Ahead of next week’s Millennium Development Goals summit, it’s not just world leaders that are drafting their strategies to expedite progress on the eight goals. Non-governmental groups are also putting together their proposals on advancing global development.
ONE, an advocacy organization co-founded by musician Bono, and anti-poverty campaigner Oxfam America held a briefing Sept. 15 on how the MDG summit can best formulate a strategy to halve global poverty by 2015.
What is more important than mobilizing resources is “fixing the business model so we’re actually able to shift the accountability back to citizens” in helping to achieve the MDGs, said Gregory Adams, director of aid effectiveness at Oxfam America.
Accountability will also play a significant role in next week’s MDG summit, according to Politico’s Laura Rozen, as aid organizations monitor whether decisions of global leaders are in line with the goals.
Aid advocates will also be watching closely U.S. President Barack Obama’s actions during the summit.
“What the president does (in New York) next week will set the tone for what other global leaders are willing to bring to the table,” said Kimberly Hunter, press secretary for ONE.
ONE Executive Director Sheila Nix said: “We will all hold President Obama and other world leaders accountable for turning their warm words into the only thing that really matters: action.”
Devex News – live breaking news coverage of the Millennium Development Goals and the Sept. 20-22 U.N. MDG summit in New York.