The Economic and Social Council this morning opened its Operational Activities Segment and held a thematic panel discussion on “the current economic, food and climate change crises and their effects on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals: the role of the United Nations system’s support to national efforts”. It also heard an introduction of the reports of the Secretary-General to the segment.

Carmen Maria Gallardo Hernandez, Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council, opening the segment, said the Operational Activities Segment was crucial to reflect on how the United Nations could help countries face the current multiple crises while at the same time keeping the compass on the realisation of national priorities, the Millennium Development Goals, and the internationally agreed development goals.

Sha Zukang, Under Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, introducing the reports of the Secretary-General to the Council’s Operational Activities Segment, said this segment covered the operational realities, experiences, and challenges facing the United Nations system in supporting more than 130 programme countries in achieving their national development agendas. The discussions should provide direction for further efforts and improvements across a range of areas – from financing to capacity development, coherence and coordination through the resident coordinator system, country-level capacities of the United Nations development system, and simplification and harmonization of the United Nations system procedures.

Ms. Gallardo Hernandez, opening the thematic panel, said as the world was focused on the economic crisis, it should not lose sight of the fact that the food crisis and climate situation had continued to erode hard-won development gains. The United Nations had risen to the challenges.

The panellists in the panel discussion were Luis Reyes, Senior Economist with the Government of the Dominican Republic; Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific; Staffan De Mistura, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme; George Dragnich, Executive Director for Social Dialogue of the International Labour Organization; Jessica Faieta, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in El Salvador; and Jim Butler, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization.

Luis Reyes, Senior Economist with the Government of the Dominican Republic, said an analysis of the economic performance of the Dominican Republic over the last decade and achievements made in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, particularly on poverty, gave good insight into the experiences of a developing country. The pro capita of Gross Domestic Product had increased at a rate of 4 per cent, which showed a 2.4 per cent average growth rate, which was the highest for Latin America and the Caribbean region countries. The pace of growth accelerated in the last two decades. Given the modest pace of expansion, it was expected that instead of progress, setbacks would be recorded in key social variables such as job creation and poverty reduction in particular.

Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, said the financial crisis in developed countries and the unprecedented economic crisis it had given rise to, meant that hard-fought development gains were in danger of being rolled back. Asia-Pacific could see an additional 60 million people fall back into poverty this year alone. The number of people affected by natural disasters in the region was nearly 50 per cent more than the global average. The major and most immediate concern today was that of rising unemployment.
Staffan De Mistura, Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme, said there was a strong message sent by the G8 meeting in Italy, which had allocated $20 billion to help countries affected by the current crises. He recalled that food prices had risen in recent months, resulting in hunger riots taking place across the world. Food prices were 20 per cent higher than they should be. He emphasized the need for further work on food security, adding that the World Food Programme advocated for the promotion of local agriculture by increasing incentives to buy locally.

George Dragnich, Executive Director for Social Dialogue of the International Labour Organization, said at the start of the decade, using 1990 as a baseline, Member States committed themselves to cut by half the number of people whose income was less than one dollar a day, and suffered from hunger. The Annual Millennium Development Goal Report of 2007 was able to note that the proportion of people living in extreme poverty fell from nearly a third in 1990 to nineteen per cent by the end of 2004. The world was facing a multidimensional, global crisis that called for a coherent global response. "One UN" was, more than ever, an appropriate objective.

Jessica Faieta, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in El Salvador, said El Salvador was the smallest country in Latin America, but heavily populated. Poverty rates had increased 10 percentage points in the last two years, and the rates of malnutrition had seen a decrease in the last year despite the achievements made. The social budget, which increased in 2008, had now stagnated due to fiscal restraints, and household expenditure on health and education was likely to decrease as well.

