United Nations Counts on Development Cooperation Forum to Steer Efforts

 

to Meet Needs of World’s People, Says Secretary-General

 

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the Development Cooperation Forum of the Economic and Social Council, as delivered by Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, in New York, today:

I thank ECOSOC President Ambassador [Martin] Sajdik for his able leadership.

We are now developing a transformative post-2015 development agenda.  It will aim to complete the unfinished business of the Millennium Development Goals, and it will put the world on a more sustainable path.  Development cooperation will remain central to the new agenda.  But to succeed, development cooperation will have to evolve.  This Forum can help shape that emerging future.

Past official development assistance (ODA) commitments, including the United Nations 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI) target, will remain critical beyond 2015.

At the same time, ODA alone will not meet the additional financing needs of the post-2015 agenda.  We have to explore new ways to raise additional resources — public and private, domestic and international.  And we even have to go beyond our focus on additional resources and towards their effective use.

We will continue to help countries and peoples lagging most behind, in order to complete the unfinished business of the Millennium Development Goals.  But our new, unified and universal post-2015 development agenda requires supporting developing countries at all stages with the transition towards sustainability.

More and more countries are moving up the development ladder.  They are becoming less dependent on aid.  Our cooperation has to match their needs by shifting to capacity-building and knowledge-sharing.

We also need to do much more to optimize technology.  That means developing innovations, spreading knowledge and transferring technology.  Trade is also a driving force.  We need greater cooperation on more open trade to create jobs and contribute to sustainable development.

I count on Governments to ensure that they coordinate their aid decisions with their broader international policies.  This is essential in an era of multi-stakeholder partnerships — including South-South cooperation, greater private-sector engagement and cooperation within and among regions.   This is critical to promoting both development and stability.

There are four essential building blocks to the post-2015 development agenda.  First, a far-reaching vision with a compelling narrative; second, a set of concise goals and targets; third, a renewed global partnership for development; and fourth, a framework for review, monitoring and accountability at all levels.

We are making progress on our vision and goals.  I count on you to advance discussions on the global partnership to implement the agenda and on the review framework.   

With that in mind, allow me to pose three basic questions for your consideration.  One, how would a post-2015 financing framework work in practice; two, how can we bring greater coherence to the discussions on means of implementation and a holistic framework for development financing; and three, how can we better track actions and foster trust and mutual learning so commitments are met, resources are optimized and results are ensured?

This Forum’s outcome will be reflected in my Synthesis Report on the ongoing work on a post-2015 development agenda.  It will also contribute to preparations for the Third International Conference on Financing for Development in July 2015.

As you grapple with these critical issues, the United Nations is exploring how to change the way we operate in order to carry out a universal, integrated development agenda.  We count on this important Development Cooperation Forum to help steer the United Nations so we can better meet the needs and aspirations of the world’s people.  Thank you.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record