Secretary-General Expresses Determination at United Nations Development Programme

 

Event for UN System to Remain at Forefront of Effort to Achieve Development Goals

 

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the Millennium Development Goals Summit side event organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), “Turning evidence into practice:  Learning from what works to accelerate MDG progress”, in New York, today, 22 September:

One of the main objectives of this week’s Summit has been to showcase development success stories.  Our knowledge of what works grows every day.

Governments and civil society around the world have made a tremendous contribution this year in collecting evidence about what is effective, and what falls short.  In doing so, they have been supported by many United Nations agencies — including the United Nations Development Programme.

I am grateful for the leadership shown by Helen Clark in supporting the Millennium Development Goals, including as head of the United Nations Development Group.  Her personal commitment to this agenda runs deep; after all, as Prime Minister of New Zealand, she was one of the original signatories to the Millennium Declaration.

We are now 10 years into our 15-year Millennium Development Goals promise.  Many countries have made significant progress on some of the Goals.  Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nepal and the United Republic of Tanzania have seen surges of student enrolment, partially thanks to the abolition of school fees at the primary level.  Mexico used an innovative certification programme to increase gender equity standards in recruitment and career advancement in private firms.  Its success has inspired similar initiatives in Brazil, Costa Rica and Egypt.  

These experiences, alongside those gathered from 50 other countries, have been brought together in the International Assessment of what it will take to reach the Goals.  The Assessment gives us a foundation for action as we seek to accelerate progress over the next five years.

We know what works.  We are also learning more about how to take success in one country, and adapt it to generate gains in another.  Many countries have already begun doing so, drawing on experience from both the North and the South. 

Today, with the presentation of the Millennium Development Goals Acceleration Framework, we seek to do even more.  The initiative is grounded in extensive cooperation, including across the United Nations system.  Among the 10 countries in which it is being piloted are two represented on our panel today — Colombia and the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.  Their experiences illustrate the importance of understanding the obstacles — and how to overcome them.

Sometimes our efforts are hindered by the lack of money.  Developing countries themselves need to mobilize money and direct it to the services and investments that poor people care about.  Donors need to make good on their promises.  We are also often impeded by a lack of capacity — of people and of institutions.  We need to unblock these and other bottlenecks — and unlock the progress we know is possible.

We have the technologies and know-how to fulfill our promises.  I am determined to see the United Nations system remain at the forefront of this effort.  And I look forward to seeing the Millennium Development Goals Acceleration Framework play a successful role in helping to deliver a better life for billions of people around the world.

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For information media • not an official record