PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
UN: Ban urges renewed global partnership to advance sustainable development
New York, US (PANA) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday in Mexico City, Mexico,
called for a renewed global partnership to advance sustainable development and a life of
dignity for all, noting that, the deadline for the globally agreed development targets is fast
approaching.
"As the 2015 deadline draws near, all of us must do more to deliver on our commitments,"
Ban said in remarks to the opening of the first High-level Meeting of the Global Partnership
for Effective Development Cooperation, which is taking place in Mexico City.
He said: "And as we shape an inspiring post-2015 development agenda, the international
community must be committed to supporting the future goals and targets through a
renewed global partnership."
He noted that critically, financing should to match our ambitions.
"Since then, we have made important progress. But we have not done enough," the UN chief said, adding that much greater progress was needed to increase country ownership, accountability, predictability and flexibility in how aid is provided.
"I am encouraged by the steps that recipient developing countries are taking to set clearer development strategies and ensure national ownership through effective coordination systems and greater parliamentary oversight.
"This contributes to greater transparency and accountability for all development partners. But more needs to be done to tackle corruption, improve regulation and engage with civil society,” he stated.
Ban cited the need to mobilize domestic resources by broadening tax bases, strengthening tax administration, improving governance of extractive industries and cracking down on illicit financial flows at both the point of origin and the point of destination.
At the same time, he noted that the world had moved on from the traditional donor-recipient relations, saying that, cooperation among countries of the global South had registered impressive growth that was bringing new knowledge and new perspectives.
The secretary-general also highlighted successful examples of truly global partnerships such the Every Woman Every Child initiative in the health sector to the Sustainable Energy for All alliance.
The private sector, he continued, had become eager to increase its engagement, not just because there were business opportunities but because they saw the value in ethical business and in helping to improve people’s lives.
"Civil society is also an increasingly essential partner in delivering services, monitoring progress and strengthening accountability,"he added.
Ban said the stage was set for wider, deeper progress and expressed his hope that concrete initiatives would come out of the meeting that would strengthen country-level ownership and uphold development cooperation commitments.
The two-day meeting brings together over 1,500 participants, including heads of State and Government, ministers, parliamentarians and leaders from international organisations, business, civil society and foundations and builds on commitments made at the Fourth High-level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, held in 2011 in Busan, Republic of Korea.
It was in Busan that the international community expressed a strong collective commitment to work better together to reduce poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the world’s blueprint for tackling poverty, hunger and disease and expanding education, opportunity and cleaner, greener future.
-0- PANA AA/MA 15April2014
called for a renewed global partnership to advance sustainable development and a life of
dignity for all, noting that, the deadline for the globally agreed development targets is fast
approaching.
"As the 2015 deadline draws near, all of us must do more to deliver on our commitments,"
Ban said in remarks to the opening of the first High-level Meeting of the Global Partnership
for Effective Development Cooperation, which is taking place in Mexico City.
He said: "And as we shape an inspiring post-2015 development agenda, the international
community must be committed to supporting the future goals and targets through a
renewed global partnership."
He noted that critically, financing should to match our ambitions.
"Since then, we have made important progress. But we have not done enough," the UN chief said, adding that much greater progress was needed to increase country ownership, accountability, predictability and flexibility in how aid is provided.
"I am encouraged by the steps that recipient developing countries are taking to set clearer development strategies and ensure national ownership through effective coordination systems and greater parliamentary oversight.
"This contributes to greater transparency and accountability for all development partners. But more needs to be done to tackle corruption, improve regulation and engage with civil society,” he stated.
Ban cited the need to mobilize domestic resources by broadening tax bases, strengthening tax administration, improving governance of extractive industries and cracking down on illicit financial flows at both the point of origin and the point of destination.
At the same time, he noted that the world had moved on from the traditional donor-recipient relations, saying that, cooperation among countries of the global South had registered impressive growth that was bringing new knowledge and new perspectives.
The secretary-general also highlighted successful examples of truly global partnerships such the Every Woman Every Child initiative in the health sector to the Sustainable Energy for All alliance.
The private sector, he continued, had become eager to increase its engagement, not just because there were business opportunities but because they saw the value in ethical business and in helping to improve people’s lives.
"Civil society is also an increasingly essential partner in delivering services, monitoring progress and strengthening accountability,"he added.
Ban said the stage was set for wider, deeper progress and expressed his hope that concrete initiatives would come out of the meeting that would strengthen country-level ownership and uphold development cooperation commitments.
The two-day meeting brings together over 1,500 participants, including heads of State and Government, ministers, parliamentarians and leaders from international organisations, business, civil society and foundations and builds on commitments made at the Fourth High-level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, held in 2011 in Busan, Republic of Korea.
It was in Busan that the international community expressed a strong collective commitment to work better together to reduce poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the world’s blueprint for tackling poverty, hunger and disease and expanding education, opportunity and cleaner, greener future.
-0- PANA AA/MA 15April2014
