A/58/PV.47 General Assembly

A little more than one and-a-half years since we adopted the Monterrey Consensus at the International Conference on Financing for Development, held in Monterrey, Mexico, we have come, as agreed, to comprehensively review our progress, both substantially and institutionally, in meeting commitments made. Today, I am pleased to formally open this High- level Dialogue on Financing for Development, the mechanism agreed to the follow-up to Monterrey. The purpose of this short meeting of the Plenary is to permit us to adopt our Programme of Work and to address other organizational matters. I consider it opportune, nevertheless, to emphasize the importance of the initiative in which we will engage over these two days. It is pertinently captured in the theme for the High-level Dialogue, “The Monterrey Consensus: status of implementation and tasks ahead”. This theme takes into account commitments made at Monterrey to advance the development agenda by setting and implementing internationally agreed development goals. It also takes into account the essential need to maintain a balance sheet of the progress we have made to permit us to systematically and strategically plan for further effective action. The financing for development agenda is a comprehensive one, encompassing trade, official development aid, debt relief, domestic resource mobilization, other private flows, institutional issues and partnerships. It is essential, therefore, that our two days of deliberations are equally as comprehensive, and take into account the totality of commitments made at Monterrey. The framework of the High-level Dialogue permits us to take this comprehensive approach. All those who were part of the broad coalition established at Monterrey are also part of this High-level Dialogue — Governments, major stakeholders, other intergovernmental organizations, civil society, and the business sector. Although, regrettably, schedules of the heads of the major stakeholders did not permit all to participate, as was expected in the documents established at the High-level Dialogue, I am confident that their senior representatives will appropriately represent the contribution of the stakeholders. I take the opportunity to welcome Ministers and all participants to this High-level Dialogue. I express my appreciation to the co-chairs of the round tables that will be convened today. Importantly, I urge all Permanent Representatives to participate to the fullest extent possible in these two days of deliberations. Our collective effort is critical to the successful outcome we all expect from this High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development. Turning to the matters at hand, the General Assembly will now begin its High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development, held under sub-item (b) of agenda item 104 and pursuant to General Assembly resolution 57/250 of 20 December 2002 and the letters from the Presidents of the General Assembly dated 7 May 2003 and 6 October 2003. As representatives will recall, the High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development will consist of the following: this plenary meeting, to formally open the High-level Dialogue; four round tables, to be held this morning, immediately following the adjournment of this plenary meeting, in the Economic and Social Council Chamber and in Conference Rooms 5, 6, and 7, respectively, and with themes as announced in the Journal of the United Nations; four round tables, to be held this afternoon, in Conference Rooms 5, 6, 7 and the Economic and Social Council Chamber, respectively, and with themes as announced in the Journal of the United Nations; a plenary meeting at 9.30 a.m. on Thursday, 30 October 2003, in the General Assembly Hall, to hear statements by the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President of the Economic and Social Council, representatives of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Also speaking will be the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, as Chairman of the United Nations Development Group, as well as a representative of the regional development banks and a representative of the regional commissions. I would like to take this opportunity to remind those who will be taking the floor on Thursday that there is a time-limit of 5 minutes for each statement. In addition, an informal interactive dialogue will take place in Conference Room 4, immediately following the adjournment of the plenary meeting of Thursday, 30 October 2003. This will continue in the afternoon until 6 p.m. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage representatives taking the floor in the informal interactive dialogue not to read prepared statements. Finally, there will be a plenary meeting, to be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, 30 October, immediately following the conclusion of the informal interactive dialogue, to hear a concluding statement by me, and to formally close the High-level Dialogue.