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Highlights from Wednesday, 29 June 2005
The High-level Segment of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) opened at UN Headquarters in New York on Wednesday, 29 June 2005 . The Segment, which took as its theme, “Achieving the internationally agreed development goals,” began with opening statements from invited speakers. These were followed by a policy dialogue on current developments in the world economy and international economic cooperation in the context of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In the afternoon, a series of eight round table dialogues convened to consider development goals relating to poverty, health, partnerships and financing, national capacity, national strategies, education, gender equality, and environmental sustainability.
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José Anotonio Ocampo, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, and UN Secretay-General Kofi Annan |
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ECOSOC President Munir Akram, Pakistan, opened the meeting, and noted that this year's ECOCOC session is taking place under special circumstances, highlighting the urgent need for action to address poverty and other development challenges in order to meet internationally-agreed development goals, and noting the input that key policymakers attending this meeting could provide.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan told delegates that the upcoming 2005 World Summit in September offers a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to give a major boost to our efforts to reach the development goals.” He expressed hope that others would follow the EU's lead by committing to increase ODA, and applauded the G8's debt relief deal. He said progress must be made simultaneously on three fronts – development, security, and human rights. He suggested that the Summit in September was an opportunity to fortify ECOSOC as the organ mandated to coordinate the activities of the UN system, and drew attention to several proposals in his report, In Larger Freedom , including that ECOSOC hold annual ministerial-level implementation assessments and a biennial Development Cooperation Forum. |
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| Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate in Economics, 2001, identified three steps for advancing development. First, he said development concerns must be better integrated into the international trade regime. Secondly, he called for shifting risks from fluctuating exchange rates to developed countries and for a global reserve reform. Finally, he urged the recognition of environmental services performed by developing countries, including carbon storage and biodiversity conservation. |
Kofi Annan with ECOSOC President Akram (left) and Juan Somavia, Director-General, International Labor Organization (ILO)
(right)
Highlighting the role of employment in achieving the MDGs, Juan Somavia, ILO, stated that many people only need a fair chance and decent job to escape poverty. Lamenting the global job crisis, he urged delegates to use ECOSOC as a forum to address it. |
Juan Somavia, Director-General, International Labor Organization (left) and António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (right)
António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, indicated that international society still excludes refugees' voices. Highlighting inclusiveness and access as keys to achieving the MDGs, he also identified the need for conflict prevention and long term post-conflict humanitarian assistance. |
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| Tarja Halonen, President of Finland (left) |
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| High-level Policy Dialogue on current developments in the world economy and international economic cooperation in the context of achieving the MDGs |
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Carlos Fortin, Officer-in-Charge, UNCTAD, identified some of the potential pitfalls in the recent increase in growth of developing economies such as the slow growth rate of the global economy and disparities in development. He asserted the need for creating and implementing nationally owned development strategies that speed investment and growth and maintaining a balance between national policy and international commitments by all governments.
Jean Louis Sarbib, Senior Vice-President of the Human Development Network, World Bank,
identified five dimensions towards achieving MDGs and development as: ensuring country ownership of development efforts, improving the environment for private sector led economic growth, scaling up delivery of human services, dismantling barriers to trade and doubling developmental aid.
José Antonio Ocampo, Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, reported that world economic growth was at its strongest for two years, with reduced global disparities. He emphasized international coordination to maintain momentum and urged the Council to agree on the means to attain the economic growth necessary to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. |
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Secretary-General Kofi Annan with Delano Fanklyn, Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jamaica (left)
Reinhard Munzberg, Special Representative of the International Monetary Fund to the UN (center), highlighted problems such as the increasing volatility of oil markets that could potentially affect the global economic balance and achievement of the MDGs. Outlining IMF's efforts for financing low income countries, he noted the importance of debt relief, debt sustainability analysis and the completion of the Doha round.
