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New York, New York
April 1, 2008
Thank you for that warm welcome. And thank you President Kerim for inviting me to be here.
It's always great to be back at the UN because this is where the most important work in the world is happening. The Millennium Development Goals are a reflection of that work and your commitment.
If we don't make progress on the MDG's, we're going to have more war and conflict. Recent studies have confirmed what our instincts tell us - peace and poverty have a strained relationship. If we end poverty, the world will be a more peaceful and secure place.
Ending poverty will also help the global economy. Any businessman or woman worth their salt knows that leaving 30-50 percent of the world's people out of global trade and commerce makes no sense - especially in today's integrated global economy.
If we achieve the MDG's we've got a shot to preserve the Earth's life support systems. Good planets are hard to find and without one, we can pretty much forget about the future.
Peace, prosperity and pollution provide the rationale for the MDGs and also help explain how interdependent we are in the 21st century. That's why the eighth MDG - calling for a Global Partnership for Development - is probably the most important. It reflects the fact that the fates of all people and nations are linked. Unless we can help the world's poor create a better life, no one's prosperity can be secure.
In an interdependent world, we all have roles and responsibilities to fulfil. Donor nations have to honor their commitments to provide the support needed to achieve the MDGs. Seven-tenths of one percent of the Gross National Product for development assistance is not unreasonable - in fact it should be a donor floor, not a ceiling. It also is not unreasonable to expect recipients to make smart choices, adopt policies of good governance and assure that money is being well spent.
But in today's world, the global partnership needed to achieve the MDGs extends far beyond governments. We can't successfully address the world's great global challenges unless businesses and NGOs, philanthropic leaders and the faith community work together.
Ten years ago, I founded the...