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“We cannot afford to fail the poor” - says Secretary-General

29 September 2004

“There is still no reason to give out any gold, silver or bronze medals,” said Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon, expressing disappointment at the slow progress made on the Millennium Development Goals.

"the targets for education, child mortality and global poverty will not be met for another 150 years."

Speaking at the opening of the Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting in St Kitts and Nevis on 28 September, Mr McKinnon said that much more needed to be done to cut global poverty by half by 2015.

"If more is not done now," he claimed, "the targets for education, child mortality and global poverty will not be met for another 150 years. And in the Commonwealth, 14 countries will miss the global poverty target. This is simply not good enough. This is not what we promised."

In his speech, Mr McKinnon argued that whilst increased trade is key to tackling underdevelopment in the world, "we must also make sure poor countries have the capacity to take advantage of the opportunities opened up by trade liberalisation. Otherwise, they will be like dinghies pushed out on the ocean: the dinghies may be free to go where they want -- but they are likely to sink soon after they leave the port."

The Secretary-General called for trade preferences to be phased out gradually and said that the countries affected must get the help they need to adapt to those changes and diversify their economies.

He urged Commonwealth finance ministers to rise to the challenge in a practical way and agree on an innovative initiative -- a fund targeted at the private sector to help absorb the shock of the transition phase. The fund would provide a safety net for those who risk losing their livelihoods and help producers and exporters to diversify and develop more competitive industries.

Mr McKinnon also highlighted the plight of Commonwealth countries and citizens hit hard by recent hurricanes in the Caribbean and renewed his call to all Commonwealth governments and international agencies to assist in any way they can.

See Also: "We cannot afford to fail the poor"

Let's make trade work for the poor - Commonwealth Finance Ministers meet in St Kitts and Nevis

 

 

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