BEIRUT: United Nations Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro on Wednesday urged Lebanon and the other Western Asian Arab nations to stand by their commitments to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs). Speaking at a regional meeting at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia’s (ESCWA) headquarters in Beirut, Migiro stressed the need for Arab countries to achieve their MDGs by the deadline expiration in 2015, noting the region faces particularly important challenges in addressing the impact of climate change. 

She also noted the impact of the financial crisis, which has pushed 100 million people back into extreme poverty, and cost more than 50 million jobs this year alone. 

Migiro reiterated Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks on regional cooperation and integration, at the Arab Economic and Social Summit, during which he said: “Many of the region’s most pressing challenges, from migration to managing water resources, require cross-boundary solutions. Regional cooperation is your strength.” 

Migiro praised the commonalities among the various UN agencies, saying they were united by a “commitment to the right of all children, women and men to live full and dignified lives, with the opportunity and freedom to realize their full potential.” 

Migiro also highlighted the importance of ensuring the success of the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change in December, where world leaders are expected to lay out policies to mitigate global warming. 

ESCWA executive secretary Bader al-Dafa meanwhile noted the critical time remaining before the 2010 MDGs Summit, pointing out that that there were only five years left until the 2015 deadline to achieve these goals. “This is the time to take stock of our progress so far, and put together a coordinated plan for the future,” Dafa said. 

“This is a critical time for our region and for the globe,” he added. “The rise in poverty and hunger, the depletion of natural resources, and the volatile effects of climate change are grave challenges to human, economic and social development.” 

Assistant secretary general and chair of the Regional Directors Team, Amat al-Alim Alsoswa, reiterated the importance of standing by MDG commitments. “Our challenge is not only to prevent or stem the decline in development gains, but to ensure that the trajectory of development is skewed in one direction-namely, achieving all of the Millennium Development Goals targets.” 

Lebanese caretaker Education Minister Bahia Hariri touched upon the importance of cooperation among Arab states. “It is now time to ask a simple question, which is, ‘how do we work together?’ This question reflects the responsibility needed for complementary and coordinated work, and the awareness of the challenges lying ahead,” she said. 

Separately, Migiro met with President Michel Sleiman at Baabda Palace, where the UN official relayed Ban’s greetings and the news that he was following the efforts to form a new cabinet in Lebanon. – The Daily Star