General Assembly Session 62 meeting 90

Mr. Hannesson (Iceland)

Let me begin by thanking the President of the General Assembly for organizing this thematic debate on an issue that lies at the heart of this Organization -- the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We are halfway towards the year 2015, and we believe that this is a good time for stocktaking and addressing thoroughly the challenges ahead.

I would like to associate myself with the statement on sexual and reproductive health and rights made by the representative of Sweden on behalf of the five Nordic countries.

The eight MDGs are not only equally important in themselves, but are also highly related and mutually reinforcing. Emphasizing poverty, education and health will have a lasting effect on sustainable economic and social development.

We are not halfway to the goal of halving poverty and hunger. Even though progress has been considerable in some regions, progress in others is lagging seriously behind. Sustained economic growth is a necessary premise for generating resources for the fight against poverty and hunger. The current downturn in the global economy is therefore particularly worrying, but economic growth is not a sufficient precondition for poverty eradication. We need a comprehensive approach to development that will generate pro-poor growth that benefits all segments of society.

Iceland's development policy focuses on the poorest of the poor, and the greatest part of our bilateral official development assistance (ODA) is targeted to the needs of least developed countries. Recent hikes in the prices of staple foods are particularly worrying. Food security has been an important aspect of our development cooperation, particularly as it relates to the fisheries sector. We have also increased our emphasis on food security through increased support for the World Food Programme. We will continue to maintain our policy of channelling the largest share of our development cooperation to people living in extreme poverty and hunger.

The role of education in poverty reduction is undisputed, and education is an essential part of a comprehensive approach to development. It is important in that context that we focus on both the quantity and the quality of education. Not only do we need to assist developing countries in facilitating access and enrolment at all levels; we also need to give sufficient attention to important education results, such as literacy and numeracy. Our firm belief that education is the key to success has been the cornerstone of our national and international development policies.

Projects in that area have taken place at various levels, ranging from primary and adult education to training and capacity-building in fisheries in the partner countries, as well as support for higher education. Iceland hosts two United Nations University training programmes: the geothermal and fisheries training programmes.

Women play a fundamental role in sustainable development, and are too often -- and sadly -- the poorest of the poor. Experience has shown that support for the education, health and economic activities of women not only has a significant impact on their own lives and well-being, but also has a multiplier effect for their communities. For that reason, we have increasingly directed our development cooperation at gender-specific projects. That has been done through our bilateral programmes in the partner countries and support for the work of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, as well as through other multilateral activities.

The World Food Programme's school feeding programme, one of the projects that Iceland supports, is a good example of our combined work on poverty, education and health. In 2007 and 2008, Iceland's contribution will provide 45,000 children in Malawi and Uganda with nutritious daily meals at school, making it easier for them to concentrate and learn. An equal number of children attend primary school in Iceland.

The fact that three out of the eight Millennium Development Goals focus on health exemplifies the close link between health and development and signifies the pressing need for assistance in that field. Poor health and lack of access to health facilities contribute to slow economic and social growth, as well as to sustained poverty.

For those reasons, the Icelandic International Development Agency has focused on supporting the health sector in its partner countries. In addition, Iceland has supported a number of multilateral efforts in that area, such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Iceland has also supported the United Nations Population Fund's campaign against fistula for years.

The MDGs can be achieved only by forging a true global partnership. To conclude, I would like to highlight the importance of the upcoming meeting in Doha in November on financing for development. We will not achieve our goals without increased financing from all available sources. The Government of Iceland stands ready to shoulder its responsibility. We aim to be among the top ODA contributors, our development assistance having doubled over the past four years.

Mr. Kariyawasam (Sri Lanka)

Let me join others in expressing my appreciation to the President of the General Assembly for convening this meeting.

We now stand just past the halfway mark we set for ourselves at the dawn of the new millennium to achieve goals that would provide sustainable prosperity to all who inhabit our planet and for generations yet unborn. This is therefore the most opportune moment to have this thematic debate in the General Assembly and to remind ourselves of the urgent need to harness the energies of all segments of our societies to work in synergy to realize those goals.

In that respect, Sri Lanka aligns itself fully with the statement made by the representative of Antigua and Barbuda on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

I also take this opportunity to reiterate Sri Lanka's firm commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. The MDGs have been integrated into Sri Lanka's national development strategies, including the 10-year development framework entitled "Mahinda Chintana: 10-year horizon development framework (2007-2016)".

