SOUTH-SOUTH DIALOGUE, CO-DEVELOPMENT NEEDS RELIABLE, EFFICIENT UNITED NATIONS,

SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL FESTIVAL OF ASILAH

Following is the text, translated from the original French, of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s address to the thirtieth International Cultural Festival of Asilah, as delivered by Mourad Wahba, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Morocco, in Asilah, Morocco, on 8 August:

It is a pleasure to address the thirtieth International Cultural Festival of Asilah.  I am especially pleased to welcome from New York the action taken by Morocco and by His Majesty King Mohamed VI to promote the dialogue among civilizations.  I should also like to thank my friend Mohamed Benaïssa for his efforts, and the Community of Sahelo-Saharan States for contributing to this important event.  Since its inception, the International Cultural Festival of Asilah has brought together distinguished intellectuals and figures from international political and cultural life.  The participants share a desire to discuss freely, and without professional constraint, the core concerns of all who work to build a better world, including the United Nations.

Today’s topic, the reform of the United Nations and South-South cooperation, is particularly close to my heart.  South-South cooperation is already well established as a high-priority form of development cooperation, as was demonstrated at the first African Conference on Human Development, which took place last year in Rabat.  For the first time, Africans spoke about human development to other Africans, tackling issues that ranged from governance through community development to gender equality, all of which are key concerns of the United Nations.  I look forward to the second African Conference, which is scheduled to take place in Gabon in 2009.  At the same time, South-South cooperation is not the only development model.  In view of the importance of official development assistance in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, triangular cooperation will also gain prominence.

However, if South-South dialogue is to bear fruit, and if co-development is to live up to its name, we must have more effective instruments at our disposal.  We need a reliable and efficient United Nations, with a high degree of transparency, so that everyone can make their own assessment of what has been achieved.  The United Nations must deliver tangible results in order for the world to become fairer and more prosperous.  Half of the time allocated to the realization of the Goals has already elapsed.  Yet there is a crisis in development: millions of people still face structural poverty, infectious diseases and, most recently, a catastrophic rise in food and fuel prices.  We must narrow the gap between words and deeds.

Success depends on the commitment of each individual, but also on mutual responsibility; the responsibility of Member States towards one another, of Member States towards the United Nations and vice versa, and of both towards the peoples of the world.  The difficulties are considerable, but throughout its history, the United Nations has been able to reform in order better to face new challenges.  I am committed to pursuing such reforms, and I ask for your support.

I should be especially grateful for your suggestions, comments and criticism on these points.  I hope that the ideas that emerge from this Cultural Festival will enrich the efforts of the United Nations and help build a world of dialogue, peace and prosperity, a world reflecting the shared values that bring you here today.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record