Addressing Global Partnership Forum, Secretary-General Calls

For Resolute Commitment to World’s Poorest People

 

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the opening ceremony of the first High-level Meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation, in Mexico City today:

It is a great honour to be here.  I thank President Peña Nieto and the Government and people of Mexico for hosting this important meeting.

Two years ago, many of us met in Busan and expressed a strong collective commitment to work better together to reduce poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  Since then, we have made important progress.  But, we have not done enough.

As the 2015 deadline draws near, all of us must do more to deliver on our commitments.  And as we shape an inspiring post-2015 development agenda, the international community must be committed to supporting the future goals and targets through a renewed global partnership.

Critically, we must ensure the financing to match our ambitions.  We will soon return to the efforts that began here in Mexico — at Monterrey — with a new conference on financing for sustainable development.  The Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration provide the basis for the financing framework beyond 2015.  This framework must be broad — encompassing aid, trade, debt sustainability and macroeconomic stability.  Resources must be mobilized from all sources — national, international, private and public.

For the least developed countries, countries in conflict and others that are largely bypassed by international financing flows, official development assistance (ODA) will remain vital.  ODA can also serve as a catalyst, enabling countries to leverage other sources of finance.

I congratulate those donors who are meeting their aid commitments in the face of budgetary pressures.  I call on others to show resolve and meet your commitments to the world’s poorest.  We know that the effectiveness of development aid is just as important as the levels.

The results from the monitoring of the Busan commitments underscore the challenges we face.  Much greater progress is needed to increase country ownership, accountability, predictability and flexibility in how aid is provided.  We need to redouble our efforts and make inclusive partnerships — a core aspect of the Busan Partnership agenda — a reality.

I am encouraged by the steps that recipient developing countries are taking to set clearer development strategies and ensure national ownership through effective coordination systems and greater parliamentary oversight.  This contributes to greater transparency and accountability for all development partners.  But, more needs to be done to tackle corruption, improve regulation and engage with civil society.

We will need to mobilize domestic resources by broadening tax bases; strengthening tax administration; improving governance of extractive industries; and cracking down on illicit financial flows at both the point of origin and the point of destination.  I commend the leadership that Africa has shown on this agenda and urge us all to strengthen these efforts.

The world has moved on from the traditional donor-recipient relations.  South-South cooperation has registered impressive growth that is bringing new knowledge and new perspectives.  We have many successful examples of truly global partnerships that are delivering specific results, from the [Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization] Alliance and “Every woman, every child” initiative in the health sector to the Sustainable Energy for All alliance.

The private sector has become eager to increase its engagement, not just because there are business opportunities, but because they see the value in ethical business and in helping to improve people’s lives.  Civil society is also an increasingly essential partner in delivering services, monitoring progress and strengthening accountability.

The stage is set for wider, deeper progress.  The world is at a turning point in its pursuit of sustainable development.  We have the lessons of the MDGs in our hands.  We are in the midst of a rich global discussion on our shared future, with a new set of goals taking shape.

There is growing awareness that climate change is not just a threat, but also an opportunity to re-orient our economies for the better.  The Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation has a crucial contribution to make.

I hope to see concrete messages and initiatives coming out of this meeting that will strengthen country-level ownership, uphold development cooperation commitments and inform our discussions at the United Nations.  I count on your leadership as we work together to achieve sustainable development and a life of dignity for all.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record