Jim Butler, Deputy Director-General of Food and Agriculture Organization, said they initiated a programme in late 2007 to allow the organization to respond to the food crisis, and continued to work within the Comprehensive Framework for Action of the United Nations High-Level Task Force, while developing programmes and initiatives under the Food and Agriculture Organization’s own Initiative on Soaring Food Prices. Notwithstanding the recent food, fuel and financial crises, several countries had realised remarkable progress towards the achievement of the hunger-reduction goals, including in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

In the ensuing interactive discussion, speakers said that despite the progress made by developing countries, commitments to increase the provision of resources had not been fulfilled. There was a commitment to collaborate on international resource mobilization, but the international financial environment was still not transparent, stable or predictable. Today 1 billion people went hungry in the world, with the number increasing in the context of the economic crisis, hitting those that were most vulnerable and poorest. Hunger and underdevelopment afflicted mankind. Food and food security were of concern, and as such the G8’s commitment to allocate $20 billion to those efforts was welcomed. It was of utmost importance that developing countries were encouraged and assisted on a path of sustainable development. Coherence and coordination of policies and actions between the United Nations, international financial institutions and the relevant regional organizations should be strengthened. Aspects of job creation should be included in the response to the crisis through policy and actions taken, such as the “Global Employment Pact”.

Speaking in the discussion were representatives of Sweden (on behalf of the European Union), Sudan, Iraq, El Salvador, Norway, Venezuela and the United States. Also speaking was a representative of the Arab Commission for Human Rights.

This afternoon ECOSOC will reconvene at 3 p.m., when it will hold a dialogue on UN system funding.

Reports

The Economic and Social Council has before it the report of the Secretary-General on results achieved and measures and processes implemented in follow-up to General Assembly resolution 62/208 on the triennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system (E/2009/68), which highlights achievements and issues emanating from the implementation of resolution 62/208 and presents progress on actions and targets by the UN system to implement the resolution. Overall, there have been significant advances in implementing the triennial comprehensive policy review since the 2008 session of the Council. Continuous progress has been made in improving system-wide coordination and mobilizing the wider capacities of the UN system at all levels through the streamlining of inter-agency governance and management structures as well as the development of mutual accountability frameworks, tools, common programming operational documents, and common resource mobilization and funding instruments. The report also notes that further progress needs to be made in supporting UN Country Teams in such areas as capacity development, in using South-South cooperation as a modality for programme delivery and improving coordination, and support structuring in situations of transition from relief to development. The combined economic, food security, and climate change crises are threatening development, and challenge the United Nations system to provide strategic and cohesive support to governments.

The Council also has before it the report of the Secretary-General on the functioning of the resident coordinator system, including its costs and benefits (E/2009/76), which assesses progress in the functioning of the resident coordinator system since the 2008 report and reviews participation and support to the functioning of the resident coordinator system by the United Nations organizations. The report, moreover, places a special focus on coordination in countries in crisis and post-crisis situations, taking into account the multiple roles of the resident coordinator in those situations. It also provides an update on the funding of the resident coordinator system, and indicative benefits of coordination, including harmonization. In conclusions and recommendations, the report notes that while resident coordinators are expected to function on behalf of the United Nations system as a whole, and are subject to performance review by various agencies, there is a need to build on the resident coordinator system management and accountability system to clearly identify resources and contributions by members of the United Nations system in support of the resident coordinator system and to balance mutual accountability between the resident coordinator and United Nations country team members through a more reciprocal process.

Operational Activities Segment Opening Statements

CARMEN MARIA GALLARDO HERNANDEZ, Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council, opening the segment, said the agenda of the Operational Activities Segment was extremely timely and relevant this year, as the session took place at a time when many countries were looking to the United Nations to help them respond to the global financial and economic crises and address its impact on development, in the context of the food crisis and the long-term impacts of climate change. The convergence of these various crises cast a shadow over the timely achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally-agreed development goals. Meeting these commitments was more urgent than ever if the international community was to help shelter developing countries from the worst impact of the crisis. This pressing "obligation to act" applied equally to the United Nations. The Operational Activities Segment was thus crucial to reflect on how the United Nations could help countries face the current multiple crises while at the same time keeping the compass on the realisation of national priorities, the Millennium Development Goals, and the internationally agreed development goals.

The rich palette of reports before the Council gave a snapshot of the range of actions undertaken by the United Nations system to ensure that the United Nations continued to forge ahead in implementing the 2007 Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review of the United Nations system. A special focus would be placed this year on the resident coordinator system, financing, human resource challenges at the country level, and simplification and harmonisation. This mapping of how the United Nations system was going ahead in implementing each aspect of the Review would greatly facilitate the work of the Council in guiding and overseeing the implementation of the guidance of the General Assembly. The agenda and work programme of this segment had been designed to help the Council achieve this task.