Supachai Panitchpakdi, Director-General, World Trade Organization (right), urged conclusion of the Doha WTO negotiations by the end of 2005. Regarding trade conditions, he highlighted, inter alia, the: cyclical nature of commodity export expansion; and effects of China 's emergence in the world trade system. |
| Gérard Latortue, Prime Minister, Haiti, and Tarja Halonen, President of Finland |
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| Roundtable dialogue on global partnerships and financing of the MDGs |
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| Stephano Manservisi, Director-General for Trade, European Commisssion, highlighted good governance and additional, effective ODA, and Carlos Fortin, UNCTAD, said debt need not be harmful if it is sustainable. |
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| Chair Ishrat Hussain, Governor, State Bank of Pakistan (left),
Vivien Pliner-Joseph, Secretariat (center), and José Luis Machinea, Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), noted the difficulties many poor countries face in attracting FDI. |
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| Reinhard Munzberg, IMF (left), said countries should determine appropriate policies and resource allocation and Eveline Herfkens, MDG Campaign (right), said a lot of ODA is not focused on the poor or low income countries and opposed agriculture subsidies. |
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| Melinda Kimble, Senior Vice-President for Programmes, UN Foundation (right)
highlighted the need for innovative partnerships and energizing the private sector
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| Roundtable dialogue on health |
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| Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA, and Brigitte Girardin, Minister of Development Cooperation, France (left) |
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| Chair Carin Jämtin, Minister for International Development Cooperation, Sweden (far right), said countries are failing to achieve the goals they have set. |
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| Roundtable dialogue on the eradication of poverty and hunger |
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Moderator Jacques Diouf, Director-General, FAO, and Chair
Gérard Latortue, Prime Minister, Haiti (left)
Charlotte McClain-Nhalpo, South African Human Rights Commission/World Bank, emphasized the need to operationalize guidelines towards the right to food. |
| Roundtable dialogue on building state capacity to meet the MDGs: human rights, governance, institutions and human resources |
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| José Antonio Ocampo, UN Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, Chair Tarja Halonen, President of Finland,
Nikhil Seth, Secretariat, and Anyang' Nyong'o, Minister of Planning and National Development, Kenya |
| Mehr Khan Williams, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights (left), Tarja Halonen, President of Finland, and Rehman Sobhan, Chairman, Center for Policy Dialogue, Bangladesh |
| Roundtable dialogue on education and literacy |
| Peter Smith, Assistant Director General for Education, UNESCO (left), called for innovative approaches to education.
and Chair Datuk Mustapa Mohamed, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Malaysia (second from right), emphasized basic literacy, gender inclusiveness and good governance. |
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| Roundtable dialogue on gender equality and the empowerment of women |
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| Rachel Mayanja, Assistant Secretary-General and Special Advisor on Gender Issues and Advancement of Women, Noleen Heyzer, UNIFEM, Chair Nilofar Bakhtiar, Advisor to the Prime Minister and Minister Incharge, Minsitry of Women Development, Pakistan, Secretariat, and Marcela del Mar Suazo Laitano, Minister Incharge of the National Institute of Women of Honduras |
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| Marcela del Mar Suazo Laitano, Honduras, highlighted their recently adopted constitutional declaration which aimed to include women in decision-making at all levels. |
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| Roundtable dialogue on environmental sustainability |
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| UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer, Brigitte Girardin Minister of Development Cooperation, France, Chair Rogatien Biaou, Benin, and Nikhil Seth, Secretariat |
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Luo Yu, Solar Cookers International, said smoke from cooking fires is a major health threat and highlighted solar cooking as a clean and inexpensive alternative. Luo Yu with UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer
Andrew
Deutz, IUCN, emphasized the need to mainstream environment into national planning processes. |
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| Roundtable dialogue on national strategies to achieve the MDGs |
| Masood Ahmed, Director-General for Policy and International Development, UK, Sidi Ould Didi, Minister of Economic Affairs and Development, Mauritania, Moderator Carmen Gallarda Hernandez, Permanent Representative of El Salvador, and Vivien Pliner-Joseph, Secretariat |
| Side event: IUCN reception and book launch |
Bill Jackson, Global Programme Director, IUCN (left), introduces two new IUCN publications: Poverty and Conservation: Livelihoods, Landscapes and Power and Depend on Nature: Ecosystem services supporting human livelihoods
UNEP Executive Director Klaus Teopfer speaks with Andrew Deutz, IUCN |
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