DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL CLOSES INTER-AGENCY MEETING BY STRESSING NEED

TO ADDRESS DEVELOPMENTAL CHALLENGES FACING MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro’s closing remarks at the Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Meeting for Latin America and the Caribbean, as delivered in Santiago, Chile, on 26 November:

I should like to thank you for the opportunity to participate at this Regional Coordination Meeting (RCM) and to participate in and listen to the deliberations.

I would like to express my heartiest congratulations to all of you on an excellent meeting today.  I am much impressed by the high quality of deliberations and the excellent summary that you have given us, [Jose Luis] Machinea, which is a reflection of the commitment and seriousness with which you all have been pursuing the task of enhancing regional-level coordination and coherence in the work of the UN family in the Latin American and Caribbean region.

As I see it, in addition to your summary, the work of this Regional Coordination Meeting will contribute to three important objectives:

-- first, promoting a more effective implementation of UN’s development activities at the regional level;

-- second, fostering greater synergies between regional-country and regional-global dimensions of the work we do; and

-- third, advancing the overall agenda of system-wide coherence.

These points came out very clearly during the meeting.  All this will combine to contribute to the strengthening of the development pillar of our Organization.

As I told you, there is a lack of progress at the intergovernmental level in New York in acting upon some of the proposals of the High-Level Panel that the Secretary-General has forwarded to the Member States.  This is partly due to a perception on the part of some Member States that the UN was not doing enough for development.

This RCM has demonstrated that we are indeed doing a lot on development, and my experience today convinces me that you are going beyond your individual mandates by pursuing a collaborative and coordinated work programme to better deliver to Member States.

As I have begun to participate at the RCMs in different regions -- starting with the one for the African region in Addis Ababa earlier this month, and following up with this meeting -- I will make special efforts to see how each of the RCMs can learn, absorb and apply the principal lessons arising from their own work, as well as those of their sister RCMs.

One of the important points that emerged from today’s deliberations is the specific developmental issues faced by middle-income developing countries, which we need to address effectively.

We also need to maintain and strengthen sustained engagements among us all.  I would like to express my own commitment in this regard.  I will continue to count on your support.

I would once again like to thank you, Mr. Machinea, colleagues from the participating organizations and those who joined by videoconference for your warm welcome.  I will leave Santiago with a fond memory of a good job done.  I also would like to extend my thanks to the interpreters who facilitated our work.

I wish you continued success in your efforts.

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For information media • not an official record