In areas such as universal primary school enrolment, gender equality in primary and secondary school enrolment, reducing maternal and child mortality, and several other health and social indicators, Sri Lanka is well poised to meet the MDG targets well before 2015. In recognition of those accomplishments, the United Nations country team, in its common country assessment, states that Sri Lanka needs to reset some of the MDG targets at higher levels.

Despite those achievements, and having recently made the transition from low-income to middle-income country, Sri Lanka still faces significant challenges. Eradicating poverty, achieving environmentally sustainable development, reducing unemployment and mitigating social costs arising out of the migration of labour and brain drain are some such issues.

In addition, we consider that achieving the MDGs in a sustainable manner is inextricably linked to overcoming regional disparities in economic and social development, including uneven distribution of wealth across regions and among social groups. The destruction caused by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004 was a setback to our progress towards achieving the MDGs. The campaign of terror by a separatist terrorist group in my country is also a major challenge to our general economic and social well-being. As a result of terrorism, several conflict-affected regions have been lagging behind in economic development, and service sectors like tourism throughout the country have also suffered.

It is in that context that the Government is making every effort and working with Sri Lanka's development partners, including the United Nations system, to build national capacities to address some of the key challenges that militate against achieving the MDGs. That includes the full integration of the MDGs into national policies and plans and localizing them in a manner that reduces regional disparities and empowers the regions. Concerted action is being taken to promote equity and inclusion and to implement pro-poor policies favouring local aspirations and indigenous methods, as well as local entrepreneurship. While combating terrorism, the Government has taken several steps to ensure just and lasting peace in the North and East of the country through socio-political means.

To achieve the MDGs by 2015, Sri Lanka, like many other developing countries, needs better trading terms and market access for its products and services in our export markets. That is an essential criterion if we are to replace aid with trade. In addition, greater coherence and predictability in global financial and commodity markets are also important if developing countries like Sri Lanka are to reach MDG targets.

The MDGs are global cross-cutting goals that require the cooperative efforts of Governments, international organizations, the private sector, academia and civil society around the world. In that task, it is essential that developing countries and their development partners, working in partnership, recommit to fulfilling their obligations and responsibilities as set out in the Millennium Declaration. Let us pledge once again, at this midpoint, that we will make every effort to make this planet a congenial place for all to live by the year 2015.

Mr. Ripert (France)

France endorses the statement made this morning by the Slovenian presidency on behalf of the European Union.

In 2000, our heads of State and Government recalled their conviction that the major challenge ahead was to ensure that globalization became a positive force for all humankind, in particular by creating a climate conducive to development and the elimination of poverty. The definition of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) contributed to that objective by placing the individual at the heart of development policy.

Significant progress has been made, but the global assessment at the halfway mark is mixed, as was emphasized yesterday. If efforts are not stepped up now, the gaps will continue to widen between regions of the world and even within countries where improvements have been made, further marginalizing significant parts of the world's population. I believe that there is broad agreement in that respect, as was established from the outset of our debate here by the Secretary-General.

We have been asked to give joint consideration to the manner in which we can collectively meet the challenges ahead in implementing the MDGs by 2015. There is no simple answer. It goes without saying that we must all remain active in implementing the commitments undertaken since 2000. That will necessitate reaffirming the global partnership for development involving all actors -- State and non-governmental, civil society, non-governmental organizations and local actors -- and making use of all tools available to the international community, including budgetary support, private investment and innovative financing.

My delegation wishes to stress three interdependent elements necessary to progress in combating poverty, promoting sustainable and shared economic growth, and fostering globalization that is more humane, more equitable and more responsible.

First, the MDGs will be achieved not through a uniform strategy, but rather through action responsive to the specific development needs of each region of the world, exploiting all the tools available to us. In particular, we must give priority to including in national strategies proactive measures that benefit the most vulnerable among us. In that regard, France reaffirms its resolve to assist, in its national capacity and within the European Union, the efforts of the developing countries themselves in that area.

Secondly, we must take full account of the fact that the MDGs are not factors for development per se, but rather indicators designed to guide the international community's activities. Those indicators cannot be addressed in isolation, for they are different facets of a single reality. The success of some determines that of others, requiring a comprehensive approach to development that is balanced between social and economic needs. How, for instance, can we reduce extreme poverty and combat hunger without taking into account the impact of health, family planning, water supply and the diversification of the economy? There can be no singling out of any specific MDG.