SHA ZUKANG, Under Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, in his introduction of the reports of the Secretary-General to the Council’s Operational Activities Segment, said this segment covered the operational realities, experiences, and challenges facing the United Nations system in supporting more than 130 programme countries in achieving their national development agendas. The world had to seize the opportunity, during this time of crisis, to revisit what had been overlooked or neglected; to undertake systematic changes that reflected more equitable arrangements; to develop creative solutions to pursue their goals in more cost-effective ways: to mobilize greater resolve to attend to the needs of the poor and vulnerable; and to identify specific time-bound actions for addressing top priorities, with clear accountabilities for getting things done. The discussions during this segment should provide direction for further efforts and improvements across a range of areas – from financing to capacity development, coherence and coordination through the resident coordinator system, country-level capacities of the United Nations development system, and simplification and harmonization of the United Nations system procedures. To support the work of the Council during this Operational Activities Segment, the Secretariat had prepared six reports mandated by the General Assembly resolutions on the triennial comprehensive policy reviews of operational activities for development.

The first report highlighted achievements and issues in the implementation of the Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review resolutions over the last two years, and also pointed to a range of areas where further progress was needed (E/2009/68). The second report focused on the functioning of the resident coordinator system, including its costs and benefits (E/2009/76). The third report identified challenges associated with dealing with multiple human resources policies and procedures across the United Nations development system at the country level /E/2009/75). The fourth report provided a comprehensive statistical analysis of financing of the United Nations system’s operational activities for development (A/64/75-E/2009/59). It showed that a total value of contributions received by the United Nations system for operational activities in 2007 amounted to $19.1 billion, which was a 2.4 per cent increase in constant US dollars over 2006. The fifth report responded to a mandate of the 2004 Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review, requesting the Council to undertake a comprehensive triennial review of trends and perspectives in funding for development cooperation. It gave a snapshot of the rapidly changing landscape of financing for development. South-South cooperation was taking on growing importance, as were regional development banks. Last but not least, the sixth report covered actions taken by the executive boards and governing bodies of the funds, programmes and specialized agencies toward simplification and harmonization (E/2009/61). It focused, Mr. Zukang said, on three themes highlighted by the 2007 Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review: namely, harmonization of cost-recovery policies; rationalization of United Nations country presence; and simplification and harmonization of rules, procedures and business practices.

Thematic Panel on the Current Economic, Food and Climate Change Crises and Their Effects on the Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals: the Role of the UN System’s Support to National Efforts

Opening Statement

CARMEN MARIA GALLARDO HERNANDEZ, Vice-President of the Economic and Social Council, welcoming delegations and panellists to the thematic panel on the current economic, food and climate change crises and their effects on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals: the role of the United Nations system's support to national efforts, said the world was entering a major economic downturn caused by the financial crisis in the mature markets. This crisis aggravated the challenges in tackling the global food crisis and climate change, and cast a shadow over the timely achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Developing countries, with heavy dependence on export, remittances and aid were particularly vulnerable to the economic crisis; they were also ill-prepared and inadequately equipped to address these challenges, simply because of their lack of capacity and resources. The most vulnerable groups in developing countries were the first to feel the shock. The multiple crises had taken heavy tolls on the well-being of people.

As the world was focused on the economic crisis, it should not lose sight of the fact that the food crisis and climate situation had continued to erode hard-won development gains. The United Nations had risen to the challenges. In response to the food crisis, it had been working closely within the Comprehensive Framework for Action of the High-Level Task Force on the global food crisis under the leadership of the Secretary-General. The collective efforts at the global level would contribute to the coherent and effective response of the United Nations at the regional and country levels. The panel was a unique opportunity to inform the Council of results and challenges of the important undertakings at the country level, thereby facilitating the Council's guidance in this regard in line with the Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review. She was hopeful that by the end of the discussion, the panel would have come up with some focused and actionable proposals for the Council's consideration.

