Addis Ababa – 13 July 2015

Excellencies,
Distinguished participants,
Ladies and gentlemen,

I am pleased to join you for this event and thank all the partners that have worked together in organizing this important and timely discussion.

This is an unprecedented year in a number of ways. We will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, and are currently engaged in formulating a future development agenda that seeks to eradicate poverty, and improve people’s livelihoods and achieve sustainable development.

This week, we take an important step here in Addis Ababa, at the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD), whose outcome will support the implementation of the new agenda.

Excellencies,

Over the last several months we have engaged in intensive and inclusive consultations on the Outcome document for this Conference; with the aim of putting in place adequate means of implementation for an ambitious and transformative Post-2015 Development Agenda.

We have made significant progress, and the draft outcome document for this Conference contains actions and measures that States and Stakeholders will commit to in support of the implementation of the new agenda. A robust financing framework and a renewed global partnership will be essential for ensuring that the proposed Sustainable Development Goals are achieved.

Given the ambition and scale of resources required to implement the new development agenda, we need to mobilize resources from all sources, both public and private. The contribution of philanthropic organizations, private sector, civil society and other stakeholders will be important in this regard.

Distinguished participants,

The Outcome document that is being finalized recognizes the importance of promoting and expanding multi-stakeholder partnerships with a view to enhancing their contribution.

Such partnerships have been valuable in supporting the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In particular, remarkable progress was made in the health sector, including through initiatives such as the Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and Every Woman Every Child, among others.

Philanthropic foundations and organizations have also made important contributions in the education sector, including through the Global Partnership for Education.

Going forward, the role of philanthropy in financing for development should be expanded to support other strategic areas that improve people’s standards of living and livelihoods. These may be in the areas of agriculture, food security and nutrition, water and sanitation, as well as entrepreneurship development.

It is important to ensure that the contribution of philanthropy in financing for development is well coordinated and aligned with national priorities to optimize effectiveness and avoid duplication of efforts.

We look forward to the specific initiatives and actions that philanthropic organizations and other stakeholders will announce during this Conference.

I thank you for your attention.