Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

First, I wish to congratulate Millennium Development Goals Global Watch (MDG Global Watch) for having taken the initiative to organize this panel discussion. This is a much needed debate even as many processes and well attended meetings have been held on the MDGs and important declarations made. The importance of achieving the MDGs for lifting the human condition around the world cannot be overemphasized.

Second, we have just witnessed the launching of MDG Global Watch, a newcomer in the civil society community, which can be likened to Human Rights Watch regarding human rights issues, Social Watch, a watchdog network monitoring poverty eradication and gender equality and LDC Watch, an international NGO that monitor the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries.

As it appeared in the materials it has released, I quote: "MDG Global Watch is a not-for-profit organization devoted to ensuring that every member-country of the United Nations meets the Millennium Development Goals. It focuses its action on mobilizing and galvanizing civil society around the world on the MDGs, on assisting, linking and monitoring national, sub-regional regional and global processes on the goals and on providing training on issues implied in, and arising from the operationalization of the goals. It plans to organize conferences, seminars and workshops on the MDGs and to publish annually a report on progress made towards achieving the goals. It will build a network of joint national focal points and working groups in the 191 member-countries of the United Nations". End of quote.

I wish every success and long life to MDG Global Watch. I commend Ambassador Irma Loëmban Tobing Klein of Suriname and her team of MDG watchers for having taken the initiative to set up this organization. Indeed, there is an immense need to bring civil society and the peoples of the world to take a strong stake in the work towards achieving the goals, to ensure that Governments step up their efforts and are held accountable, to raise loudly their concerns. Existing structures of the United Nations system cannot alone carry out this Herculean task. Their efforts should be complemented and supported by organizations such as MDG Global Watch.

Third, "much water has run under the bridge" regarding the MDGs. Some have found them ambitious and we are aware that they are not likely to be met within the timeframe agreed upon. We are also aware of the many challenges facing the world that divert efforts and lower the priority accorded to the goals. We are further aware of the need to provide countries, sub-regional and regional communities with practical expertise on how to integrate the goals in their respective action plans and ensure their achievement. These constraints, however, should not deter our resolve to make the achievement of the MDGs a resounding success for the world community. We need to work harder, to push harder. Only sustained efforts will bring success.

If this panel discussion could serve to enhance these efforts after taking stock of what is being accomplished, it would have achieved its goal, all the more so as there are some positive turns to build on: many countries have recorded success in achieving a number of goals; this success should translate in concrete improvement of the most vulnerable people in these countries. Next year in September, a Summit of Heads of State and Government will conduct a review of the achievement of the goals; during the review process that will culminate in the Summit, governments and civil society should practice real partnership in tackling the critical issues underlying the goals. As the Secretary –General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, has put it in a declaration in Rome in May this year, "these goals are measurable, they have unprecedented political support, and they are achievable".

I thank you for your attention.