Statements by Panellists

LUIS REYES, Senior Economist with the Government of the Dominican Republic, said an analysis of the economic performance of the Dominican Republic over the last decade and achievements made in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, particularly on poverty, gave good insight into the experiences of a developing country. The pro capita of GDP had increased at a rate of 4 per cent, which showed a 2.4 per cent average growth rate, which was the highest for Latin America and the Caribbean region countries. The pace of growth had accelerated in the last two decades. Furthermore, during 2005-2008 the average growth rate reached 8.4 per cent. However, as a result of the global economic and financial crises, the growth rate projected for this year was only 3 per cent. Given the modest pace of expansion, it was expected that instead of progress, setbacks would be recorded in key social variables such as job creation and poverty reduction in particular. During those years the annual expansion rate of 3.4 per cent meant the unemployment rate dropped by 5 percentage points. During 2003-2004 half a million people fell below the poverty line and over 100,000 went below the extreme poverty line. This was happening when the economy on a whole was showing growth. The economic growth was 35 per cent, and unemployment had declined from 19 to 14 per cent. The high growth rate coupled with low employment rates had a limited effect on poverty reduction. It was only reasonable to expect an exacerbation of poverty. Lower growth was directly reflected by budgetary restrictions, as a result of the consequent drop in the tax revenues. Fiscal stress became greater as a result of the global economic and financial crises. Access to financial markets was closed off to countries without a good investment rating.

Despite the marginal contribution the Dominican Republic’s economy made to global warming, global warming and climate change would have an enormous effect on their country. Destruction caused by natural disasters, such as the hurricanes experienced in 2007 to forestry, fishing, road and tourism infrastructure, had had serious economic and social consequences, and caused a serious drop in the quality of life, with a 1.3 per cent drop in GDP for that year. The energy and food crises since 2007 until mid-2008, coupled with the global economic and financial crises, had meant that progress in combating poverty and hunger would slow down, and this also had direct effects on fiscal tension, in particular with the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, which was also a threat to sustainable development and in particular the International Agreed Development Goals, observed Mr. Reyes. The international community, the United Nations system and multi-lateral financing bodies had to safeguard and protect the advancement of the goals under the Millennium Development Goals. There had to be better coordination with national and international agencies. On financing development, the present context made it imperative to have resituate action for developing countries in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

NOELEEN HEYZER, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, said the financial crisis in developed countries and the unprecedented economic crisis it had given rise to, meant that hard-fought development gains were in danger of being rolled back. Asia-Pacific could see an additional 60 million people fall back into poverty this year alone. Even before the current crisis, though the region as a whole had made good progress towards many of the Millennium Development Goals, much more needed to be done, especially on health-related Millennium Development Goals. However, where the region had made considerable progress, there were disparities between the sub-regions, with more than 600 million people living below $1.25 a day in South Asia, and 380 million in sub-Saharan Africa. The number of people affected by natural disasters in the region was nearly 50 per cent more than the global average. The convergence of the economic, food and climate change crisis thus threatened to roll back the development gains and stop progress towards achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The major and most immediate concern today was that of rising unemployment.

The negative human impacts would last much longer than the crisis itself. The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, as a regional Commission, supported its Member States with sound strategic analysis, policy options, and technical cooperation to address key development challenges and to implement innovative solutions for region-wide prosperity, social progress and environmental stability. In tackling issues such as the economic crisis, the global level could be too diverse, and a single country context would not be conducive to implementing many of the policy options required to address cross-border issues requiring inter-country coordination. Most of the coherent policy dialogues, as well as policy action in the context of the present crisis, had been at the regional level. The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, together with UNDP and ADB, were engaged in a tripartite partnership to monitor Millennium Development Goal progress in Asia and the Pacific. The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific also promoted green growth by promoting a fundamental paradigm shift from current development approaches. The main focus was on capacity development, building consensus and sharing experiences at the regional level to promote low-carbon green growth. The convergence of the crises had brought an opportunity to take a fresh look at policies, and reshape the development agenda. By taking ownership of reviving their economies, developing regions could ensure that the recovery was built on an alternative development paradigm that was both inclusive and sustainable, and therefore much more supportive of achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. By doing so, the region could look forward to an era of shared prosperity, equity, social justice, peace, and human dignity for all.

