Development goals: UN chief reminds world of MDG pledges

Countries must exercise political will to carry on with post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.

NEW YORK:

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has called upon world leaders to push ahead with the task of implementing their Millennium Development Goals within the December 31, 2015 deadline.

“While MDGs have slashed the [global] poverty rate by half, world leaders must continue their unrelenting efforts to accelerate progress towards all goals by the final deadline,” the UN chief told a group of international journalists at the world body’s head office.

“With less than 460 days or so to meet the target, heads of states need to keep MDGs a part of their national agendas until we reach the finish line.”

Ban looked back positively on the success achieved by the MDG initiative. “MDGs are [now] very strongly reflected in domestic policies of all national governments… they [governments] believe MDGs are a blueprint they have to accomplish as soon as possible,” he said while speaking to The Express Tribune.

Of the eight MDGs, Ban said UN member states have been able to achieve the debt goal, as well as provide access to safe drinking water and sanitation. The countries have also been able to provide primary education to many as well.

“But many goals are still unfinished,” he said. “Some 57 million children are still out of school… women and children are still dying from preventable diseases, and people are burning this world in pursuit of industrialisation and prosperity.”

“This is an unmanageable situation, which is why we are now trying to shape the future development agenda,” the UN chief said. The post-2015 development agenda will be a key part of the 69th UN General Assembly Session set to be held later this month.

Talking to The Express Tribune, he said that countries must mobilise all possible resources and political will to carry on with the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals, expected to be adopted by member states in September 2015. He added that the UN is working with governments, civil society and other partners to build on the momentum generated by MDGs so that it can be carried on to the post-2015 goals.

“The important thing is that all the people in the world should be able to live in peace and harmony, without concern for security and safety. A place where all the human rights of all the people are respected, this is our vision,” he said.

Terming this year as the most crucial with regards to making key decisions and plans, Ban discussed the challenges posed by member countries in the push for the post-2015 development agenda.

“They [member states] bring national perspectives, while we expect them to come with a global vision,” he said, explaining, that “when they bring these national perspectives, they try to gauge the merit of an issue by national standards.”

This paralyses global policy, especially in the case of the UN Security Council, he said. “This is what we have seen so far in Syria.”

“When there is unity, however, we have seen very effective ways of addressing serious challenges,” Ban said. He pointed out the example of chemical weapons in Syria which he said were destroyed completely with the UNSC’s unanimity.

Talking about the Global Climate Summit set to be held on September 23, the UN chief stressed the need for a climate change agreement “which is universal, legal and a meaningful one.”

“We have to cherish and nourish this planet. The way human beings are abusing the world, it seems that they think they have another planet,” he said. “But we don’t have a second earth, this is the only one. There is no plan B , there is only plan A.”

‘Punish Malala’s attackers’

The UN secretary-general expressed hope that the gunmen who tried to kill Malala Yousufzai would be brought to justice. The attack was carried out on 9 October 2012 in Swat Valley and 10 suspects were arrested in a joint operation by army, police and intelligence agencies.

“Malala has been a beacon of hope for so many young people, especially girls, around the world,” the secretary-general’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2014.