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6. Carol Bellamy stated that she was pleased that UNICEF and the
UN system had acted decisively in recent years to improve the way
in which the challenges were addressed. She also noted that the
reforms in the UN system had been part of a larger paradigm shift
in which all development partners at country level were working
more closely together. Further she stressed that although totally
obscured by a recent and unfortunate focus on scandal and sensationalism,
the UN system had gone and continued to go through a process of
internal reform and governance changes that were making it a more
effective institution for addressing the threats facing the children
of the world.
7. Carol Bellamy explained that as with all major innovations,
the UN was going through changes in both process and culture. The
mechanics of reform initiated by the Secretary General and driven
by the General Assembly resolutions were in place. There had also
been dramatic progress in this area over the last few years. There
had for example been the creation of a single UN system wide development
ethic, embodied in the UN Development Group. The system had also
seen the coming together of UN humanitarian agencies in the Executive
Committee on Humanitarian Affairs and joined by NGOs in the Inter-Agency
Steering Committee to offer a collective response in crisis situations.
Furthermore, the system had seen the closer integration of development,
humanitarian, human rights and political actors in complex emergencies
and in the prevention of armed conflict.
8. There had also been the creation of a framework of instruments
at the country level - the World Bank and IMF Poverty Reduction
Strategy Papers (PRSPs) and the UN's Development Assistance Frameworks
(UNDAF). There had also been a focus of the world community on poverty
eradication and the Millennium Development Goals and the recognition
of the leading role played by governments of developing countries
and their need for appropriate capacities; the need to increase
the role of civil society and recognition of the importance of the
private sector in many areas of endeavour. Moreover, as a result
of the Monterrey meeting, new resources had been pledged, which
were now being realised, in addition to the acceptance of new instruments
and the concept of partnership with obligations upon both recipients
and donors.
9. In continuing, Carol Bellamy noted that the changes proposed
by the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change were also
relevant. The Panel proposed an enlargement of the Security Council
and a revision of the criteria for membership; a greater consideration
of conflict prevention issues in the design of development programmes
as well as the consideration - in a more integrated manner - of
the issues of crisis, conflict and development. She also noted that
the Security Council was already addressing issues such as HIV/AIDS,
children in armed conflict, the effect of armed conflict on women
and civilians in general, the role of the private sector in conflict,
as well as calling for the Secretary-General to 'name and shame'
violators of child rights in armed conflict situations.
10. Carol Bellamy stressed that within this broad sweep of change
and revival, there was an extraordinary opportunity for the world
community to achieve unprecedented progress for children. UNICEF
and the UN system had changed dramatically in terms of the way that
they operated and would continue to do so. However, she noted that
it would not be possible for them to act alone and that they needed
the support of governments and others to complete the job in hand
through more than a reaffirmation of a report but action and commitment
to sustained future action.
11. Carol Bellamy emphasised that this would require resources
and while the MDGs were better funded than any other initiative
of recent times, supporting all low-income countries in filling
their MDG financing gap would require donors to double today's ODA
to GNP ratio for the period up to 2015. She stressed that this global
level of GNP was 'doable', was well below past agreed targets, and
had already been accomplished by an increasing number of donors.
12. She also indicated that this would also require action on a
group of Quick Win actions, for example those identified by the
Report of the Millennium Project team and the 16 life-saving steps
identified by The Lancet public health panel. Among these key actions
were free mass distribution of bed nets and anti-malarials, ending
user fees for primary schools, expansion of school meals programmes,
universal tetanus vaccination and others. Carol Bellamy indicated
that these quick wins could serve as entry points for on-going sustainable
development.
13. There was however a need for more emphasis on conflict prevention
and transition which was always less costly than crisis response
and less destructive on human lives and property. To be effective
there was also the need to recognise that most existing conflict
prevention mechanisms developed over the years assumed conflict
between states, while most conflict today was within states. It
was therefore necessary to make appropriate adjustments.
14. In closing, Carol Bellamy stressed that for the first time
in history, the world had the practical means, the resources and
the institutions to end extreme poverty. The political and operational
frameworks were also in place. She argued that all that was needed
was action which would follow the exercise of political will. This,
she said, would require governments at all levels, civil society,
the private sector, the UN system and Bretton Woods Institutions
to work even more closely together in order to save tens of millions
of lives and enable billons more to enjoy the benefits of the rapidly
growing global economy.
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