Excellencies Heads of State and Government;

Mr. Ban Ki-moon Secretary-General of the United Nations;

Honorable Heads of  delegations;

Excellencies,

Members of the MDG Award Committee;

Distinguished Guests,

Distinguished Representatives of sponsoring organizations;

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is indeed a privilege to be among such esteemed company on an occasion that recognizes and celebrates the very best in all of us.

All of the award winners tonight have clearly shown what happens when we harness the very best of ourselves with the express purpose of working towards a fairer and more sustainable future; toward something bigger than ourselves

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The theme for this evening proceedings ‘MDGs: the Global Heartbeat’ could not be more timely. 

Rarely have so many organizations from global to grassroots agreed on a common agenda. Rarely have so many individuals, citizens, CEOs, celebrities, philanthropists and political leaders found such common ground. This show of global solidarity provides us with an unprecedented and golden opportunity to finally END POVERTY once and for all.

On Monday, world leaders will convene at the United Nations for the Millennium Development Goals 2010 Review Summit.  It will be an opportunity to take a clear-eyed view of the progress achieved so far, and at the challenges that continue to confront us 10 years after the historic pledge made by 149 Heads of State at the UN’s Millennium Summit in 2000 and five (5) years until the 2015 deadline. 

We are indeed at the crossroads.

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Since we are here tonight to acknowledge achievement, allow me to share with you some brief remarks on the global progress achieved since the Millennium Declaration was signed.  I believe that one of the key tools we have at our disposal today is experience. We know what works, and as we move closer to the deadline, we should share and build on our successes.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, an estimated 925 million people will go hungry this year, a worrying figure indeed. These are 925 too many.

There has also been a significant stride made towards Millennium Development Goal 2, which urges universal primary education for children everywhere. I am particularly pleased to report that three million more children are in school in Ethiopia today and in Tanzania, education is nearly universal, as the result of governments’ increased expenditures on education.

Increasingly, women are slowly making inroads into the political arena. In Rwanda, female Parliamentarians now comprise the majority  of 56 per cent of the Lower Chamber, the highest figure in the world.

Here, affirmative action continues to be the key driver of progress for women.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The global under-five mortality rate has dropped by a third.

The good news is that these estimates suggest 12,000 fewer children are dying each day around the world compared to 1990.

Globally, maternal mortality was reduced by 1/3 since 1990.

The global response to AIDS has demonstrated tangible progress toward the achievement of MDG 6.

However, we should be clear that this show of optimism evades the 1 billion people living in Africa, particularly those living in the most vulnerable LDCs, 33 of which are in Africa.

The stark reality is that maternal deaths in sub-Saharan Africa are unacceptably high. A woman in sub-Saharan Africa has a 1 in 16 chance of dying in pregnancy or childbirth, compared to a 1 in 4,000 risk in a developed country

The negligible progress of the world most vulnerable countries, the group of 49 Least Developed Countries is a personal concern of mine, and I believe should be a concern  of all of us gathered here this evening.

Let us be clear that without strong international partnership and support, the LDCs will not meet the targets despite their increased efforts through reforms destined to sustain economic growth and social progress.

I am of the strong belief that the MDGs cannot be reached globally without accelerated progress in the LDCs.

What is needed is enhanced international support that aims at pro-poor growth and structural change in LDCs to achieve the MDGs in a sustainable manner. Specifically this could include support for productive capacity building and private sector development including the agricultural sector, employment creation, infrastructure development. Innovative initiatives are a necessity both in terms of financing, institutional framework and capacity building.

In less than a year the Fourth United Conference on the Least Developed Countries will take place in Istanbul, Turkey. This global meeting is expected to build on the MDG Review Summit and deepen our commitment to ensuring that the LDCs are not left behind.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The MDG Awards emphasizes that, in order to reach these globally recognized goals, a true partnership must be forged between governments, civil society and citizens.

The winners tonight embody the essence and spirit of the philosophy that underpins the Millennium Development Goals.

These examples demonstrate clearly that despite limited resources, political will coupled with leadership, determination and innovative decision-making can make a significant difference.

I would encourage and urge other nations to emulate these success stories.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The next five years will be critical in achieving the MDGs by 2015.  Much has been accomplished, but much more still needs to be done.

We need more than rhetoric.

It is vital that the positive energy surrounding the MDGs is translated into action. The Millennium Development Goals provide the best available framework for fulfilling the promise by world leaders at the summit in 2000 to ‘spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty”. As leaders meet for next week’ summit in New York, they have the historic opportunity – and responsibility – to deliver on that promise.

I thank you for your kind attention.