Mr. Wu Hongbo Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Secretary-General for the Third International Conference on Financing for Development
Opening Remarks
Regional Consultation on Financing for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean
Regional Consultation on Financing for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean
12 March 2015, Santiago, Chile
Your Excellency Heraldo Munoz, Foreign Minister of Chile,
Your Excellency Alicia Barcena, Executive Secretary of ECLAC,
Excellencies,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great honour to address this regional consultation on Financing for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean. Allow me to thank our hosts, the Regional Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Government of Chile, for their kind invitation and for organizing this very important event.
This meeting comes at a very timely moment. The co-facilitators of the preparatory process, Ambassador Pedersen of Norway and Ambassador Talbot of Guyana, are about to circulate the first draft of the Addis Ababa outcome document. Your consultation, which is the first of a set of regional consultations across the world, will provide a regional perspective to the intergovernmental deliberations that lie ahead of us, and will allow the priorities of the Latin America and Caribbean region to be fully reflected in the process.
Allow me to note also that it seems quite appropriate that the first of the regional consultations is held here, in view of the historic Monterrey Conference and the strong support that this region has always accorded to the Financing for Development process.
Excellencies,
As you know, 2015 is a year of global action, with the Financing Conference followed by the September Summit in New York to adopt the post-2015 agenda and the SDGs, and COP 21 in Paris in December for a universal climate agreement. Addis Ababa is the first of three major milestones that are likely to shape international cooperation for years to come.
Expectations are high. The financing framework and other means of implementation are critical elements of the post-2015 development agenda. The Addis Ababa Conference is an opportunity to spell out this comprehensive framework for implementation of the sustainable development agenda and the SDGs, and can also lay the groundwork for an ambitious agreement on climate in Paris in December.
I see three major tasks ahead of us that we have to achieve to make Addis a success. In each of them, the regional contribution will be critical.
First, we have to formulate a comprehensive financing framework for sustainable development. This framework must address the three dimensions of sustainable development in a balanced manner, with poverty eradication at its core. It must also be relevant to the implementation of the SDGs in all regions and income groups, and should seek coherence and maximize synergies with other financing streams.
Second, we need to reflect on the concrete deliverables that we intend to bring to the Conference. The level of ambition that the international community has shown in formulating the SDGs must be matched by an equally bold effort in Addis Ababa.
Third, if Addis Ababa is to support the implementation of the sustainable development agenda through 2030, the agreement must remain alive beyond 2015. Effective monitoring and mutual accountability are necessary at the national, regional and global levels. An important facet of the follow-up process will be in capacity building and experience sharing, and peer learning. I hope you will give thought to the regional element of a strong and meaningful follow-up process.
Last but not least, the highest level participation is one of the key factors to make the conference a success. I would like to take this opportunity to urge all of you here to mobilize the highest level participation from your region, including Heads of State or Government, relevant ministers, including ministers for finance, foreign affairs and development cooperation.
Excellencies,
As the Secretary-General of the Conference, I will do my utmost to ensure a successful Conference that is relevant to the countries and peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean. I look forward to our deliberations over the coming two days and wish you a successful meeting.
Thank you.