RSS Feeds and Podcasts
TBD
Ban hopeful for strong outcome at Follow-up Conference on Financing for Development
The four-day Follow-up Conference on Financing for Development taking place in Doha, Qatar is scheduled to end December 2nd.
SG:The delegations are now meeting and going through negotiation process. What I know is that except just a few areas, they have agreed on most of the outcome documents. I am encouraged and I am hopeful that we will be able to come out of this very strong outcome document reaffirming these pledges and commitment of the international community, particularly the industrialized countries to meet the target of the Millennium Development Goals and climate change, food crisis, and working to prevent all diseases and providing decent educational opportunities. There are 40 heads of State and Government, and many finance ministers and many cabinet ministers who participated in this meeting, despite very busy domestic programmes going through this financial crisis. We must overcome this financial crisis. This is not an issue one country can deal with; this is a global issue requiring global solutions through global partnership.
SULTAN:What kind of message would the people and leaders of developing countries get from the low level of representation by rich countries. Most of the leaders who attended this conference are African leaders, developing countries, and if you compare to the Washington Summit, which was attended mainly by the leaders.
SG:There were 40 leaders represented in this meeting. As you said, there were more leaders who have come from developing countries. The developed countries, particular the G20 countries, were represented by President Sarkozy who spoke on behalf of the 27 European Union. And he also spoke about the result of G20. I as the Secretary-General tried my best to bridge between G20 to general membership of the United Nations. I think that was one of my main goals of attending this meeting--which has been successful, I believe.
BOBB:My question is a follow up to that and it concerns the Bretton Woods institutions: the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The leaders of those two institutions did not turn up herhe in Doha. What impact is that likely to have on the outcome?
SG:The World Bank and IMF were represented by high level, very senior level, delegations led by two senior vice presidents of the World Bank and the senior vice managing director of IMF, whom I met and discussed in depth about how Bretton Woods institutions can work together with the United Nations systems to accelerate and galvanize political process, thereby we can mobilize the necessary resources. World Bank and IMF have created very good initiatives, which I appreciated during my remarks. I am quite confident that the World Bank and IMF can play a very important role in overcoming this global financial crisis, and working together with the United Nations for the wellbeing of many poor, developing countries.
That was Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who was interviewed by UN Radio correspondents Madiha Sultan and Donn Bobb.
(duration: 3'56")
