Tuesday, 22nd June 2010
- The United Nations is calling on leaders
of the biggest industrialized and developing
nations to focus on green
growth, sustainable development and the
needs of the most vulnerable, in devising
economic recovery strategies.
In a letter addressed
to leaders of the Group of 20 (G 20) nations,
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, urged support
to the Millennium Development Goals, "I
encourage support for initiatives that will
sustain recovery efforts while enhancing
global economic stability, environmental
sustainability and achievement of the MDGs,"
Leaders of the G20 nations
will be meeting in Toronto, Canada, on 26
and 27 June, with a second summit planned
for November in Seoul, Republic of Korea.
The Toronto gathering
will immediately follow the annual summit
of the Group of Eight (G8) leading economic
powers - Canada, France, United States,
United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan,
and Italy - hosted by Canada in Huntsville,
Ontario, on 25 June.
In his letter, the Secretary-General
noted that high unemployment, rising food
and commodity prices, and persistent inequalities
have contributed to a substantial rise in
hunger, poverty and associated social tensions.
"Now, more than
ever, investments for the world's poorest
are necessary to recover lost ground in
pursuit of development objectives, including
the Millennium Development Goals,"
he stated.
Mr. Ban is convening
a summit in New York in September during
which world leaders will commit to concrete
actions to achieve the MDGs - which range
from halving poverty and hunger to boosting
primary education and maternal and child
health - by the target date of 2015.
"With a unified
effort and targeted investments, progress
in maternal and child health could lead
the way," he said. "I urge world
leaders to take decisive action to put an
end to the shameful reality of maternal
and child deaths."
The Secretary-General
pointed out that economic recovery is proceeding
at varied speeds across the world, and is
still fragile in most countries. As such,
a one-size-fits-all approach will not work.
He did, however, note certain factors which
should underpin countries' efforts.
"Based on our collective
experience, the best way to enhance the
framework for strong, sustainable and balanced
economic growth is to put development front
and centre, and to invest in a green economic
recovery for all.
"I therefore welcome
the G20 intention to broaden its focus to
include development in the coming months
and at the Seoul Summit in November 2010.
Such an approach can help address food security
and climate change, while ensuring job creation."
In a related development,
Mr. Ban called on world leaders to be accountable
on delivering quality jobs. Writing in an
opinion piece published in the pan-Arab
daily Al Hayat and other newspapers worldwide,
he said it is time to focus on common sense
investments in green jobs.
"A recovery is
not meaningful if people only learn about
it in the newspaper. Working women and need
to see it in their own lives and livelihoods,"
Mr. Ban wrote.
Mr. Ban also called
on governments to be accountable to those
hardest hit by the crisis, especially women
who are the "social cement" holding
families and communities together, and be
accountable for promises already made, such
as doubling development aid to Africa.
Tuesday, Mr. Ban released
a report regarding the ongoing effects of
the global economic crisis. The data in
the second "Voices of the Vulnerable"
report reveals that even where countries
have been resilient and are returning to
growth, the day-to-day costs of the crisis
have been high for many households. Furthermore,
where immediate impacts appear not to have
been severe, the ongoing erosion of resilience
has the potential to damage longer-term
development prospects.
Although there have
been substantial stimulus efforts in many
countries, the evidence suggests that these
have not always 'trickled down' to meet
the immediate needs of the poor and most
vulnerable, stated the report, adding that,
despite the scale of the stimulus packages,
struggling households have borne a disproportionate
burden.
"The story of the
report is rather simple," Robert Orr,
Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Planning,
told a news conference in New York. "To
the extent there is a global recovery is
going on, much of it is coming from the
dynamism of the developing world.
"But that is not,
should not, be interpreted that there is
not simultaneously a great deal of suffering
going on in the developing world,"
he added. "In fact, despite some positive
macroeconomic indicators in a number of
developing country economies that are driving
the global economy right now, the citizens
of many of those countries are suffering
disproportionately."
Mr. Orr added that the
message the Secretary-General will be carrying
to Toronto is that any recovery will need
to be built from the ground up, and that
the leaders must work to ensure growth that
is inclusive, green and based on healthy
populations.
On Wednesday Mr. Ban
will launch the MDG Report 2010 on progress
and gaps, which provides a snapshot of where
the world stands in terms of achieving the
Goals.
Based on development
models that have worked from 50 countries,
the UNDP assessment found that models that
focus attention on the poor while expanding
job opportunities, increased government
spending on social services and aid flows
from affluent nations are all successful
strategies for alleviating global poverty.
