At Preparatory Conference, Secretary-General Calls for Broad, Concrete Development Finance Framework
Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the first substantive informal session of the preparatory process for the third International Conference on Financing for Development, in New York today:
It is a great pleasure to be with you today to launch the preparatory process for the third International Conference on Financing for Development to be held in Addis Ababa next July.
The year 2015 will make history for sustainable development. We have three priorities for the year ahead to realize our collective ambition. First, we must accelerate our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Second, we have to agree on a transformative post-2015 development agenda. Third, we need to achieve a meaningful universal climate agreement in Paris next year.
Financing is one of the keys to succeed in all these endeavours. It will be at the heart of the political agreement that Governments have to reach for a successful sustainable development agenda. That is why the outcome of the Addis Ababa Conference is so important. The Conference will be a major stepping-stone for the summit on post-2015 in September next year.
Expectations are high. The road to Addis will be challenging. All over the world, people have begun focusing on preparations for the Conference. I sensed the momentum last week at the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. Financing for development was at the heart of the discussion. All partners are eager to support the preparatory process.
The United Nations system stands fully behind you. I have designated the Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr. Wu Hongbo, as the Secretary-General of the Conference to coordinate our support to the intergovernmental preparations.
I am encouraged to see that you have already set yourself an ambitious, substantive agenda. We must build upon the Monterrey Consensus and Doha Declaration. At the same time, we have to go forward and address major challenges that have emerged since Monterrey. These include the impact of the financial crisis, the growth of middle-income countries and the additional costs of climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The new financing framework must be broad in scope and, at the same time, concrete. It should integrate the three dimensions of sustainable development in a balanced manner and seek coherence with other financing streams, including climate finance.
The recent report of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing will serve as an important input for the substantive discussions. It provides an analytical framework and offers policy options. And by identifying, not only sources of funds, but also uses, the report moves towards a convergence of the Monterrey and Rio processes, thereby setting the stage for Addis Ababa.
In view of the large financing needs for sustainable development, financing must be mobilized from all sources — national, international, private and public. These different types of financing should not be seen as substitutes for official development assistance (ODA), but rather as complementary and mutually reinforcing elements.
ODA will remain crucial. Resources should be targeted toward those most in need. Previous commitments must be met. But, ODA alone will not be sufficient. The major share of finance for sustainable development and poverty eradication will come from domestic sources, both public and private. Combating illicit financial flows will also be important in ensuring adequate domestic revenues.
Tackling these complex challenges will require hard work and active debate. In the end, we must come together and agree on a strong, meaningful framework of concrete ways forward. The Addis Ababa Conference will be a test for the international community. We cannot afford to fail. The stakes are too high.
We must show our capacity to deliver on a genuine and effective global partnership for the future of our planet and the well-being of future generations. I call on all Member States to rise to this challenge and make Addis Ababa the success it must be.