I am pleased to send greetings to this important conference.  Your contributions to the post-2015 development agenda are essential.

The first order of business must be an intensified effort to reach the Millennium Development Goals.  Little more than 1,000 days remain.  We can look back on important achievements, but much work remains.

The MDGs will provide an important foundation for the new global development agenda.  Success will lend legitimacy to our efforts and mobilize support as we chart the way forward.

The United Nations is managing extensive, transparent and inclusive consultations.  The results -- which will include the work of my High-level Panel of Eminent Persons -- will inform my recommendations later this year to Member States.

Lifting people from poverty and protecting the planet’s resources are two sides of the same coin.  Both must be at the heart of any framework after 2015.  The new agenda must also address the needs of all sectors of society, with rights and social justice at the core. 

Your inputs, including the messages you bring from the grassroots, will contribute to an ambitious yet practical and coherent framework.  That is why I look forward to the results of the global conversation being conducted through the World We Want 2015 platform and the My World 2015 options survey, as well as the outcome of this conference.

Business as usual is no longer an option if we are to provide improved well-being and a sustainable future for the world’s expanding population.  Your energy and ideas are essential to achieving the transformations we need. 

I wish you a productive meeting.