United Nations, New York, 24 November 2004 - UN officials, Representatives of UN Member States and the Civil Society gathered recently at the United Nations Headquarters to launch the Millennium Development Goals Global Watch (MDG Global Watch), a newcomer in the world of civil society organizations devoted to overseeing the implementation of key recommendations adopted at major international conferences and summits of the United Nations.

The launch of MDG Global Watch coincided with the opening of its exhibition on "Millennium Development Goals: Making it Happen" which will be open until 3 December 2004. The exhibition is being held in the hall of the UN Secretariat building near the main cafeteria and is executed with the collaboration of the United Nations Staff Recreation Council Friendship Club and the support of Global Knowledge Partnership, World Youth Peace Summit, Project Harmony and the United Nations Associations of the Dominican Republic, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago.

Very encouraging was, that at the same time the General Assembly considered the report of the Secretary General on the follow - up of the outcome of the Millennium Summit (A/59/545) and held discussions on "integrated and coordinated implementation of and follow - up to the outcomes of the major United Nations Conferences and summits in the economic, social and related fields".

"Progress must be made on a much broader front, otherwise the ringing words of the Declaration will serve only as grim reminders of the human needs neglected and promises unmet" , timeless words of the Secretary General, which were once again underlined at the Launching.

The speakers at the launching/opening of the exhibition included Ms Carolyn Hannan, Director of the Division for the advancement of Women in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs; Mr. Jun Abraham, Youth Coordinator of MDG Global Watch; and Ms Virginia Hazzard, Representative of the NGO Committee on Ageing. They respectively addressed the audience on the topics, "Towards Achieving the MDGs: the Role of Women"; "Youth Role in Achieving the MDGs"; and "Older Persons and the MDGs".

Ambassador Irma Loemban Tobing Klein, Team Leader of MDG Global Watch and former Permanent Representative of Suriname to the United Nations welcomed the speakers and the participants. Recognizing a number of officials in the audience, she urged member-countries, civil society, and all other development partners to join forces, and declared that the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by every country of the planet will take humankind to a new leap of progress at this very beginning of the new Millennium. She invited the MDG Global Watch team and the audience to shout together "Making it happen" , which is the motto of the new civil society organization.

A panel discussion held from 1:15 to 2:45 pm in conference room 5 on the theme "Millennium Development Goals: 4 Years later" completed the launching and opening of the exhibition of MDG Global Watch. Ambassador Mr. Denis Dangue Réwaka, Permanent Representative of Gabon to the United Nations chaired the panel discussion and delivered an opening address. The participants to the panel discussion were briefed on the ongoing efforts to achieve the goals and the challenges laying ahead by a group of outstanding panellists including: Ambassador Francis Lorenzo, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic; Mr Henri Raubenheimer, First Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of South Africa; Ms Leslie Wright former CONGO Vice-President and Coordinator of the Latin America and Caribbean Seminar on the MDGs in Santiago de Chile, 1 – 4 June 2004; Ms Florence Deacon, Representative of Franciscan International and Chair of the NGO Sub-Committee for the Eradication of Poverty; and Ms Florence Chenoweth, Director of the FAO Liaison Office with the United Nations.

The panellists made presentations on efforts underway in Latin America and Caribbean Countries; and in Africa under the banner of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). They also stressed the contribution of civil society and the role of agricultural development in the achievement of the goals. Emerging from these presentations questions were raised by the participants, and answers provided, indicating that positive results have been recorded in many countries and right steps taken in others such as the Dominican Republic where a presidential commission on the MDGs has been established. There was also underscoring of the fact that civil society is getting active on working toward meeting the goals. However, a Herculean task lies ahead with the United Nations system at the forefront to assist member-countries and ensure that the promise made at the Millennium Summit is kept. Civil society organizations such as MDG Global Watch therefore have an important role to play.

Presentations of panellists and other statements made at the launching/ opening of the exhibition of MDG Global Watch are being collected for inclusion in the organization's website: www.mdg-globalwatch.org

MDG Global Watch is a New York based 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 societies around the world, 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 goals and to publish annually a report on progress made towards achieving the goals. It has undertaken the task of building a network of joint national focal points and working groups in the 191 member-countries of the United Nations.