The United Nations held its annual ministerial review, and Mr.Wu presented the 2014 ARM report of the Secretary General. Mr. Wu elucidated that the MDGs have been important in prioritizing development and creating momentum for their implementation. He then acknowledged that although there has been significant progress in meeting many of the goals and targets, achievements have not been equal among goals, countries and regions.

Further, Ms. Fukuda-Parr gave a report on the sixteenth session of the Committee for Development Policy (CDP), (E/2014/33, and Supplement No. 13). The CDP gave policy analysis and substantial recommendations on global governance and global rule. She explained that there are five principles crucial to guiding the reforms on global rules, namely, (i) Common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capacities, (ii) Subsidiarity, (iii) Inclusiveness, transparency and accountability, (iv) Coherence and (v) Responsible sovereignty. Ms. Fukuda-Parr concluded her statements by recommending that the council’s role to coordinate and guide initiatives of global socio-economic development should include an effective mechanism to monitor all development partners, including developed and developing countries, the private sector, non-governmental organizations and multilateral organizations.

Further, the representatives of Norway and Costa Rica concurred with Ms. Fukuda-Parr’s conclusion. Next, the representative of Costa Rica added that her delegation is interested in establishing a truly global development partnership that builds upon the Monterrey Consensus, the Doha Declaration on Financing for Development and the Rio+20 outcome. The three dimensions of Sustainable Development: Economic, Social and Environment, were at the top of the agenda for many delegates, such as the delegates of South Africa, European Union, Serbia, G77 and China, San Marino and Zambia. With conviction, these ministers and diplomats agreed that a balanced integration and implementation of the injunctions given at Rio+20 asserts the function of the council in achieving a balanced integration of the three dimensions.

Meeting: The afternoon session of the high-level segment of the 2014 session of the Economic and Social Council and the three-day ministerial meeting of the high-level political forum on Sustainable Development. The Annual Ministerial Review (AMR) “Addressing on-going and emerging challenges for meeting the Millennium Development Goals in 2015 and for sustaining development gains in the future”
Speakers: Introduction of the report of the Secretary-General: Mr. Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs; Introduction of the report of the Committee for Development Policy: Ms. Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, Vice-Chair, And Committee for Development Policy. General debate (rolling list), His Excellency Sacha Sergio Llorentty Solíz, Permanent Representative of the Plurinational State of Bolivia to the United Nations (on behalf of the Group of 77 and China); Her Excellency Olga Marta Sánchez Oviedo, Minister of Planning and Economic Policy  of Costa Rica (on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States); His Excellency Janez Potočnik, European Commissioner for Environment (on behalf of the European Union); His Excellency Ivica Dacic, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia; His Excellency Pasquale Valentini, Minister of Foreign Affairs of San Marino; Representative of Zambia, Representative of South Africa, and Representative of European Union.
Date: 8 July 2014
Location: United Nations Headquarters, NY, ECOSOC Chamber
Written by WIT Representative: Modou Cham