Moreover, achieving the MDGs is a long-term effort. It is the quality of the action undertaken to do so that will determine their sustainability, and that quality is inextricably linked to a systemic approach to development. How can we ensure that the results achieved in the implementation of the MDGs on infant mortality, maternal health and the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria are sustainable unless they are based on effective and comprehensive health-care systems?

That leads me to my third comment. The MDGs can be achieved only if the broader conditions for sustainable development are met. There is a need to ensure equitable and shared economic growth and good governance, including in particular the promotion of human rights and the establishment of the rule of law and gender equality. Without sustained economic growth and good governance, it will not be possible to create the conditions for a virtuous cycle that will allow us to entrench the results of projects and initiatives implemented. That is why the President of the French Republic recalled in Cape Town that France would maintain its financial commitment to the implementation of the MDGs, although in a more targeted fashion so as to promote the effective acceleration of economic growth.

Finally, the objective of sustainable and shared growth can be achieved only if we focus through mitigation and adaptation on the growing problem of climate change, the devastating effects of which have at last been recognized. Implementing the MDGs and meeting the great environmental challenges are two struggles that are closely linked and must be vigorously maintained.

Inaction is not an option. France will work intensively with all its partners to meet the looming deadlines in all the key areas of development, with an eye to the Accra forum on aid effectiveness, the Doha event on financing for development, the promotion of innovative financing, and the high-level meeting in September on Africa's specific development needs. We shall also work towards the full review of the MDGs scheduled for September. At stake is not only our common future, but also the credibility of our Organization.

Mrs. Asmady (Indonesia)

I would like to join previous delegations in thanking the President for convening this important thematic debate to assess international efforts to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This review is particularly relevant because we are at the midpoint of the time frame for the implementation of the MDGs.

Let me begin by aligning my delegation with the statement delivered at the 88th meeting by the representative of Antigua and Barbuda on behalf of the Group of 77 and China.

Attaining the MDGs is vital for all nations, because poverty and hunger do not respect national boundaries. Some regions have made good progress in realizing that global social contract. However, the inability of others to achieve the MDGs means that we should redouble our efforts. Such intensity is imperative at a time when climate change is threatening to reverse development gains everywhere. Strategies must now be refined and strengthened to ensure the achievement of the MDGs.

First of all, countries should adopt a pro-growth, pro-poor and pro-job development strategy. That will require policies that promote good governance, legal protection for investors, sound economic practices and the growth of infrastructure. Those are prerequisites for the achievement of the MDGs.

Developed countries should support national efforts by being reliable development partners. They can do so through free and fair trade, by increasing and ensuring official development assistance (ODA) and foreign direct investment and by sharing technology and benefits with developing countries in a way that strikes a balance between social responsibility and respect for intellectual property rights. In addition, comprehensive reform of the international financial, monetary and trading systems should be undertaken and accomplished within a specific time frame.

Secondly, social development goals should be placed on an equal footing with economic objectives and pursued with the same vigour. As a people-oriented process, development should result in well-educated and healthy people who can in turn contribute to national progress. In order to help developing countries mobilize adequate funds for those goals, developed countries must earnestly address the issues of debt relief and aid effectiveness. It is certainly true that many developing countries fail to fund education and health programmes because their budgets are being drained of resources by debt servicing. Emphasis should therefore be given to debt relief for education and health sector swaps.

Thirdly, the private sector should be encouraged to participate in cross-sector partnerships. With the help of the private sector, all children should complete a full course of primary education by 2015. By then, too, the number of people living under extreme poverty and hunger should -- 4 billion -- be reduced by half.

Fourthly, there is need for a new Marshall Plan to ensure economic stability and poverty reduction in developing countries. That new Marshall Plan should be financed by the 0.7 per cent ODA commitment. In addition, the new Jubilee 2000 campaign should be extended to cancel the debts of poor countries, to help them finance primary education for all. Indonesia also endorses international efforts to invest more on health systems and to increase the predictability of aid in the health sector.

Finally, the international community needs to fully implement the development resolutions of the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council. Those two bodies should sharpen their focus on the implementation of the MDGs.

