United Nations Radio

The scale of development challenges has intensified in the past year.

That's what Deputy Secretary-General Asha Rose Migiro(photo) told the General Assembly's committee that deals with administrative and budgetary matters as she presented the Secretary-General's proposal for strengthening the development pillar of the UN Secretariat.

Ms. Migiro says the world has been presented with challenges that have pushed the need to accelerate development - among them the devastating effects of climate change, the impact of recent food and energy prices and the global financial meltdown.

And she adds that these challenges require global responses.

"The immediate future is uncertain. There will be no doubt be setbacks in the efforts to achieve the MDG's and the internationally agreed development goals. Globally concerted efforts are needed to redress this and to avoid more problems down the road."

Deputy Secretary-general Migiro called for dedicated attention to be given to climate change, innovative financing, international migration and development, violence against women, and indigenous issues.

Saying there is a serious mismatch between mandated responsibilities and available resources, Ms. Migiro says the Secretariat needs to have adequate capacity to carry out these important new functions effectively.

In short, she adds, the development challenges are daunting and this has become even more so as the world faces a global financial crisis of profound magnitude.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

(duration: 1'25")