World Leaders Renew Commitment to MDGs, Adopt Post-2015 Goals

World leaders agreed Wednesday to scale up action against extreme poverty, hunger and disease and called for a 2015 Summit to adopt the next set of Goals to focus continued efforts after the target date for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The PANA Correspondent in New York reported that the outcome document was adopted at a special event on the MDGs, hosted by the President of the 68th session of the UN General Assembly, Mr. John Ashe.

PANA learnt that the deliberations of leaders and their representatives took into account the views expressed by people across the globe through a series of worldwide consultations that reached more than a million citizens.

In the document, countries agreed to hold a high-level Summit in September 2015 to adopt a new set of Goals that will balance the three elements of sustainable development, providing economic transformation and opportunity to lift people out of poverty, advancing social justice and protecting the environment.

The Goals will build on the foundation laid by the MDGs, respond to new challenges and will be applicable to all countries while taking into account national circumstances.

Leaders at the event also lauded the remarkable progress made so far towards achieving the eight MDGs targets, which they said have provided a ‘common vision’ for meeting the needs of the world’s developing nations.

They, however, expressed concern at the unevenness and gaps in MDG achievements in the face of immense challenges, and agreed to take the purposeful and coordinated action required to accelerate progress.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Ashe said: ‘We must do everything possible to accelerate action and get the job done by 2015.’

‘Urgently implementing the global partnership for development is not only a moral obligation but will also put us at the best possible starting point for agreeing what comes next,’ the Assembly president said.

Also, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon presented to UN member states a report, entitled: ‘A Life of Dignity for All’, which outlined his vision for bold action to achieve the MDGs and for a new and responsive sustainable development framework that meets the needs of both people and planet.

Ban said that ‘the post-2015 framework must be bold in ambition yet simple in design, supported by a new partnership for development’.

He also stated: ‘It needs to be rights-based, with particular emphasis on women, young people and marginalized groups. And it must protect the planet’s resources, emphasize sustainable consumption and production and support action to address climate change.’

PANA reported that the special event took place as the UN, governments, civil society, the private sector and philanthropists push to achieve more MDGs targets in the final stretch to 2015.

A high-level event, ‘MDG Success: Accelerating Action and Partnering for Impact’, hosted by the UN Secretary-General on 23 September, showcased the power of partnerships to change the development landscape and mobilise finance, expertise and knowledge to further the
MDGs.

Ban had told member states at the high-level event that, ‘substantial additional commitments from governments, the World Bank, private business and philanthropy brought the total new investment in boosting MDG achievement to US$2.5 billion’.

The MDGs, which range from halving extreme poverty rates to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, have been the most effective anti-poverty push in history.

The UN said that, through the MDGs, lives of millions of people have been improved and targets have already been met on reducing poverty, increasing access to safe water, improving the lives of slum dwellers and achieving gender parity in primary education.

It, however, noted that, despite huge gains, progress towards the eight MDGs has been uneven, not only among regions and countries, but also between population groups within countries, with accelerated action needed in many areas.