STAFFAN DE MISTURA, Deputy Executive Director of World Food Programme (WFP), said there was a strong message sent by the G8 meeting in Italy, which had allocated $20 billion to help countries affected by the current crises. He recalled that food prices had risen in recent months, resulting in hunger riots taking place across the world. Food prices were 20 per cent higher than they should be, he said. Today, 66 million children were malnourished or suffering from malnutrition around the world. Faced with this food crisis, parents were trying to save money and sometimes they choose to withdraw their children from schools as a result. Victims of natural disasters had increased in recent years from 70 to 250 million people around the world, which Mr. Mistura stressed would have a big impact on food. He emphasized the need for further work on food security and WFP had advocated for the promotion of local agriculture by increasing incentives to buy locally.

It was now a challenge for the United Nations system to address the challenges faced. Now there was a chance, with $20 billion invested in this type of crisis to change approaches if properly directed. Food security needed to be addressed more, the idea of buying more food locally to encourage local production was one way to do this. For example in Palestine, food vouchers were introduced, which stimulated this type of measure. This was only the beginning and the World Food Programme was ready to do more. The World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development had an advantage being based in Rome, which meant that they could share information and dialogue with them. In conclusion, Mr. Mistura said when the United Nations worked together it did make a difference.

GEORGE DRAGNICH, Executive Director for Social Dialogue of the International Labour Office, said at the start of the decade, using 1990 as a baseline, Member States committed themselves to cut by half the number of people whose income was less than one dollar a day, and suffered from hunger. Just two years ago, mid-way before the target date of 2015, genuine, albeit uneven, progress could be catalogued. The Annual Millennium Development Goal Report of 2007 was able to note that the proportion of people living in extreme poverty fell from nearly a third in 1990 to nineteen per cent by the end of 2004. Cautiously, but optimistically, the Report concluded that if progress continued, the target would be met. The Millennium Development Goal Report published just last week warned that the current crises had jeopardised previous achievements. Earlier this year, the World Bank estimated that nearly 50 million people in the developing world would fall back into abject poverty. The ILO estimated that even if recovery began to take hold this year, a global jobs crisis of its current magnitude could linger for six to eight years.

The world was facing a multidimensional, global crisis that called for a coherent global response. "One UN" was, more than ever, an appropriate objective. The present crises should redouble the sense of urgency to pursue it; now was the time for the entire multilateral system to rethink the type of globalisation that was needed for a fairer, greener and more sustainable world. Beyond meaningful employment, the ILO was fully involved in meeting all the Millennium Development Goals and was committed to working with its partner agencies to achieve them. Last year, the ILO's annual conference adopted comprehensive recommendations to promote rural employment for poverty reduction, spelling out a policy framework to stimulate economic growth and social progress in rural areas. This year, the International Labour Conference focused on two main issues also highlighted by this year's report on the Millennium Development Goals: gender equality and HIV/AIDS. Here again, the workplace was key to improving the well-being of millions of men and women. The United Nations system had a comparative advantage: the capacity to deliver assistance to Member States according to their own assessed needs, without the overlay of "tied aid". The United Nations system needed to draw on this attribute as it worked with Member States and between agencies, funds and programmes to design joint programmes that could more quickly achieve critical mass, make a qualitative difference in people's lives, and address genuine needs. The ILO looked forward to working with interagency partners, donors, Member States and their societies to help put the Millennium Development Goals back on a growth trajectory.

JESSICA FAIETA, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in El Salvador, said El Salvador was the smallest country in Latin America, but heavily populated, with 6 million people living in the country and 3 million living outside the country. 17 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product came from remittances. It had very high unemployment rates, and was considered a middle human development country, with a poverty rate increase of 46 per cent. After 20 years of right-wing Government rule, the country was going through a historical transformational change with an incoming left-wing Government. As of 2007-2008 there were positive indicators, in particular the health Millennium Development Goals were on track despite being the most vulnerable in such times. In terms of achieving the Millennium Development Goals and addressing the challenges faced as a result of the economic and financial crisis, poverty rates had increased 10 percentage points in the last two years, and the rates of malnutrition had seen a decrease in the last year despite the achievements made. The social budget, which increased in 2008, had now stagnated due to fiscal restraints, and household expenditure on health and education was likely to decrease as well.