At the national level, Indonesia is pursuing the MDGs on the basis of economic growth with social equity. As a result, economic growth last year was 6.3 per cent. We are aiming for 6.8 per cent this year. With improved finances, we are spending more than ever on education and health. Our goal is to ensure that at least 95 per cent of all children aged 7 to 15 years, especially female and poor children, obtain a sound basic education by 2009. To ensure quality education and high student-to-teacher ratios, we propose to increase South-South cooperation in the area of education. That is in keeping with a recommendation made by the seventh ministerial meeting of the Nine High-Population Developing Countries, which Indonesia hosted last month.

In the area of health, access and quality service for poor communities are being continuously improved. That is being done primarily through our programme of health insurance for the poor and by reducing the price of medicine, especially generic medicines.

In the past few months, we have witnessed and experienced high food and energy prices, which have been spiralling rapidly upwards. Faced with those trends, Indonesia, like so many other countries, finds itself struggling to cope with the enormous pressures being exerted by those changes. Governments everywhere are now being compelled to revise their budgets and make arrangements to widen social safety nets. We fear that the long-term impacts of those trends will severely limit the capability to achieve the MDGs by 2015, especially for developing countries. There will almost certainly be more poverty, increasing conflict and greater instability in many regions as a result of those unrelenting economic pressures.

In response to that challenge, effective global partnerships must become the norm. Weaker nations must be able to draw on the strength of more advanced nations. There must be closer collaboration between national and international decision-makers. Together, they must engage in vigorous collective action for the common good. That is the only way forward.

Mr. Majoor (Netherlands)

The year 2015 is coming closer, and we all know we are behind schedule. Millennium Development Goal 5 -- to improve maternal health -- is especially off-track. I would like to focus on that Goal, as progress on MDG 5 is crucial to achieving the other Millennium Development Goals.

A woman still dies from pregnancy-related causes every minute -- more than 536,000 per year, 99 per cent of them in the poorest countries. Worldwide, about 13 per cent of maternal mortality is due to unsafe abortions. In some countries it may even be more than 30 per cent. The financial loss to families, communities and countries has been estimated at more than $15 billion per year in, for example, foregone income and additional medical costs.

Maternal mortality could be cut by nearly three quarters by improving women's access to comprehensive reproductive health services, which includes preventing or managing abortion-related complications. Global recognition of the problem is growing. At the World Summit in 2005, the international community agreed that universal access to reproductive health should be achieved by 2015. The recent inclusion of this target in the MDG monitoring framework was long overdue, but it signifies a very important recognition of this important issue.

The issue of sexual and reproductive health and rights is a delicate matter, often surrounded by stigma and taboos. That might explain the lack of political will in some countries to really tackle the issue, as well as the fact that funding is still lagging far behind what is needed.

The main responsibility for achieving the MDGs lies at the country level. An excellent example of clear political will and concrete action is the Maputo Plan of Action. It provides a policy framework for sexual and reproductive health and rights for the African continent, in which African leaders committed to specific actions needed to achieve universal access to reproductive health. It would be interesting to hear from African colleagues as to where we are with the implementation of this plan.

International aid should support national efforts. Development assistance for maternal and newborn health was estimated at only $530 million in 2004. To get to the additional $5.5 billion needed to achieve MDGs 4 and 5 by 2015, donor funding will need to increase to more than ten times its 2004 level. While the gap in investment needed for maternal health may seem large, it represents a small fraction of global gross national product (GNP) and total development aid. The $5.5 billion annual shortfall is only 0.016 per cent of global GNP. Providing this small proportion of GNP annually by 2015 should be well within our grasp.

The Netherlands has declared equal rights and opportunities for women and girls, as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights, top priorities in its development cooperation framework. The Netherlands has allocated an additional $200 million to MDGs 3 and 5.

To achieve the MDGs we need innovative approaches. Governments cannot do it alone. Particularly for MDGs 3 and 5, the commitment of society as a whole is of crucial importance -- government, civil society organizations, the private sector, institutions of knowledge, religious institutions, labour unions and private persons.

The Netherlands' Minister for Development Cooperation signed almost 40 alliances with public and private partners. One example is an alliance for the production and marketing of a cheaper female condom. There is also a public-private partnership on MDG 5, signed by a group of 20 organizations like Flying Doctors, pharmaceutical companies and medical professional groups. Partners work together in smaller groups to develop concrete activities that lead to improved maternal and women's health.

To achieve this crucial MDG -- and I refer here also to the statement at the 88th meeting by the Minister of Slovenia on behalf of the European Union, a statement which we, of course, fully support -- we need further recognition of the issues, political will and action, at both the global and national levels, scaling up of aid efforts and an innovative approach involving new partners in development cooperation.

