Secretary-General, at High-level Dialogue, Says Predictable Aid,

Smart Investments Key to Post-2015 Development

 

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the sixth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development, in New York on 7 October:

Thank you for your participation and welcome to this High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development.

In 2002, world leaders gathered in Monterrey, Mexico, for the United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development.  Together, they helped put in motion a bold new partnership for development.

More than a decade later, we find ourselves at another important juncture. The end of the year 2015 will soon be upon us and we must spare no effort to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by that deadline.  At the same time, we are working on a post-2015 development framework containing a single set of goals with sustainable development at its core.  The financing needed to meet these challenges will be significant.  It will require a robust framework, including both public and private resources.

I am deeply concerned about the recent decline in official development assistance (ODA).  For many developing countries, and in particular the most vulnerable, predictable levels of ODA remain critical.  I encourage all countries to fulfil their pledges and meet their ODA targets, including through the principles and actions set out in the Busan Partnership.

But, we know that international public finance will not be sufficient to build a more sustainable and prosperous world.  Financing and investment from the private sector will play an increasingly vital role.  The public sector can help leverage private resources and encourage long-term investment.

Domestic public finance — including by broadening the tax base and improving tax administration — remains crucial and represents the commitment of national ownership of Governments for their own development agenda.  We must join forces to eliminate illicit financial flows, enhance the regulation of secrecy jurisdictions and promote asset recovery.  South-South and triangular cooperation is also growing, and now encompasses many important areas, including infrastructure investment, technical cooperation, research and development and information sharing.

Looking ahead, we must put sustainability at the core of the Financing for Development process.  We have high expectations for the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing, which will propose options for a strategy to facilitate the mobilization and use of resources.  The Financing for Development process, with its wide range of stakeholders and important contributions from civil society, remains a distinctive platform for cooperation and coordination.

As we work together to formulate our vision, principles, goals and targets for the post-2015 development agenda, let our efforts be firmly rooted in a sound financing strategy based on mutual accountability and shared responsibilities.

We are all aware of the constraints on finance today — and yet, the successes of the MDGs and other development initiatives clearly show that smart investments will make a lasting difference in the lives of families, communities and societies.

A strong financial commitment to human solidarity today will improve prosperity and security tomorrow.  Together, let us take the spirit of Monterrey into a new era and come together for a more sustainable planet and a life of dignity for all.

I thank you for your commitment to these goals and wish you a productive meeting.

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For information media • not an official record