With regard to the United Nations efforts in El Salvador, Ms. Faieta said through joint efforts with the United Nations and the Government, an Interministerial Committee had been established, as well as a technical team coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme. She said with respect to the education Millennium Development Goal, there had been good results thus far, but considering it had the most impact on poverty in the long-term, as well as with the recent change in Government, education had to be further emphasized as a key area not to be abandoned. A costing exercise was implemented to find out how much this would cost, coordinated with the help of the United Nations Children Fund, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Development Programme and the World Food Programme. As a result of this exercise some of the difficulties in achieving this Millennium Development Goal related to keeping children in schools, identifying lowest performance schools, and the recognition of financial and human resources needed. Ms. Faieta in closing said the key success factors for the United Nations work in El Salvador were strong political commitment to the Millennium Development Goals at the highest levels; taking advantage of each United Nations agency comparative advantage; strong United Nations staff technical capacity; and the United Nations’ ability to engage and convene wide participation among United Nations agencies, Governments, and with donors.

JIM BUTLER, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), said the price of what it took to produce food had not come down, although the price of food had come down. Fertiliser prices were still high, and access to credit was still difficult for those producing the world's food, and storing and moving food continued to be a challenge. The FAO initiated a programme in late 2007 to allow the organisation to respond to the food crisis, and continued to work within the Comprehensive Framework for Action of the United Nations High-Level Task Force, while developing programmes and initiatives under the FAO's own Initiative on Soaring Food Prices. Notwithstanding the recent food, fuel and financial crises, several countries had realised remarkable progress towards the achievement of the hunger-reduction goals, including in Africa, Asia and Latin America, and the FAO had provided support to these countries in their efforts in a variety of ways, including in Ethiopia, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Afghanistan, Ghana, Mozambique and Laos.

The fight against hunger remained one of the greatest challenges in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Today, the world's attention was fully focused on the financial and economic crises, which increased unemployment and deepened poverty. It also contributed to the further marginalisation of the one billion people suffering from hunger and malnutrition in the world. The food security crisis would have long-lasting effects on the poor, and required no less attention than the financial crisis. The economic, political and social ramifications of prolonged global food insecurity also represented a threat to world peace and security, as was manifested in 2007 and 2008 by food riots in different countries in the world. FAO was therefore also a partner in the United Nations initiative on the financial and economic crisis. FAO estimated that there was a need for about a 30 billion dollar investment every year in order to deal with the food security problem - as of June this year, FAO had mobilised 385 million dollars for the soaring food price initiative. FAO was committed to eliminate hunger and find long-term solutions to the problems of food insecurity, so that everyone in the world was ensured the most basic of human rights - the right to food, and thus to existence.


Discussion

In the ensuing interactive discussion, speakers said donor countries had to reaffirm their commitment to support developing countries in meeting the Millennium Development Goals, and to achieve their respective official development assistance targets made. Despite the progress made by developing countries, commitments to increase the provision of resources had not been fulfilled. There was a commitment to collaborate on international resource mobilization, but the international financial environment was still not transparent, stable or predictable. Today 1 billion people went hungry in the world, with the number increasing in the context of the economic crisis, hitting those that were most vulnerable and poorest. It was of utmost importance that developing countries were encouraged and assisted on a path of sustainable development. Coherence and coordination of policies and actions between the United Nations, international financial institutions and the relevant regional organizations should be strengthened. What was the United Nations doing today together with the World Food Programme to try to deal with the environmental crisis which afflicted Iraq with the advent of sand storms? What commitments had been taken in the area of financing within the international community that would help developing countries achieve their Millennium Development Goals? Aspects of job creation should be included in the response to the crisis through policies and actions taken, such as the “Global Employment Pact”. Hunger and underdevelopment afflicted mankind. Food and food security were of concern, and therefore the G8 commitment to allocate $20 billion to those efforts was welcomed.

