Agro Perspectiva

At aid forum, Ban urges countries to not turn their backs on the world’s poor

01.12.2011 08:03 "Agro Perspectiva" (Kyiv) — While speaking at the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan in the Republic of Korea (ROK) yesterday, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged countries today to fulfill their aid commitments and invest in the world’s poor, adding that success will only be attained if donors unite their efforts and ensure their financial support is accountable, flexible and country-driven. Mr. Ban emphasized governments must not let the global economic crisis keep them from supporting those most in need. «Do not let this economic crisis, do not let short-term austerity deflect you from your long-term commitment to the world’s poorest people,» he said. «Cutting aid will not balance your budgets. But it will hurt the poor — the most vulnerable of the human family.» Mr. Ban said aid should be seen as a smart investment in security and prosperity as it will help create jobs and expand markets. He stressed that this is particularly relevant for countries that are in transition from conflict. However, he also said countries receiving aid must be equally responsible for the resources they are given, and ensure that they set clear development priorities and strategies so there can be a visible impact in their societies. Enhancing transparency, cracking down on corruption, creating incentives for private investment and entrepreneurship, and engaging with civil societies should all be part of their aid effectiveness strategy, Mr. Ban said. Mr. Ban also addressed business leaders, underscoring the importance of their skills, ideas and dynamism to make a difference in poor countries through their partnerships with governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Mr. Ban also said he had asked the UN system to develop and Integrated Implementation Framework to facilitate the monitoring of global commitments to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and their delivery. The goals which include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, the achievement of universal primary education, promoting gender equality, combating HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and improving women and children’s health, have an achievement deadline of 2015. Mr. Ban also spoke at the Private Sector Forum, where he further emphasized the role that businesses can play to support growth in the least developed countries, especially during times of financial austerity, by creating jobs and being drivers of innovation. «Governments have to set the stage, with the right regulatory frameworks and incentives, but the private sector and civil society can help deliver. The private sector can truly be the backbone of growth,» he said, giving examples of private initiatives that are contributing to economic development in poor countries. «Soft-drink manufacturers are helping to distribute clean water. Pharmaceutical companies are reducing the cost of medicines and vaccines. Cellular-phone companies are helping put women in remote areas in touch with doctors and nurses to get the care they need,» admitted Mr. Ban.