The UN Resident Co-ordinator, Mr. Minh Pham, Honourable Ministers, Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Heads of UN Agencies, Participants of the MDG Forum, Ladies and Gentlemen:
It gives me great pleasure to be here tonight to inaugurate the third Millennium Development Goals Forum organised by the UN system in the Maldives. I thank the Resident Co-ordinator for inviting me to do so.
But, before I proceed further, I wish to express my sincere condolences to the family of the UN Special Representative to Iraq, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello and the families of all UN workers, who died yesterday in tragic circumstances in the line of duty. Mr. de Mello was a distinguished diplomat whose services to his own country and to the international community will long be remembered. I also extend my deep sympathy to the UN Secretary-General and to the UN System as a whole. The Government of the Maldives condemns, in the strongest terms this senseless act of terrorism, as we have consistently done on all such occasions.
Distinguished Participants:
A better world for all – that is the objective of the Millennium Development Goals. They seek a world that is free of poverty, and free of the misery that poverty breeds. The pursuit is not new. What is new, however, is that they represent the first global development vision that serves as a platform for the poor the world over.
The MDGs are fully endorsed by the Government of the Maldives. They reinforce our full commitment to achieving continuous gains in the quality of life enjoyed by the people – not just the greatest good for the greatest number, but the highest achievement for every member of society.
The objective and pursuits that these goals represent have long been at the centre of our national development agenda, as Mr. Pham just pointed out. Indeed, the Maldives Vision 2020 and the strategic priorities of the sixth National Development Plan all reflect these commitments.
The Millennium Development Goals provide a banner under which all stakeholders in development can unite with a common purpose and focus. The goals call for a global partnership for their successful implementation.
It is true that development is primarily a national responsibility. Yet, external conditions, such as declining development assistance, worsening terms of trade, restrictions on access to markets, and increasing debt burden, could impose serious obstacles to national growth. Therefore, a supportive international framework would continue to be essential for sustaining the march of progress even in the more vibrant economies.
Perhaps, the Maldives can take some pride in the gains that it has made in recent years in several of the MDGs. I am happy that we have been able to achieve a number of targets that make up the MDGs, and are well on our way to attaining the rest within the projected timeframe of the year 2015. Yet, in all fields, much work needs to be done to ensure that every new day is a better one for each and everyone.
Distinguished Participants:
Today, the Maldives has reached the threshold of graduation from the UN’s list of least developed countries. While we are happy with the successes that the country has attained, the Government is concerned that the gains in our human development could easily be reversed without continued favourable external conditions.
Development requires financing. It calls for access to markets. It needs continuous investments in human capital. Yet, our economy remains narrowly-based and constrained by several structural handicaps. These include smallness, vulnerability, and limited natural resources. Such obstacles indeed warrant the setting up of effective international mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of national progress before a decision is taken on graduating the Maldives, or any country in the same situation.
Distinguished Participants:
Over the years, the UN system has played an important role in supporting our efforts to develop the nation. The UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and the WHO who maintain resident missions in the Maldives, have been particularly active in this regard. I would like to express our deep appreciation for that valuable co-operation. I would also like to thank the heads of all the UN agencies in the Maldives and their officials for their sincere and valuable contributions in these efforts. I am also grateful to our other multilateral and bilateral development partners for their assistance. Continued collaboration with the UN agencies and with our development partners would have an important role to play as we move ahead towards the fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals in their entirety.
Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen:
The MDGs constitute the highest values of human civilisation – indeed, the fundamental rights of all human beings. To such an enterprise, no commitment is too big, and no pledge is too demanding. And it will need the participation of everyone.
With these words, I wish the forum every success in identifying ways to advance the aims of the MDGs in the Maldives.
Thank you.