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 16 March 2010
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UN chief points the way forward to meet anti-poverty goals

16/03/2010

Five years before the target date for meeting ambitious goals to improve the lives of the world's poorest, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is suggesting specific, practical and results-oriented ways to accelerate progress.

In remarks to Member States as he presented a forward-looking review of the Millennium Development Goals, or MDGs, Mr. Ban told delegates his latest report reviews successes, best practices and lessons learned. Citing sub-Saharan Africa's reductions in deaths from measles, he said many of the successes had been attained by the poorest countries"

"The region also showed the fastest growth in primary school enrolment: from 58 to 74 per cent within a decade, mainly through the abolition of school fees. Malawi has doubled agricultural production. Millennium Villages are showcasing the great impact of smart, targeted interventions. We have seen that when you empower women you can change the world.

But the Secretary-General said progress in meeting the goals, adopted by member countries in the year 2000, has been uneven. The least developed countries, especially those vulnerable to natural hazards and countries emerging from conflict face great obstacles.

The Secretary-General said in preparation for the high-level meeting on the MDGs in September, the UN would focus on proven, cost-effective initiatives that can be scaled up, and would strengthen its efforts to raise public awareness so that people everywhere could see that reaching the goals is in everyone's common interest.

Diane Bailey, United Nations
Duration: 1'38"

Sound bites

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon cut 1

"The region also showed the fastest growth in primary school enrolment: from 58 to 74 per cent within a decade, mainly through the abolition of school fees. Malawi has doubled agricultural production. Millennium Villages are showcasing the great impact of smart, targeted interventions. We have seen that when you empower women you can change the world."
Duration: 26"

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon cut 2

"The message is clear: with the right policies, adequate investment and international support, enormous challenges can be overcome. Yet progress has been very uneven. The least developed countries, especially those vulnerable to natural hazards, face great obstacles. So do countries that are in or emerging from conflict. Gains on some goals has been particularly difficult -- none more so than maternal health. But the shortfalls have occurred not because the goals are unreachable, or because time is too short. We are off course because of unmet commitments, inadequate resources and a lack of focus and accountability. The MDG Summit is an opportunity to do better."
Duration: 1'01"

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon cut 3

The Goals are based on a compact, on solidarity and on an enlightened sense of the shared, global interest. To achieve them, a division of labour was accepted by all. Developing countries were to do their utmost on the first seven goals. Improving governance; empowering women; putting every possible domestic capacity to work for health, education, jobs and other priorities -- this was their responsibility, in keeping with the bedrock principle of national ownership. And indeed, many are doing just this, with results. But as much as developing countries are doing on their own, international support was and remains crucial. That is why a global partnership for development was enshrined as goal eight."
Duration: 58"