Statement by HE Ms Frances Lisson, Chargé d’Affaires of Australia to the United Nations to General Assembly Thematic Debate on recognising the achievements, addressing the challenges, and getting back on track to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015
2 April 2008
(As delivered)
Thank you Mr President, and I would like to thank you for convening this meeting so that we can come together to take stock of our progress and galvanise our efforts to tackle the remaining obstacles to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Since the adoption of the Millennium Declaration in September 2000, the Millennium Development Goals have become a unifying force for international action to halve extreme poverty. At the mid-point to our target date, we must take the opportunity to reflect on how far we have come, what remains to be done, and how we can ensure that in 2015, we are in a position to celebrate the successful achievement of these significant development goals.
Mr President,
In our 2007-08 financial year, Australia will provide an estimated A$3.2 billion in aid - our largest ever investment in reducing poverty and achieving sustainable development. We are working with developing countries, particularly in our region, to support the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
Our Government is determined to increase the quantity and the quality of Australian Official Development Assistance (ODA). We will continue to increase our overseas aid program with the goal of providing 0.5 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2015-16. We understand the challenges that face donors in such a major scaling-up, however, this is not an empty promise; the Australian Government has taken steps to ensure we can achieve this target. Funding has been set aside in Australia's budget to support an increase in ODA to about A$4.3 billion by 2010-11 (almost US$4 billion), representing a doubling of ODA within four years.
In practical terms, this will mean greater investments in aid in key MDG sectors – health, basic education, water and sanitation, the environment and climate change.
We are focused on building well functioning education systems in order to achieve MDGs 2 and 3. Australia is working to build the capacity of our partner governments’ national education systems to enable more boys and girls to complete schooling and to improve the relevance and quality of education so that students can enter productive employment and contribute to the future development of their countries.
Health is another priority. We recognise that the maternal and child mortality goals are the furthest off track. And in response, Australia supports development projects which deliver essential maternal and neo-natal health services and strengthen health systems in countries with high mortality. We also note the findings of the Commission on AIDS in Asia last week which indicated that we are not currently on track to reverse the spread of HIV. Australia has made a substantial contribution to global efforts to address this, and to provide universal access to HIV prevention, care and treatment, and we will continue to do so.
Mr President,
While education and health are crucial, we also cannot forget the need for environmental sustainability in pursuing the MDGs. Although there has been good progress on improving access to safe drinking water in many countries, progress on the sanitation target in MDG 7 lags far behind. A priority for Australia is to improve water access and sanitation facilities across the Asia Pacific.
Climate change also poses a particular challenge to realising the goals. Having recently ratified the Kyoto Protocol, Australia is committed to assisting developing countries in our region to build resilience and adapt to climate change.
Mr President,
As we focus our attention towards 2015, the Millennium Development Goals will not be realised unless we move forward in alliance. Decisive action is needed from both developed and developing countries. Australia will be an active partner. We commend the MDG Call to Action launched in 2007 by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the Honourable Gordon Brown, which has created a strong force of global action involving all stakeholders – governments, the private sector, civil society and faith groups.
We also acknowledge the important role of the United Nations as our global partner in delivering development assistance and in supporting developing countries to implement their national development plans.
More close to home, Australia is firmly committed to working in partnership with our geographical neighbours to achieve the goals. Through the Port Moresby Declaration of 6 March 2008, the Prime Minister of Australia, the Honourable Kevin Rudd, recently committed Australia to a new era of cooperation with Pacific island nations, based on mutual respect and mutual responsibility to work jointly to meet the Millennium Development Goals, address our common challenges, and to raise the standard of living for people in the region.
Mr President,
Australia is committed to international efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and we accept the internationally agreed aid volume target of 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income for overseas development assistance.
Efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals should remain central to the global development agenda, and our focus should be squarely on the delivery of concrete and tangible results. There must be a greater sense of urgency on the part of all of us - it is time to accelerate our efforts. Australia looks forward to engaging further in collective efforts to attain the goals, including at the MDG Leaders Summit in September. We emphasise Australia’s commitment to working in partnership with you all in the months and years ahead to make the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals a reality.