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| Executive
speeches
Executive Director Carol Bellamy introduces
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown
Friday, 10 May 2002
It's a real pleasure and honor to be here
this morning with Chancellor Brown. Few leaders in the
industialized world have demonstrated the commitment
to children's issues that Gordon Brown has.
It is vitally important that we have this kind of leadership
from donor governments. It has become crystal clear
that no real progress can be made toward poverty reduction
and toward peace and stability without first investing
in children.
World leaders embraced this principle when they adopted
the millennium Summit Goals two years ago. They embraced
it again at the Monterrey Conference on Financing for
Development a short time ago. And at this Special Session
on Children, there has been virtually no conversation
in which investment in children has not been named as
a specific and urgent priority.
In short, we know what we have to do - and why we have
to do it.
How to do it is another question.
In his speech this morning, Gordon Brown challenged
donor countries to take bold action to finance development.
This includes opening up their markets to goods from
developing countries, driving forward with real and
substantial debt relief, and significantly increasing
ODA.
Ensuring that this money is used wisely, transparently,
and put toward basic social services is also essential
to success.
We have examples of countries that have shown leadership
- that have picked up the gauntlet.
Just yesterday, at this Special Session, the president
of Peru pledged to reduce his government's military
spending in order to redirect the funds to basic social
services for children. This is a fantastic initiative.
Also yesterday, the Norwiegan Minister of Development,
Hilda Jonsson, called for the G-7 to join what she called
the "G-point-7" group. In other words, it's
a call for the G-7 to join those countries that have
firmly committed themselves to devoting point-7 percent
of GNP to overseas development assistance.
Gordon Brown has gone a long way toward making that
happen with his commitments to changing the way business
is done. His leadership has proven to be crucial. We
are extraordinarily proud to be a partner with him.
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