international development goals
“There is no alternative to economic and social development as the foundation for a peaceful and just world. The development pillar of the UN must be strong if the entire UN system is to effectively carry out its noble mission.”In order to ensure that the UN can provide leadership in galvanizing progress on the MDGs and development more broadly, the effectiveness of the organization must be enhanced.
- With his strong commitment to the UN Secretariat’s work on economic, social and sustainable development, and in accordance with General Assembly resolution 62/236, the Secretary-General has presented to Member States a comprehensive proposal to improve the effective and efficient delivery of mandates of the development-related activities of the UN Secretariat. The Secretary-General’s proposal includes the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the UN Conference on Trade and Development, UN Regional Commissions and the Development Account. The Assembly also requested the Secretary-General to mobilize adequate resources from all sources to support mandates related to the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States.
- This exercise is in line with ongoing efforts to reinforce UN leadership on development objectives through:
- Improving capacity, efficiency, coherence and impact at the institutional and programmatic levels;
- Fostering greater synergy among development activities of the larger UN system;
- Strengthening linkages in the three main areas of the UN’s work – development, peace and security, and human rights: and
- Reinforcing partnerships with key stakeholders and public information activities to further enhance the UN’s development profile. These efforts will result in better positioning the United Nations to deal more effectively with the needs and challenges of the 21st century.
- The achievement of MDGs will remain high on the Secretary-General’s agenda.
- Poverty, globalization, environmental degradation and the effects of climate change will remain an essential part of the UN’s work on equitable and inclusive economic and social development, as well as responding to the vulnerabilities of women, persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples.
- Climate change is the defining challenge of our time. The United Nations is pressing for a comprehensive global framework to deal with the threat of climate change in the post-2012 period, after the Kyoto Protocol expires. The United Nations continues to provide leadership in this area. The Secretary-General has announced that all UN bodies will implement a programme towards becoming carbon neutral, and will invest in credits that will be channelled into the adaptation fund of the Kyoto Protocol.
- Global health, including maternal and child health and pandemics like HIV/AIDS and Avian Flu, poses an enormous challenge, with an ever increasing scope for solutions. Investment in health is a cornerstone of economic growth, human development and global security. Efforts will be made to improve the coherence of actions to fully take advantage of the recent vast injections of financial and human resources into global health activities.
- The Secretary-General has indicated his intent to rationalize Secretariat arrangements to more coherently serve the interests and needs of vulnerable countries. There will be sharper focus on countries with special needs, including those in Africa, Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing Countries, whose economic, social and environmental vulnerabilities remain a major challenge to development, peace and security.
- Regional dimensions of development and economic cooperation among developing countries at regional and inter-regional levels will receive further attention in the work of the United Nations.
- Major upcoming UN conferences and events on development, including the UNCTAD-XII Conference and the Financing for Development Review Conference will further enhance the UN Development Agenda, especially with regard to the interrelated issues of finance, development assistance and debt, trade and commodities, investment and technology.
- The Deputy Secretary-General’s Consultations on the Development Agenda will continue to support coordinated efforts to advance the UN Development Agenda and strengthen the development pillar of the Organization. As part of the ongoing review of the Executive Committees, attention will be given to improving the effectiveness of the Executive Committee on Economic and Social Affairs.
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