Concluding Remarks

LUIS REYES, Senior Economist with the Government of the Dominican Republic, responding to the comment by Venezuela, said in 2007 the Dominican Republic had benefited from financing amounting to $ 600 million. The Dominican Republic had benefited from more than one million dollars due to other initiatives. The subject of financing development should not boil down to the initiative taken by one single country - it was necessary for the leading countries of the world to shoulder a greater share of the responsibility. The attention of those countries should be drawn to the need for greater commitment to the funding and financing of development - they needed to live up to the commitments to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In the meetings of the G20 some initiatives had been taken on debt and improving financing - this did not live up to all Millennium Development Goal expectations.

NOELEEN HEYZER, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, said in terms of the Millennium Development Goals, time was ticking, and it was a race. There were six years left, and unless three things were done, the opportunity to create a more secure, peaceful and prosperous world would be lost. The root causes of the processes generating new poverties should be tackled - it was time to not just look at the generation of wealth and how to bring about new growth, but to look at how to manage risks and vulnerabilities, so people were not left to fall into poverty. With regards to the question from Norway, the coordination of the regional coordination mechanism was a mandate of ECOSOC, and this was in terms of monitoring and responding to the Millennium Development Goals in the country. In Asia-Pacific, there was one report, based on all the United Nations country-level reports, showing at the regional level which countries were on-track or off-track, and what remained to be done in countries. What had been developed from this monitoring system were clusters that could be used on a demand-basis when there was no capacity at the regional coordinator level to call upon technical support mechanisms. This had been found to be extremely helpful.

STAFFAN DE MISTURA, Deputy Executive Director of World Food Programme (WFP), said with regard to the question raised by Iraq, there had been in fact a substantial increase in the frequency and intensity of sand storms in and around Baghdad. These storms affected people’s psychology, and logistical and security measures. The Green Belt project that was created around Khartoum in Sudan produced a significant change in the region, which had experienced similar sand storms prior to the formation of the Green Belt. Such an initiative could be created in Iraq, through a joint venture, co-financed by Iraq, but this needed to be done quickly and through a green approach. Regarding the question raised on the joint presentation, every crisis was an opportunity to become one voice. The High-Level Task Force was an important signal in that direction, and was the best example of one voice. Regarding delivery as ‘one model’, he said they should not reinvent the wheel, the United States was right. On logistics, currently $402 million tax payer funds were being used in Africa. Again more should be done as the message now was development.

GEORGE DRAGNICH, Executive Director for Social Dialogue of the International Labour Organization (ILO), said the role of civil society was in the DNA of the International Labour Organization. The tripartite structure was an example of how this worked. Organizations and trade unions were already working on trying to set up a viable agricultural business in countries where there had not traditionally been one. The focus needed to be broadened beyond trade unionists and employers to include civil society as well. The right to food was a controversial concept, but with respect to the food riots mentioned, those who did not have they believed they had the right to food and would take to the streets to wreak havoc if they were not given that right. In addition to what had been said by panellists it was beholding to them to work more closely with other United Nations agencies on such matters.

JESSICA FAIETA, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in El Salvador, said on the issue of maintaining funding in times of crisis and strengthening delivery, this was a very important issue. Middle-income countries were often forgotten, as some of the donors either left or reduced their funding thereto. They were thus particularly vulnerable, as they did have large pockets of poverty, and some of the gains would be reversed if the funding was not maintained. On delivery, it was important that in these countries some capacities, including technical capacities at the Government level, did exist, but the help of the United Nations was needed to focus attention on policies and to strengthen technical capacity at the country-wide level. On food security, in El Salvador, there were focused policies, focusing on the national level, helping the country to develop policies with an impact on strengthening capacity for production, enhancing food security, and these were related to direct programmes and policies aiming at helping producers to increase their efficiency in terms of food production. There was a combination of efforts from the United Nations bodies, including FAO, UNDP and IFAD. On job creation, the Millennium Development Goal on education was very important in this regard. South-South cooperation was very important.

JIM BUTLER, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agricultural Organization, said for the first time in 30 years, food security was on the minds of policy-makers and the press, and it was necessary for countries to hold the United Nations system accountable to help them overcome this challenge. The system needed to work together more coherently and take advantage of the crisis, where much opportunity lay. This was an opportunity for the system to work together with civil society to a greater extent than it had in the past.



For use of the information media; not an official record

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