Secretary-General, at World Bank Event, Urges Institutions to Bridge Infrastructure Financing Gaps, Promote Regional Integration

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the World Bank event “Billions to Trillions — Ideas to Action”, in Addis Ababa today:

I am pleased to be with you today.  We are at a turning point for our global development agenda.  The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have significantly advanced poverty reduction and social development.  Now we must tackle the unfinished business of the MDGs, consolidate achievements and put our world on a more sustainable and equitable trajectory.

Here, in Addis Ababa, we are reinvigorating the global partnership for development.  In September, in New York, countries will adopt the post-2015 development agenda and embrace a new set of sustainable development goals.  In December, in Paris, Governments must adopt a universal, meaningful climate change agreement.

These three global events chart a new era of sustainable development, a paradigm shift towards a truly transformative agenda.  Together, we are the first generation that can end poverty and the last that can avoid the worst effects of climate change.

I commend Member States for agreeing the Addis Ababa Action Agenda.  I thank the World Bank for its important contribution.  And I welcome the coordinated effort of all the multilateral and regional development banks.

Your joint report “From Billions to Trillions” is a deeply appreciated contribution to financing for development.  It marks the beginning of an important new period of greater coordination among the development banks and greater focus on contributing to the broader international development agenda.  In this new era, coherence and cooperation must be the norm, not the exception.

The joint efforts of the World Bank Group and the regional development banks, working along with the United Nations System, will be critical to transforming the commitments in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda into a vigorous global partnership for sustainable development.

I see three areas where your efforts to turn billions into trillions will be most crucial.  First, we must bridge infrastructure financing gaps, particularly in Africa.  Delivery of goals on water, sanitation, energy and cities will rely on infrastructure progress.

We must improve existing initiatives, involve new institutions, and speed up co-financing and cooperation.  The new infrastructure forum agreed in the Accord is critical to bringing together all actors, and charting a path to delivery of quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure.

Second, there is a clear call in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda for your institutions to promote regional integration.  The trillions you catalyse can help address the call for trade, transport and transit-related regional infrastructure.

Third, we need increased investments in addressing hunger and malnutrition, including in sustainable agriculture.  Our efforts to enhance food security and nutrition must address the needs of smallholders and women farmers.  This will lead to ending rural poverty and hunger by 2030:  a new agenda for a sustainable and inclusive global food system.

We must all work to ensure that our institutions are fit for purpose and fully responsive to the sustainable development agenda.  The Addis Ababa Action Agenda asks that all institutions improve their effectiveness and coherence.

I encourage you to take up the call of Member States to align your work with the sustainable development goals.

The follow-up process to this Conference, agreed in the Addis Ababa Accord, is fundamental.  It will help all financing actors play their part in the post-2015 development agenda.  I count on your continued engagement.