Following are
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the Special High-Level
Meeting of the Economic and Social Council with the Bretton Woods
Institutions, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations
Conference on Trade and Development, in New York, 12 March:
I am pleased to welcome you all to the United Nations.
The world has changed dramatically since the last time we met, one year ago.
The Arab awakening showed the power of people to write history.
Those who took to the
streets were mainly youth. Women were at the forefront. All of them
were risking their lives. Too many died for freedom and democracy.
Their basic yearning for rights and dignity reverberated around the world.
Your meeting should address global stability in the broadest sense.
Poverty, discrimination and violence feed on each other.
You have chosen to focus
on two critical themes that can help break this vicious cycle: 1)
promoting economic growth, jobs and trade; and 2) financing sustainable
development.
First, jobs. Employment
is critical. We urgently need policies that generate jobs. Decent jobs
which pay enough for people to survive and thrive.
Decent and productive jobs
do more than protect families from hunger and suffering — they create a
generation of consumers. People with purchasing power who can drive up
demand. Policies should support the small and medium-sized companies
that generate the most employment and income opportunities.
Official development
assistance also remains vital. And we need to pay more attention to the
principles of responsible borrowing and lending.
Second, financing
sustainable development. Now is the moment for decisive action. It has
been 20 years since the first Earth Summit. The stakes are rising. We
have 100 days to Rio+20. One hundred days to a once-in-a-generation
opportunity. We must agree on sustainable solutions to build the future
we want — for the environment, the economy and equity.
You in this room have the power to help make Rio+20 a success. I urge you to engage.
Sustainable development
means nutrition for poor children, safe drinking water, health care in
communities. And sustainable development demands policies that boost
economic growth without degrading our environment.
We can unlock progress on
all of these fronts with policies that spark progress on green
technologies. This is the cutting edge of innovation.
People need access to technology — with help to make the best use of new advances.
I also call for progress
on sustainable energy. My Sustainable Energy for All initiative sets
three clear targets for 2030. First, ensure universal access to modern
energy services. Second, double the rate of improvement in energy
efficiency. And third, double the share of renewable energy in the
global energy mix.
This can help us turn the
tide on climate change. But to do that, we also need to reach the
agreed target of $100 billion a year in public and private funds for
mitigation and adaptation.
We meet at a time of global uncertainty.
Declining prospects for
economic growth, particularly in developed countries, are threatening
the fragile recovery from the world financial and economic crisis.
At the same time, there is
little improvement in global labour markets. Youth unemployment remains
exceptionally high around the world. Last year, nearly 75 million
youth were unemployed.
By investing in people and clean technologies, we can create jobs and finance sustainable development.
I will follow with
interest your discussions on these important issues. And I hope you
carry them forward on the road to Rio and beyond.
source: un.org
