UN to hold special MDG summit in September
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The United Nations (UN) will convene a special Millennium Development Goal (MDG) summit along with the opening of the General Assembly this September, UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon said in Addis Ababa Sunday.
"There is not much time to the 2015 deadline (of the MDG), but still much distance to travel," Ban said when addressing the opening ceremony of the 14th summit of the African Union (AU) here in the Ethiopian capital.
Obstacles such as the global recession, energy crisis, food insecurity and climate change are making development more difficult, Ban noted.
Although markets may be rebounding, the MDGs are not just numerical targets, but hold the share commitments for ending extreme poverty, hunger and disease and ensuring sustainable development for all, Ban said.
The September summit will mobilize support for scaling up MDG successes and pay attention on gaps that need urgent action such as the protection of women and children, Ban said.
To this end, apart from the encouraging South-South cooperations, traditional donors should also continue shoulder the responsibility to deliver their promises, Ban noted.
According to Ban, the summit is also expected to emphasize action in priority policy areas such as employment generation, especially in the agricultural sector. Special efforts should also be made to invest in women and girls, saying that "when we empower women, we empower Africa."
Echoing the theme of the AU summit "Information and Communication Technologies in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for Development," Ban highlighted the potential of knowledge and technology, including ICTs, in the realization of the MDG.
"The mobile phone and wireless broadband are already revolutionizing Africa's businesses, banking, education, and health sectors. That should expand," he said.
At the MDG summit, discussions will also be held on building a coalition for action in achieving the MDG, which "are everyone's business and must become everyone's pursuit," Ban said.
The UN chief urged the world to seize the critical moment and aim for the global adoption of a practical, dynamic, accelerated action agenda for the realization of the MDG.
The three-day AU summit, held under the theme "Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Africa: Challenges and Prospects for Development," gathered heads of state and government of more than 50 AU members to assess the achievements and challenges of Africa's ICTs sector, and map out relevant development strategies.
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