Sugary Words At The UN Development Cooperation Forum Must Translate Into Action If We Are To Reach The Millennium Development Goals
The United Nations Development Cooperation Forum, meeting yesterday and today, has seen some progressive rhetoric on development, but as the second day of this crucially timed event gets under way, civil society platform BetterAid[1] asks whether the UN member states can go beyond well-intentioned statements and translate words into action.
UN Headquarters
30 June 2010
‘What are the causes of the gap between words that are being spoken in rooms like this, and the action on the ground, which is what matters?’ said Ingrid Srinath from civil society organization Civicus and BetterAid, speaking on the panel yesterday.
The current crises are structural and multiple. Women are hit the hardest, but responses have ignored this reality. It is crucial that debates around development cooperation include women’s rights groups and other CSOs. The legitimate space for this discussion is at the UN-DCF,’ said Anne Schoenstein from BetterAid.
‘Institutions driven by the rich like the G20 and G8 have sat in the driving seat when it comes to decisions affecting development. The UN offers a more democratic alternative that challenges the status quo, but governments must make more concrete commitments taking human rights into account if we are to have any hope of reaching the Millennium Development Goals by 2015,’ says Paul Quintos, from BetterAid.
For more information and interviews, please contact:
Clare Birkett, BetterAid, +1 6463712842 or cbirkett@eurodad.org
[1] BetterAid is a diverse global platform that brings together Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that engage in development cooperation. It enables their voluntary pro-active participation in dialogue and policy influencing opportunities on a wide range of issues to deepen aid and development effectiveness.
Visit www.betteraid.org for more information.