Civil Society Development Forum 2007

Mr. President of the Economic and Social Council
Mr. Vice-President of the State Council of Geneva
Mrs. Bloem
Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is indeed a pleasure for me to be with you today. This event is indeed timely. On Monday, the high-level segment of the annual substantive session of the Economic and Social Council – ECOSOC – opens at the Palais des Nations, with the first-ever Ministerial Review of progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and the launch of the biennial Development Cooperation Forum. Later next week, we will be hosting the Global Compact Leaders Summit, which will bring together almost 1,000 top business executives, Government representatives, many members of the United Nations family and other international organizations. Both of these events demonstrate the need for a multi-stakeholder approach if we are to achieve our common development objectives. Your discussions over the coming days will complement these meetings and add a further dimension to the ongoing discussions of how to accelerate our collective efforts to achieve the MDGs by the deadline of 2015. I welcome and commend your commitment to working with us in this critical area.

This Forum also illustrates Switzerland’s strong commitment to an inclusive multilateral process. The generosity and hospitality extended to international representatives in Geneva by our host country have helped to cultivate a vibrant and active civil society environment, which greatly benefits the global discussions that take place here. We appreciate this valuable contribution.

Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen:

Development is central to the United Nations’ mission, and the Millennium Development Goals – the MDGs – are a practical formulation of the aspiration of greater prosperity for all. They represent a shared development agenda that emphasizes concrete goals and measurable results. Much has been achieved since the Goals were agreed to, but progress has been uneven across regions and across individual Goals. ECOSOC plays a crucial role in taking forward the Goals, especially in facilitating effective implementation by Member States. Civil society is an essential partner in these efforts, and ECOSOC remains the primary forum for engaging this key constituency in our development work. I appreciate that the President of ECOSOC is with us today to share his vision of the forthcoming substantive session, and in particular the Development Cooperation Forum, which represents an innovative platform for strengthening partnerships in development. Such a partnership is indispensable if we are to translate the MDGs into real results. The United Nations Millennium Campaign, which we heard about a few minutes ago, provides an additional avenue for engagement and for mobilizing support for the Goals at all levels. The MDGs are an instrument to improve the lives of individuals across the globe; we can only achieve them if they are embraced and promoted by people themselves.
The development agenda is a priority for the entire Organization. Later this year, the General Assembly will hold a High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development. This Dialogue, which is part of the preparation for the Follow-Up International Conference on Financing for Development to Review the Implementation of the Monterey Consensus, will be a valuable opportunity for taking stock of accomplishments, identify gaps and formulate solutions – and most importantly, build political will – in the critical area of financing.

Development is inseparable from our work for peace and for human rights. The agenda before you reflects a clear understanding of the linkages across these three pillars of the United Nations’ work. Yesterday, the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission marked its first anniversary. The Commission will help to advance long-term sustainable development in countries emerging from conflict. Likewise, the Human Rights Council has just concluded its first year with agreement on institution-building, laying out the basic structure for the Council’s new institutional machinery, including the Universal Periodic Review, the Special Procedures and the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee. The Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council, which were both significant outcomes of the 2005 World Summit, are important components in our broader efforts to remove obstacles to development for all.

We therefore need engagement with and contributions from civil society across these different dimensions of our work to make progress towards development. Figures by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) indicate that the global total spent on arms has now topped 1.2 trillion US dollars, which exceeds by far the funding allocated to development purposes. Strategic disarmament could thus liberate significant resources to be channelled towards development and could help generate economic prosperity. In addition, strategic disarmament would help to build greater confidence among States and contribute towards stability, which would, in turn, also further the development agenda, including the MDGs. Without greater civil society involvement, highlighting these linkages between disarmament and development, we will not make headway in freeing up these resources. We expect such an engagement from civil society, so that we may take a multi-dimensional approach to development, using all available avenues.

Dear Friends:
As we count down to 2015, we must also look beyond this deadline. Achievement of the MDGs will only be a stepping-stone to continuing efforts. Together, we must build a broad-based, dynamic and enduring partnership that will continue beyond 2015. I trust that the debates over the coming days will help towards consolidating that partnership. We count on you, and you may count on us.

Thank you.