Deputy Secretary-General, at opening of United Nations advocacy week

of world churches, stresses key role of civil society groups

Review of Efforts on Global Challenges; Continuing Crises in Many African

Countries Noted, but Account to Be Taken of ‘Significant Strides’ in Others

This is the text of remarks by UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro today at the opening of the “United Nations Advocacy Week” of the World Council of Churches in New York:

It is a pleasure to join you today, dear friends.  Let me thank Reverend Kobia and the World Council of Churches for inviting me to address your third annual United Nations Advocacy Week.  I welcome this opportunity to speak with you about the challenges and opportunities facing the United Nations today.

At the outset, let me say that civil society organizations like the World Council of Churches are essential partners and natural allies of the United Nations.  Civil society brings precious human and financial resources to bear on difficult situations all over the world.

You bring outstanding outreach capacity, with strong advocacy skills that are needed to mobilize citizens in support of issues on the UN’s agenda.  You possess legitimacy, embodying as you do the aspirations of the people of the world.  The United Nations must always be guided by these aspirations if we are to truly reflect the first phrase of the Charter, “We the Peoples”.

From your own constitution, we know that the aims of the World Council of Churches include:  “breaking down barriers between people, promoting one human family in justice and peace”.  These objectives are at the core of the UN’s mission as well.

And your work to promote interreligious dialogue supports the efforts of the Alliance of Civilizations -- the UN’s initiative to help build bridges and promote tolerance among cultures and faiths.

Today, we need your support more than ever.  Seldom has the United Nations been called upon to do so much for so many.  Just consider the pressing issues in the field of peace and security.  Currently, we face difficult diplomatic and security challenges.  The list goes on, from Myanmar and the Middle East, Lebanon, Iraq, Kosovo, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to new crises that the world will bring our way.

And of course, there are longer-term challenges:  alleviating global poverty; on-going humanitarian crises; human rights violations; disarmament and non-proliferation; our global fight against climate change and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The demands being placed upon the UN have probably never been greater, even as the resources available to us grow proportionately more scarce.  If we are to effectively tackle the full range of tasks before us, we all need to work together -- Member States, the UN system, civil society, the private sector, and individuals.  We rely on these vital partnerships in our work to promote peace and security, to advance development, and to protect human rights around the world.

Peace, development and human rights are the three pillars of the UN’s work.  They are all interlinked and mutually reinforcing.  And they are all at the forefront of our work in the Horn of Africa -- one of the themes of your meetings this week.

Your focus on this subregion is fitting and timely.  The Horn of Africa is where two of our biggest security and humanitarian challenges are unfolding right now -- in Darfur and Somalia.  In both places, conflicts continue to cause widespread suffering, abuse and displacement for millions of people -- primarily women and children.  And they have taken an unacceptable toll on people’s lives and livelihoods for far too long.

In Somalia, the protracted crisis and State failure presents a challenge, not only to Somalis, but to the United Nations and the international community at large.  It is also having worrying repercussions in the subregion, including by exacerbating tensions among countries in the region.

The prolonged suffering of the population must push us to more effectively address the Somali crisis.  That is why the United Nations has been working to help the Somalis find a lasting political solution, and to galvanize the international community around a coordinated approach.

Darfur requires a political solution, too.  All parties to the Darfur conflict must play a constructive role to this end.  Since taking office, ending the tragedy of Darfur has been a top priority for the Secretary-General, for me personally, and for the international community.  Some progress has been made, but not enough.

Landmark peace talks on Darfur, co-convened by the United Nations and the African Union, began in Sirte, Libya, two days ago.  These negotiations must result in an agreement that will bring a stable and secure peace to the region.  Meanwhile, a strong AU-UN hybrid peacekeeping force is being raised for deployment to the area.  And sustained attention is being given to the humanitarian needs of the region’s displaced population.

The crisis in Darfur grew from many causes and has only become more complex.  Any enduring solution must address all the issues -- security, politics, resources, humanitarian and development.  There, as in Somalia and elsewhere, we must deal with root causes of conflicts, however complex and entangled they may be.

As we ponder these serious crises, let us not oversimplify the situation and identify the whole of Africa with the violent conflicts and despair which we all deplore.  The reality is far more complex.  Let us not lose sight of the fact that in recent years, many African States have made significant strides on several fronts.

Consider governance, for instance.  Multiparty democratic elections have taken place in many African States, including, for the first time in almost half a century, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.  And compared to a decade ago, the number of violent conflicts in Africa has actually dropped dramatically.  Wars in Angola, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia and Sierra Leone have come to an end.

Meanwhile, many African countries have experienced strong economic growth, and African enterprises are generating stronger domestic investment and productivity gains.  According to World Bank data, out of 10 countries globally that have made the best progress in improving their investment climate, 3 are in Africa ( Egypt, Ghana, and -- my own country -- Tanzania).  But these economic gains need to be sustained in the long term if they are to have a lasting impact on development and poverty eradication.

The Governments and people in the Horn of Africa and throughout the continent are working hard to overcome the longstanding challenges of poverty.  Many African States have already made good progress towards the Millennium Development Goals -- adopted by all the world’s Governments as our shared blueprint for creating a better world for all in the twenty-first century.  But overall, the continent is not on track to reaching these essential development targets by 2015.

Reaching the Goals requires a strengthened global partnership.  It demands shared responsibility.  And it needs the implementation of all existing commitments on the part of developed and developing countries alike.

That is why, last month, the Secretary-General convened the Millennium Development Goals Africa Steering Group, which brought together leaders of major multilateral and intergovernmental organizations.

In my capacity as Deputy Secretary-General, I am following up on this important initiative, at the operational level, by chairing the Millennium Development Goals Africa Working Group.  Our aim is to accelerate efforts to follow through on existing promises by keeping our focus clearly on implementation.

Achieving the Millennium Development Goals also requires a strong global effort to address climate change, as the world’s poorest countries will bear the brunt of its effects.  That is why we must all do our part to ensure global and decisive action against global warming.  We hope to see real progress on this issue at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bali this December.

And as we strive to build peace and promote development around the world, we must devote equal energy to the third pillar of our work:  promoting human rights, as we prepare to celebrate, next year, the sixtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Stepping up efforts to fully implement our responsibility to protect -- to ensure timely action so that populations do not face genocide, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity --has become an ever urgent priority.

It means promoting the rule of law, which is fundamental to long-term peacebuilding in post-conflict societies.  And it means fostering democracy and good governance, including by supporting vibrant civil societies with opportunities for meaningful participation.

Whether we are speaking of our work in peace and security, development, or human rights, civil society organizations, such as the World Council of Churches, play a crucial role in our shared mission to create a better world for all.

On behalf of the United Nations, I thank you for your efforts and your support.  And I wish you all the best in your meetings this week.

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For information media • not an official record