United Nations’ Panel of Experts

Manila, Philippines – THE United Nations (UN) is looking beyond 2015, the target year for achieving the anti-poverty targets set in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It has created a high-level panel, composed of eminent men and women from all regions of the world, to coordinate efforts to improve people’s lives beyond the 2015 target date.

“I have asked my high-level panel to prepare a bold yet practical development vision to present to Member-States next year. I look forward to the panel’s recommendations on a global post-2015 agenda with shares responsibilities for all countries and with the fight against poverty and sustainable development at its core,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The Panel of Experts was formed in response to the call by the 193 UN Member-States for open, inclusive consultations, concerning civil society, the private sector, academia, and research institutions from all regions, in addition to the UN system, to advance the development agenda beyond 2015. Its work will be closely coordinated with that of the inter-governmental working group tasked to design Sustainable Development Goals, as agreed at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) held in Rio de Janeiro in June 20, 2012.

The eight MDGs, agreed on by Member-States as well as 23 international organizations at a UN summit in 2000, set specific targets on poverty alleviation, universal primary education, promoting gender equality and women empowerment, lowering child mortality, maternal health improvement, environmental stability, and building “Global Partnership for Development.” A 2012 MDG study showed that progress has been made in some areas, with three important targets met three years ahead of 2015. With three MDG targets achieved, global partnership for development is key to 2015 success, the study said.

We wish the United Nations, headed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and the High-Level Panel, led by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain, as well as Panel Members, Queen Rania of Jordan; former German President Horst Kohler; Tawakel Abdel-Salam Karman, the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate; Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas; former Japan Prime Minister Naoto Kan; Graca Machel Mandela; three Foreign Ministers – Kim Sung-Hwan of South Korea, Patricia Espinosa of Mexico and Maria Angela Holguin of Colombia; two Finance Ministers – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria and Emilia Pires of East Timor; and from the corporate world, Paul Polman, the Dutch Chief Executive of Unilever; and Betty Maina, Chief Executive of Kenya’s Association of Manufacturers, all the best and success in all their endeavors . CONGRATULATIONS AND MABUHAY!