Latest News

• 28 July: Latvia has answered the Call to Action, bringing the total number of state signatories to 47
• 17 June: Netherlands has answered the Call to Action.
• 18 June: Lithuania has answered the Call to Action.
• 22 July: Democratic Republic of Congo has answered the Call to Action.
• The Department for Economic and Social Affairs has launched a website for the High-level event.

Background

In January 2008, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and President of the General Assembly Dr. Srgjan Kerim announced their intention to host a High-Level Event on the MDGs at UN Headquarters in New York on 25 September.

This event will follow on the success of the April 1-2 “High-Level Event on the Millennium Development Goals: Recognising the achievements, addressing the challenges and getting back on track to achieve the MDGs by 2015”.

The 25 September High-Level Event will encourage forward-looking initiatives and urge Member States to join with the private sector and civil society to establish proposals that are deliverable and provide concrete results. The event will focus on the implementation of existing development commitments and will build on the General Assembly’s 22 September “High-Level meeting on Africa’s development needs”, creating a “year of action” on the MDGs.

At the High-Level Event, world leaders will have the opportunity to collaborate with leaders from the private sector, faith groups, NGOs and foundations through multiple roundtable discussions and partnership events, including events highlighting issues of access to adequate water and sanitation, reducing maternal mortality, the fight against malaria, universal primary education, and the reduction of global poverty and hunger.  The day will culminate the Secretary-General’s summary of the day’s events, highlighting commitments made and initiatives enacted that will seek to reenergize the efforts of the international community to achieve the MDGs by 2015.

Outline of the Day

The 25 September High-Level Event on the MDGs will be a day-long event running parallel with the 63rd General Assembly General Debate and will immediately follow the 22 September High-level meeting on Africa's development needs.  Deputy Secretary-General Asha-rose Migiro recently briefed Member States on the proposed format of the day:

8:45-10:00am Opening Plenary- General Assembly Hall

*The Opening Plenary will feature interventions from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the President of the General Assembly and a selection of heads of state/government.  A specially prepared video on the MDGs will also be shown.

10:00am-1:00pm Roundtable Discussions

I. Poverty and Hunger (MDG 1)
II. Education and Health (MDG 2,4,5,6)
III. Environmental Sustainability (MDG 7)

*Issues of Gender equality (MDG 3) and creation of a global partnership for development (MDG 8) will be cross-cutting issues, addressed in all three roundtables.  United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) is leading on preparations for the day.  A background note by the Secretary-General with five sections (one for each of the three themes of the round tables as well as for the cross-cutting themes) and supporting background documentation, including the Report of the MDG Africa Steering Group, the Report of the MDG Gap Task Force and the MDG Report 2008, will be available to facilitate dicussions. 

3:00-5:30pm Continuation of Roundtable Discussions

5:30pm-6:00pm Closing Plenary- Trusteeship Council

Partnership Events

In addition to the thematic roundtables, there will be numerous partnership events both inside and outside of UN Headquarters as well as throughout New York City.  These partnership events will be dynamic occasions that will bring attention to many important subjects and will seek to raise the profile of key issues that fall under the MDGs.  It is ancticipated that these events will showcase many concrete commitments and tangible action plans presented by Member States, bolstering the overall outcome of the event. Member States, NGOs and representatives of civil society are presently in the process of establishing and organizing many partnership events.  Those that are well under way include:

• 24 September, 1-3pm: Meeting on Water and Sanitation, hosted by the governments of Japan, Tajikistan, Spain and the Netherlands (Trusteeship Council)

• 24 September, 4:30-7pm: World Business Awards, sponsored by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) (location TBC)

• 25 September, 1-3pm: Gender Equality Event, hosted by the government of Denmark (UN Delegate’s Dining Room)

• 25 September, 1-3pm:  Panel to launch Global Malaria No More Business Plan, hosted by the Gates Foundation and Secretary-General’s Special Advisor on Malaria, Mr. Ray Chambers (Millennium Plaza Hotel).

Outcome

The primary outcome of the High-level event will be the Secretary-General's summary of the way forward, based on the discussion in the three roundtables, taking into account the opening segment and outcomes of key partnership events organised in the margins of the High-level event.  There will also be a compilation of the outcomes of the key partnership events, reflecting fresh and renewed commitments, and announcements of new initiatives and action by stakeholders.  These outcomes will be posted on the website for the High-level event.

List of Call to Action Signatories

The UK has been driving an international campaign in support of the UN Secretary-General's efforts to accelerate progress on the MDGs this year.  This is the current list of those countries who have joined the coalition and answered the Call to Action to address the global "development emergency" and to get the MDGs back on track for 2008: (updated 24 June). 

Australia	Ethiopia	Nepal	South Korea
Bangladesh	Finland	New Zealand	Spain
Belgium	France	Nigeria	Sweden
Brazil	Germany	Norway	Tanzania
Bulgaria	Ghana	Poland	Turkey
Canada	Hungary	Portugal	Uganda
Chile	India	Romania	United Kingdom
China	Ireland	Rwanda	United States
Cyprus	Italy	Saudi Arabia	VietNam
Denmark	Japan	Slovakia
DRC	Lithuania	Slovenia
Estonia	Malta
Ethiopia	Mexico
European  Community	Netherlands