The General Assembly meeting on Africa's development needs on 22 September and the MDG event organized by the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General on 25 September will be two additional occasions to rally global support to achieve this critical goal of improving maternal health.

Mr. Fluss (Israel)

I wish to congratulate the President on his leadership of the Assembly and thank him for convening this important high-level thematic debate on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). I also wish to thank the Secretary-General for his message, as well as the chairs and panellists who participated in the informative and enlightening panels.

Over the past two days we have heard different approaches to assessing achievement of the MDGs. But as the President remarked, "The question is not whether the glass is half full or half empty. The issue is, how quickly are we going to fill it up?" Much emphasis has been placed on negatives, failures, and inadequacies. But we have much to learn from the success stories and from countries that are clearly on track. Those examples should give us strength and the confidence that we can achieve our goals.

Allow me to reiterate that Israel is fully committed to achieving the MDGs. We believe there is no single approach to overcoming the hurdles and there is surely no monopoly on good ideas. The way forward must include an increased effort in a variety of areas, including agriculture, food production, increasing efficiency, technology, capacity-building and training.

Much like the challenges they aim to overcome, solutions do not exist in a vacuum. The MDGs are not isolated variables but interconnected pieces of the same puzzle. Improvement in one area has direct benefit for others. Food production, for example, may address not only hunger, but also poverty, as an economic good and as a source of income, and health, as a source of nourishment. Awareness of the interlinkages among development activities will strengthen and increase the degree of their implementation and achievement.

For its part, Israel is exploring ways in which it can accelerate global development through its main development agency MASHAV -- the Centre for International Cooperation -- and through our engagement with partners and Member States at the United Nations.

During the recent main session of the General Assembly, Israel, along with like-minded States, introduced a draft resolution on "Agricultural Technology for Development" (resolution 62/190), which called on States to share information and know-how in this area. Those technologies could prove beneficial to regions suffering from climate change and other harsh conditions. As a hub of excellence in agriculture and water technologies, Israel will continue to promote implementation of this initiative.

Israel also recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the United Nations Environment Programme and is in discussions with UNICEF and the United Nations Development Programme for similar partnerships in Africa and Latin America to advance the achievement of the MDGs and the betterment of our world.

As an innovator in combating desertification, Israel hopes to help with the effects of desertification, which adversely impact poverty and hunger. This past December, Israel, in cooperation with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, hosted a week-long workshop for policymakers on desertification and land management.

Those activities are part of Israel's contribution towards addressing the threats posed by climate change -- a challenge that unites us all.

Lastly, capacity-building can be a key factor in improving health and education services. Training, creating and strengthening extension services, and increased collaboration among government, the private sector, civil society and non-governmental organizations as well as academia are the way forward.

Israel's exemplary programme Tipat Chalav -- literally "a drop of milk" -- is a national concept based on simple public health, family orientation and clinics on the community level. It has proven success in strengthening preventative care. Similarly, empowering resident doctors with additional skills, training and technology, where relevant, can help them provide better health care. Simple solutions are often the most effective ones.

Israel only recently transitioned from a developing nation to a developed one, giving us real experience and knowledge and placing us in a unique position to identify with the process of developing nations. We also affirm the importance of intergovernmental discussions and international development policies but remain committed to ensuring that these are translated into actual effective actions and measures that will elevate the standard of living of the poor on the ground.

To that end, Israel recently joined the Development Centre of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Our accession as a member will take place later this year. These efforts reinforce Israel's commitment to taking the initiative at the halfway point to redouble our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, particularly in the areas of poverty and hunger, health and education.

Development is a partnership that entails obligations and responsibilities for all. Israel supports the call to meet commitments on official development assistance and donor assistance, as well as to promote the importance of, and the need for, aid effectiveness, good governance, ownership, accountability, human rights and gender equality. Economic growth and economic policies are part and parcel of development.

It is no coincidence that the Hebrew word for charity, tsdaka, is also the word for justice. Caring and giving is our obligation and duty. Through it we affirm the bonds of our common humanity. Through it we promote peace and equality. Indeed, the ultimate goal of development is to bring about justice and create equality for all. That is Israel's approach to development and achieving the MDGs. We look forward to continuing to work together through that partnership.

