Address by the President of the Slovak Republic at the Un Summit on Millennium Development Goals in New York, 22. 9. 2010

Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

The United Nations High-level Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals is taking place at a time of exceptional global challenges. In the immediate aftermath of the global economic plunge, this summit lends us an opportunity to confirm the determination of the developed countries to participate in the development of partner countries. In my view, it can give a new impetus to our debate on the experiences from the process of achieving the MDGs, as well as the lessons learned from the global crisis.

In this new situation, Slovakia attaches utmost importance to the fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals. They reflect the most sensitive problems of our global world which, unless addressed, will foil any endeavour aimed at achieving sustainable security, social and economic stability, and quality of the environment on our planet. Their successful achievement will create favourable conditions for the efficient pursuit of the principles of protection of human rights and freedoms, whose absence makes the building of a just and prosperous society impossible.

The achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and sustainable development, including the economic development of our partner countries, is conditional upon national ownership and good governance in the developing countries. Each country is responsible for its own economic and social development; therefore, all national development policies and strategies must respect this basic principle, and all domestic resources must be effectively mobilised and utilised to this end.

The progress achieved so far shows that the fulfilment of these goals is uneven in geographical and thematic terms. Moreover, the goals are intertwined – the fulfilment of one is contingent on the fulfilment of others. Progress is lagging behind primarily when it comes to Goal No. 1 (eradication of extreme poverty and hunger), No. 2 (universal primary education – mainly the gender aspect of access to education), No. 3 (gender equality – chiefly the empowerment of women) and, in particular, when it comes to Goal No. 5 (maternal health). Serious challenges in this regard persist in Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, and in the least-developed countries, in general. On the other hand, we have been hearing good news from southern, south-eastern and eastern Asia, where robust economic growth is fuelling poverty-reduction endeavours across the region.

I am sure most of us will agree that, based on a thorough analysis of the situation in the poorest countries of Africa, or of the world for that matter, the key task is to support economic growth and the creation of new jobs in developing countries. Of no lesser importance are the efforts to improve the environment for good political governance, eliminate corruption and prevent armed conflicts. Two-thirds of the countries with the biggest difficulties in achieving Development Goals are those countries which have recently gone through, or are currently going through, an armed conflict;

I wish to highlight the importance of domestic efforts to be made by partner countries. In order to increase domestic revenue, it is necessary to improve tax administration and the transparency of tax policies, combat tax evasion, and create ample conditions for the inflow of foreign direct investment. One of the problems lies in the continued failure to reach an agreement in multilateral trade negotiations and thus the remaining barriers hinder the access of developing countries to world markets.

Climate change is the reason that the issue of food security is becoming increasingly important. Natural disasters have thrown millions into extreme poverty and hunger. I believe it is necessary to continue investing into education and into the area of healthcare (vaccination, in particular). The still-high maternal mortality in the countries of the Sub-Saharan Africa is particularly alarming.

Slovakia supports efforts to reduce and, eventually, eradicate gender inequalities – the woman aspect is of key importance to the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, since women represent two-thirds of those living in extreme poverty. This is why Slovakia welcomes the recent establishment of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and appreciates the UN endeavours in the field of gender equality.

For the Millennium Development Goals to be achieved in all countries, it is necessary to look for ways of ensuring more efficient financing, with particular emphasis on the key role of the private sector. The recently held 3rd world conference of parliamentary speakers confirmed that, already within the framework of debates concerning the drafting of national budgets, national parliaments should exert pressure and actively encourage national governments to honour their countries’ commitments towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Mr. President,

the Slovak Republic is aware of its share of responsibility borne by the industrialised nations for global development. Within the framework of its medium-term policy for Official Development Assistance, Slovakia annually allocates specific funds designed to support developing and transforming countries despite our tight budgetary constraints. And we are determined to uphold this policy going forward. Although the ODA thus provided is not huge in terms of volume, our partner countries highly appreciate the activities and results achieved thanks to our funding. This is essentially thanks to the efficient system of aid provision, based on profound knowledge of local conditions and identification of needs in the partner countries.

As an example, let me mention the area of southern Sudan where Slovakia contributes, under Goal No. 2, to the effort aimed at reducing illiteracy through gender equality-based projects for the education of children and adults. Other projects in the area focus on the prevention of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. In Kenya, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Uganda, Zambia and Haiti, the development projects sponsored by Slovakia deal with the provision of comprehensive health and social care to those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, thus contributing towards achieving Goal No. 6. The main objective of these projects is to provide decent living conditions to HIV negative newborns, and improve the quality of life of HIV positive mothers, children and adults. A significant part of the aid provided by the Slovak Republic has been directed towards achieving sustainable development, mainly in Kenya, Afghanistan, Mozambique and Mongolia. Slovakia’s development aid is focused on the most vulnerable and the poorest segments of society.

I wish to emphasise that the provision of development aid is not solely a matter for the national government, but rather a cause for all components of civil society. The government of Slovakia is in regular discussions with all stakeholders and places a particular emphasis on building awareness in order to win broad popular support for these activities.

Mr. President,

In conclusion, I would like to effusively thank those representatives and delegations which have been actively involved in the preparation of the final document of this summit for their work and effort. I believe that the document will give a strong impetus to all towards mobilising the necessary effort and resources for the final stages of the process leading to the fulfilment of such important and noble resolutions of mankind, as the Millennium Development Goals undoubtedly are.

Thank you for your attention.