SPEECH BY MS CHRISTINE MCNAB
 UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR

Launch of the UN Millennium Project Report

&

Hussein Cultural Center
Monday, 7 March 2005

Excellencies,

Ladies & Gentlemen

 At the UN Millennium Summit in September 2000, 189 world leaders unanimously adopted the Millennium Declaration, pledging "We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than one billion of them are currently subjected".

 The Declaration led to the articulation of eight specific Millennium Development Goals, to be achieved between 1990 and 2015: Halving extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education and gender equality, reducing child mortality and maternal mortality, reversing HIV/AIDs, malaria and other major diseases and creating a global partnership for development

 Clearly it is not enough to invest in one particular goal, as most interventions have effects on several goals.  Therefore, reaching the Millennium Development Goals depends on ambitious action across many sectors.

 The UN Millennium Project that was commissioned by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to develop a global plan for achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.  Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the UN Millennium Project presented the findings of the project to the Secretary General on 17 January 2005.  The resulting report "Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals" draws on over two years of extensive research by ten thematic Task Forces, comprising of total of 265 internationally recognized experts.

 The report says that there is still enough time to meet the MDGs – but only just!    With a systematic approach over the next decade, many countries now dismissed as too poor or too far off track could still achieve the Goals, but only if the world moves urgently with specific, scaled-up actions. 

 To launch the decade of bold ambition towards 2015, several worldwide initiatives are needed to translate the Goals from ambition to action.

 The report recommends that governments of developing countries should have in place by the end of 2006 development strategies bold enough to meet the MDG targets for 2015, such as MDG-based Poverty Reduction Strategies.  Where such strategies already exist, they should be aligned with the MDGs.

 International donors are recommended to identify at least a dozen "MDG fast-track" countries for a rapid scale-up of ODA in 2005. 

 Developed and developing countries should jointly launch in 2005, a group of "Quick win" actions to save and improve lives and to promote economic growth.  They should also launch a massive effort to build expertise at the community level.

 High-income countries should increase ODA to support the MDGs and donors should also focus on improving ODA quality including making aid harmonized, predictable, and largely focused on budgetary support.  Debt relief should be more extensive and generous.

 The report also recommends that the UN Secretary-General and the UN Development Group should strengthen the coordination of UN Agencies, funds and programmes in support of the MDGs, both at the headquarters and country level.  The UN country teams should be strengthened and should work closely with international financial institutions to support the MDGs.

 Unquestionably, the MDGs are ambitious but there is no doubt that they are feasible if the world have the will to achieve them.

 Jordan is on track to achieve most of the Goals by the appointed year, 2015, but its challenges should be put on the track they require and deserve, and the year 2005 should inaugurate a decade of bold action in the country.

 Jordan, under the leadership of H.M. King Abdullah II, has always placed development issues as a priority in its agenda.  His Majesty has always wanted the fruits of all development programmes in the country to be felt by each and every citizen.  The recently formulated Steering Committee for the National Agenda is a clear proof of this country’s endeavors to ensure development for all citizens. We are certain that the Jordan MDG report can be an important input to the National Agenda.

 Thank you