Statement by
H.E. Mrs. Adiyatwidi Adiwoso Asmady
Deputy Permanent Representative
Before
The Informal Meeting of the Plenary on
the United Nations Millennium Project 2005

New York, 10 February 2005

Mr. President,

Allow me to begin by expressing our appreciation to you for convening this informal consultation to deliberate further on the UN Millennium Project 2005. We share the Jamaica's views, speaking on behalf of the G-77 and China, on the report and indicate our recognition that it is an important document which needs further discussion and Possible elaboration.

Mr. President,

There is little doubt in our mind that the report is well-intentioned and does indeed serve as a catalyst to encourage positive action at the international level to bring about change and progress in all regions of the world. In no way can the report be considered bold in its contents but perhaps it should have been more courageous in indicating exactly how it proposes to get countries to fulfil their commitments so that the MDGs can be achieved.

Not for the first time we have had a sound report on what should be done to make the future better for all nations of the world. And, certainly, almost all of the recommendations of the Millennium Project dovetail with the policies, plans and programmes of the developing world designed for economic and social progress. This is not to say that the report is perfect in every respect but merely to say that it easily meets the criterion of acceptability by most nations and regions.

However, we return to the issue of commitment closely linked to implementation. Our most urgent concern is how this report, which stakes a claim to being a practical plan to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, will move from the realm of ideas to the realm of action, both from developed and developing countries. On this critical matter, the report is silent.

We know that commitments have been made throughout the 1990s and even at the beginning of the 21st century but we are yet to see the decisive action that clearly demonstrates the good faith that accompanied those commitments.

Now we hear a great deal about donor fatigue. We see the resistance that is being made to the elimination of agricultural subsidies, the unwillingness to adjust the multilateral trading and financial systems and wonder whether optimism in such a global environment and atmosphere is misplaced. Nevertheless, we are not prepared to surrender to pessimism. Our wish is for the political will to be displayed and for the necessary action to be taken by those in a position to influence the course of global economic history. If the will is there, then the way forward can be found.

Mr. President,

Indonesia takes comfort in the outpouring of support and goodwill that followed the devastation occasioned by the tsunami in December. The evidence of that experience confirms the truth of the claim that the Millennium Project report could be given life sooner, certainly within the established deadlines, rather than later, at some uncertain point in the future.

That having been said, Indonesia wishes to point out certain factors that should be given serious consideration when implementing the Millennium Development Goals. In the first place, it may be unwise to equate development with achievement of the MDGs, which after all, cannot be all things to all nations. The scope for development should be much broader than the scope of a single report, because the wisdom and insights of the world cannot be concentrated in a single document, however detailed that document may be.

In this context, Indonesia would like to emphasize that the solution of all development problems should not be construed as being based on the achievement of the eight MDGs, despite their comprehensiveness. Focusing exclusively on achievement of the MDGs could possibly interfere with national timeframes set by developing countries to achieve their own specific development objectives.

Against that background, it may perhaps be a limitation of the report that it overlooks the reality of differences in the levels of development in the world community. Its expectation that all States, though differently endowed, should engage in the same range of development actions at the same time in order to qualify for development assistance to achieve the MDGs, may be unrealistic.

The hard fact of the matter is that while each State forms an integral part of the global community, it also bears separate distinct responsibilities to and for its people. The State's indispensable role in protecting the welfare of its population in the pursuit of social and economic justice should be complemented and not derailed by externally imposed goals and priorities. Every nation must always seek to develop itself by responding to national priorities that have been established by vigorous national debate and dictated by material circumstances, readily available resources and the capabilities and expertise of its people.

It would also have been helpful for the report to devote as much attention to matters of great concern to the developing world - such as the need for genuinely free and fair trade, poverty-inducing protectionist practices in developed markets, ways to resolve the debt crisis, effective arrangements for technology transfer, capacity-building and FDI - as it did to those issues that occupy the attention of the donor community.

Mr. President,

The report is also at risk of being misunderstood in some quarters and encountering resistance because of its heavy emphasis on developing countries' performance to achieve the MDGs, while little emphasis is placed on others to match those efforts in terms of their commitment. Like Jamaica, Indonesia too would like to express its concern about the issues of governance and political conditionalities to qualify for international support. These conditionalities may hamper the progress of development and could be viewed as unrealistic and unfair to developing countries.

Nevertheless, Indonesia sees the positive merits of the MDGs and knows that their achievement would be a positive contributing factor to development in every country where they are attained. In particular, Indonesia attaches importance to poverty eradication and hunger, ensuring environmental sustainability, and gender equality. Bearing in mind that these are all development issues of central concern to developing countries, the report could have elaborated more on these matters.

The recommendations of the report also stress the vital role of economic inputs for development. It cites the MDGs as "capital inputs" for economic growth and further deve10pment. However, the "social inputs" of the MDGs, in particular gender mainstreaming and better education for all, were not assessed in great detail. These inputs are equally important for the improvement of living standards in developing countries. However, in a world that is becoming ever more interdependent and globalized, external inputs can also be tapped for social and economic changes nationally.

Mr. President,

In this context, an important resource for the achievement of the MDGs not specifically mentioned in the Millennium Project report is South-South cooperation. At best, it provides little indirect support to broaden and enhance the landscape of South- South cooperation. South-South cooperation has been playing its pivotal role in addressing development problem in developing countries. Yet, it cannot progress well due to financial shortage faced by the majority of developing countries. One of the mechanisms devised to overcome the problem is through tripartite mechanism which involves developing countries and donor country or international financial institution. This has been carried out through the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). In this regard, Indonesia has also been actively taking part in the process through the concept of New Asia Africa Strategic Partnership (NMSP) under the Asia-Africa Sub-Regional Organizations Conference (MSROC). Thus, South South Cooperation does not compete with but actually complements North-South cooperation.

The South-South solidarity which has been nurtured through its various cooperation is threatened by the introduction of the notion of MDG "fast-track" countries to qualify for a rapid scale-up of ODA. The desire to become a fast-track country could introduce an element of rivalry among developing States in order to gain the status as one of the countries to be chosen for special treatment.

In conclusion, we hope that both recommendations of the Millennium Project and High Level Panel will be discussed at length before action is taken to implement them.

Thank you.