Norway to lead work on financing for the UN’s new development goals

“This is a challenging and important task that gives Norway an opportunity to help ensure that the UN’s new development goals are achieved,” commented Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende.

In 2000, the UN member countries agreed on eight Millennium Development Goals to make the world a better place by 2015. Some, such as the goal of halving extreme poverty, have been met ahead of time. However, there remain 1.2 billion people who are still living in extreme poverty.

The international community has now started work on the new sustainable development goals for the period up to 2030. The most important will be to eradicate extreme poverty. The work on financing for the new goals is also starting now, and it is this work that Norway, together with Guyana, is to lead.

“Norway has been asked to play a key role because we enjoy considerable credibility in the UN. We have relevant experience and have achieved good results in similar processes. This work will also strengthen our profile as a constructive contributor to an effective UN. Financing is vital for the achievement of the ambitious goals that will be set. This will be a test of the international community’s willingness to meet the new sustainable development goals,” said Mr Brende.

Official development assistance is important, but other factors will also be discussed. International investment, trade, illicit financial flows, good governance, debt cancellation and effective management will be on the agenda. It is also important that developing countries themselves give priority to development measures in their own budgets and that middle-income countries take on more responsibility for their own and other countries’ development.

“It is also important for Norway to highlight the obligations of rich countries in terms of aid. We must all do our share in this international team effort to bring about sustainable global development, but we must also be willing to think along new lines find new sources of financing. It is particularly important to achieve closer cooperation between the public and private sectors,” said Mr Brende.