Mr. Al-Najem (Kuwait)

I should like to begin by underscoring the importance of this debate and the crucial role of the United Nations in highlighting and addressing the issues and challenges of the day as part of ongoing international efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, especially given that we have passed the midpoint for the attainment of the Goals.

The United Nations Millennium Declaration and the adoption of the MDGs were a milestone in the history of the United Nations. The adoption of the MDGs constituted an unprecedented pledge by world leaders to address the issues of peace, security, development, human rights and fundamental freedoms in a comprehensive package. Unfortunately, over half of the world's population continues to suffer from poverty, hunger and disease, surviving on less than $2 per day. That situation requires a serious approach and a frank assessment of the obstacles confronting development in the developing world. We should also take into account new challenges, such as the serious rise in the cost of basic goods and food, and the challenges posed by climate change, with the increased risk of drought, floods and desertification. Given the important role of the agricultural sector in the economies of most developing countries, we must make additional efforts to highlight and develop it, especially in villages and rural areas, where most impoverished people who depend on agriculture for their livelihoods live.

Other areas too require greater attention, especially those relating to international trade -- in particular in the age of globalization and increased competition between States to enter global markets and promote their products and exports. That requires further efforts to develop the commercial capacity of developing countries through technical assistance and support. There are indications that developing countries that have made tangible progress in combating poverty and in improving standards of living are the same ones that have increased their capacity to enter global markets successfully.

It is now time to enhance the way in which we deal with those challenges and to meet the commitments to which we have pledged ourselves. In reviewing the efforts made and the achievements attained, we can identify a great need for further financial resources to support and finance projects and programmes needed to achieve our goals. This requires expediting fulfilment of financial pledges by all donors, as well as further efforts by developed countries to allocate no less than 0.7 per cent of their gross national product (GNP) to official development assistance (ODA). That would enhance the chances for success in the face of all those challenges, including by providing the necessary financing.

Furthermore, past experience in combating poverty and hunger shows that achievements in one area have positive effects on other MDGs. For example, success in providing drinking water and improving health and education has a positive, concrete impact on reducing poverty and hunger. Yesterday's discussions on poverty and hunger and education and health therefore rightly pointed to the importance and positive aspects of linkages between those areas.

The State of Kuwait has made much progress in translating the commitments and decisions agreed at the 2005 World Summit into reality. We are in a position to achieve most of the MDGs by the deadline that has been set. In fact, several years before 2015, we have already attained some of the Goals, including those relating to the elimination of extreme poverty and hunger, universal primary education and the sub-goal of gender equality at all educational levels, reducing infant and child mortality, improving maternal health and combating AIDS, malaria and infectious disease.

The State of Kuwait fully realizes that development partnerships constitute both an important development and a Goal to be achieved. The State of Kuwait is doing its utmost to achieve and support that Goal, especially by proving assistance on concessional terms through the Kuwait Development Fund, which was established 46 years ago to finance projects in the areas of agriculture, energy, water, transportation, communications, education and health. In addition, Kuwait provides over $14 billion in support for social funds and national development banks. More than 100 developing countries have already benefited from that assistance. Since the adoption of the Millennium Declaration, in 2000, the Fund has stepped up its efforts to finance projects that contribute to the implementation of the MDGs, including in the areas of education, health and the protection of the environment. The Fund also contributes to reducing the debt burden of heavily indebted poor countries through the framework launched by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in 1996, which was enhanced in 1999. That is in addition to the grants and technical assistance provided by the State of Kuwait directly to developing countries, as well as to its contributions to regional and international development institutions. As a percentage of our gross domestic product, the total ODA provided by the State of Kuwait to developing countries has reached a level twice that of the 0.7 per cent target set by the United Nations.

The State of Kuwait is also committed to providing annual voluntary contributions to many specialized international organizations and agencies. Last year, we provided $300 million to the Islamic Development Bank for the elimination of poverty in Africa.

In order to help achieve sustainable development, the State of Kuwait pays close attention to environmental protection in general and to issues related to climate change in particular. We have thus endeavoured to implement a number of projects to limit emissions and mitigate their effects locally. We have also allocated $150 million to support research on the environment and energy sources, within the framework of the fund established at the recent Riyadh summit of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

In conclusion, I wish to reaffirm the commitment of the State of Kuwait to continue to make every possible effort to assist in the achievement of the important objectives of achieving sustainable development, eliminating poverty and hunger and guaranteeing a life of security, stability and prosperity.

Ms. Espinosa (Ecuador)

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