General Assern bly
6sth Session
2 0 September 2010

High-level Plenary Meeting on the MDGs His Excellency Mr. Bens Stoltenberg, Prime Minister of Norway
President, Ten years ago I signed the Millen~lium Declaratio~l here in New Yorlc together with other world leaders. to We made pror~lises improve the livelihoods of millions of people all over the world. For the first time world leaders made concrete commitments to reduce poverty, to provide access to education. health and other basic services. We have fivc years to make good on these promises We have made progress. Hundreds of millions have been lifted out of desperate poverty. More children than ever before are in school. Millions of lives have been saved tluough vaccination and improvcd health services. clean water and bener sanitation. I-lowever, we are still lagging behind in reaching our goals. Our task is made even more challenging by the global financial crisis, by the dranlatic effects of climate change and by ttie international food crisis. And many countries have defaulted on their promises. More than one per cent of Norway's gross national income is allocated to developing assistance.

And we are committed to retaining this level.

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Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations, 825Third Avenue, New Yorlq NY 10022 Phone: (212) 421-0828 Fax: (212) 688-0554 www.norway-un.org

I encourage other countries to follow our example. Many have the capacity to do so, also in
difficult economic times.

I call on developing countries to mobilise more of their domestic resources.
By broadening the tax base. By fighting corruption. By increasing transparency and improving accountability. Illicit financial flows from developing countries is estimated to more than six times the total annual development assistance. This drain on vital resources for development must be stopped President. Norway is a staunch supporter of all the Millennium Development Goals We have taken on a special responsibility for the goals of reducing child nlortality and improving maternal health. These are the goals that are lagging behind the most. But they are within reach if the world makes an extra effort. It is in our power to save those millions of women and children by twenty fifteen. Save them from dying from easily preventable causes. Simply by providing basic health services, clean water and vaccines. Services that every child in developed countries receives as a matter of routine. This is why Norway has tripled its aid for global health since we met here ten years ago. President, We have worked with a network of global leaders to develop effective policies for maternal and child health. Policies that reward results. Donors and tax payers need to see results from their investments.

Partner countries must do their part. To access new and additional resources, they must develop their own health systems and deliver basic services to their own citizens. health of our nations. The health of our populations decides the econo~nic Health is a vital driver of development

I commend the Secretary-General for his leadership in bringing our collective efforts to a new level.
His Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health deserves our wholehearted support.

I call on all countries and leaders gathered here this week to support the strategy with concrete political and financial con~mitments.
President. The Millenniuni Development Goals cannot be seen in isolation from clinlate change, armed conflict and women's empowerment. All countries will be affected by climate change. But the most vulnerable, the poorest countries and peoples, those who have contributed least to the causes of climate change, will suffer most. It is in regions affected by anned conflict and violence that we have made the least progress. And we lcnow that the single most in~portant catalyst for change is women's empowerment pron~ises made ten years ago here in New York. Building on the We must honour our solen~n visions of the UN Charter, in which so much hope is enshrined.