Secretary-General Says Findings of Report on Post-2015 Agenda

Fill Key Gaps in Millennium Development Goals

 

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks, as delivered, to the General Assembly on the report of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, in New York, 30 May:

Let me begin by thanking the Co-Chairs of the Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda:  President Yudhoyono of Indonesia; President Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia; and Prime Minister Cameron of the United Kingdom.

I commend all the Panel members for their diligence and commitment.  When the Panel gathered for its first meeting, I encouraged them to be bold, yet practical.  After months of intensive work, President Yudhoyono of Indonesia today formally submitted the report to me on behalf of the Co-Chairs.

In keeping with the spirit of inclusiveness and transparency that has defined the process, I have immediately transmitted the report to the President of the General Assembly, asking him to share it with all Member States.

As you know, the High-level Panel was a follow-up to the mandate I received at the 2010 MDG Summit.  Since that time, you, the Member States, renewed your commitment to sustainable development at the Rio+20 Conference and established the Open Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals.  Deliberations also began on the High-level Political Forum and the group of experts for Sustainable Development Finance.

At the same time, the Panel, for its part, carried out an ambitious programme of work.  From London to Monrovia to Bali and beyond, the Panel engaged many thousands of stakeholders.  They reached out to civil society, the private sector, academia, foundations.  They listened to youth, women, parliamentarians, indigenous people, those affected by conflict, people with disabilities, the most vulnerable.  The product of their efforts offers much substance and guidance for our future work.

I thank President Yudhoyono for briefing the General Assembly on the report.  Allow me to briefly touch on three key messages.  First, the report underscores that the post-2015 development agenda should be universal, applying to North and South alike.  And so, our efforts must be infused with a spirit of global partnership, based on equity, cooperation and accountability, and grounded firmly on human rights.

Second, the report puts sustainable development firmly at the centre of the post-2015 development agenda.  It calls for transformative shifts in our economies and societies — emphasizing that sustainability is not just an environmental imperative.  Instead, we need action that fully integrates the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainability.

Third, the report recognizes peace and good governance as a core foundation for development.  Freedom from fear and violence is essential for building peaceful and prosperous societies.  This also requires institutions that are honest, accountable and responsive to people’s needs.  This was one of the key gaps in the Millennium Development Goals, and the report begins the important work of filling it.

These are important and ambitious concepts.  They are ideas on which I will reflect with the UN system as I prepare my input to the Special Event of the President of the General Assembly on 25 September.

It is my hope that the Special Event will provide a road map to 2015, including a possible date for a high-level summit on post-2015 and a renewed role for the United Nations to serve Member States by building on all current work streams in the General Assembly.

We are at the beginning of an historic journey.  As multiple processes unfold and broad and inclusive consultations continue, I trust that today’s report will help us move closer to a new framework that can build and expand on the MDGs, as well as the progress made in Rio, and make a difference for generations to come.

The post-2015 process is a chance to usher in a new era in international development — one that will eradicate extreme poverty and lead us to a world of prosperity, sustainability, equity and dignity for all.  A world where all people have the opportunity to fulfil their potential.  A world of inclusive solutions for inclusive growth.  A world that keeps the needs of people and our planet at the centre.  Let us continue to shape that world together and build the future we want.  Thank you.

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For information media • not an official record