Statements of support for Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals

Statements by Governments

H.E. Leonel Fernández, President of the Dominican Republic

"The recommendations of the UN Millennium Project, enshrined in their newly released report to the Secretary-General 'Investing in Development' provide a much needed roadmap for countries like the Dominican Republic, helping us to effectively address the synergies between sectors while scaling-up public interventions that will altogether assist in ensuring our country's achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015"

Click here to visit the website of the Dominican's Republic's Presidential Commission on the Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development (COPDES) (External site)

H.E. Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia

"I would like to reiterate once again that Ethiopia fully supports and agrees with the recommendations of the Report [Investing in Development] and we also share a view that the world should not treat the MDGs as abstract ambitions but, as practical and achievable objectives. The steps at the country level should be diagnosed, planned, and implemented with the proper focus and actions in creating an enabling environment by the respective relevant national governments coupled with scaled-up support from the international community."

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Mr. Louis Michel, European Union Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid

“I’m optimistic about this report, it shows we have the ways and the means [to combat world poverty]...But it’s all a question of political will…it’s important to get politicians up and running… if the Millennium goals are to be achieved. We need to act now."

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H.E. Jacques Chirac, President of France

"The Sachs report shows that it is not yet too late to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. To do so, the international community has to work together and commit to a progressive doubling, between now and 2015, of solidarity efforts on the part of rich countries. In 2006, we will need to mobilize almost $50 billion of additional official aid."

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Ministry for Development Cooperation (Germany; in German)

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H.E. Olesegun Obasanjo, President of Nigeria

"We urge the international community to act on the recommendations of the Millennium Project and we challenge all stakeholders to follow-up on and assist in the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria and Africa."

(from comments made at the Nigerian launch of the Millennium Project reports)

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Ms. Hilde Johnson, Minister of International Development (Norway)

"The report forms a very important basis for the work that lay ahead of us, and it shows that aid will only work when it is being delivered at scale. But the most vital part remains, and that is to realize the plans that are being laid out in the report."

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Ambassador Munir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations

"The Millennium Project Report is an outcome of serious research carried out by hundreds of academics and professionals. It spans over three thousand pages accounting for 13 reports by Ten Task Forces.

The central message of the report is simple and well meaning. It is a message of hope and promise that eliminating hunger and poverty was doable in our life time...

We see the Millennium Project Report as an important starting point for constructive and meaningful global engagement on development issues.

It is our hope that it would help revive and stimulate global dialogue on development and lead to submission of specific recommendations for political discussion at the 2005 Summit..."

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Sir Rabbie Namaliu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Papua New Guinea

"The release of Environment and Human Well-Being: A Practical Strategy is truly an extraordinary accomplishment in the history of international development. Never has the World been given a more compelling environmental agenda with such dramatic global implications. Considering that we all share one global environment, my Nation is challenged to take leadership for the greater benefit of all humanity."

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Hon. Dr. Donald Kaberuka, Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Government of Rwanda

"The Millenium Development Project after months of painstaking study opens up new vistas, new practical way as to how best we can accelerate the pace, compensate for lost time. My Government welcomes proposals for "fast tracking" and identification of the "quick wins". It is not easy - and who said it should! We should be prepared to seize the challenge."

(from speech delivered at the UNDP/DfID-Seminar, Lancaster House, London, 26 January 2005)

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H.E. Abdoulaye Wade, President of Senegal

"L'expertise ainsi mobilisé grâce à vos appuis, permettra certainment de consolider la réflexion prospective, d'améliorer la cohérence et la convergence des initiatives de développement et de renforcer la mise en oeuvre des stratégies de développement.

A cet égard, je vous fais part de toute ma satisfaction et de celle de mon gouvernement, pour le travail déjè accompli et pour la qualité du partenariat établi avec le Projet du Millénaire et le système des Nations Unies représenté au Sénegal.

...Dans cette perspective, je me fonde à nourrir l'espoir que notre partenariat avec le Système des Nations Unies ira en se fortifiant, en particulier dans la perspective de l'intégration des OMD et mobiliser les partenaires pour le financement des stratégies définies."

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H.E. President Alhaji Dr. Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, Government of Sierra Leone

"I trust that the analyses, strategies,and recommendations provided in the Report will guide individual country implementation and surely enhance the achievement of the goals within the context of country specific material and human capacity. This report addressed the uneven achievements of the goals and has brought into focus the special circumstances of the various regions, their economies, inadequacies and strengths. It provides a blueprint for assisting in the achievement of the MDGs and thus keeping the plight of the poor on the global agenda. Let me therefore commend the work of the Millennium Development Project in paving the way forward for the realization of the MDGs."


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H.E. Göran Persson, Prime Minister of Sweden

"Hundreds of researchers, practitioners and development experts from all over the world have jointly undertaken to define the best strategies for achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. In January, the report of the Millennium Project, led by Jeffrey Sachs, was presented. The Project is a unique endeavour. Most of the key recommendations of the report are well in line with Sweden's policy for global development.

The report argues that the Millennium Development Goals can be reached by 2015, if there are intensive efforts by all parties. So far, the record in achieving these goals is mixed. Broad regions are far off track. Changing that will take a strong and joint effort from the whole international community developed and developing countries alike. And it will take concrete and bold action.

We are willing to take on that challenge. We will give high priority to the report in the ongoing work within the EU as well as in the governing boards of the UN organizations and the Bretton Woods Institutions.

Active participation from a wide range of actors civil society, the academia and the private sector will be key factors in ensuring that the Millennium Development Goals are reached."

(from a speech delivered on 8 February at the Dag Hammanskjöld conference on the UN and global security)

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Pär Nuder, Finance Minister, Government of Sweden


"The task of halving global poverty until 2015 is an enormous task. But as the report by the Millennium project, as well as other assessments from the World Bank and the UN show, the challenge is far from impossible. We have a moral obligation to do all that we can to fight poverty."

(from speech delivered at the UNDP/DfID-Seminar, Lancaster House, London, 26 January 2005)

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Carin Jämtin, Minister for Development Cooperation, Government of Sweden


"Most of the key recommendations of the Millennium Project are well in line with Sweden's policy for global development. The Millennium Project presents us with a double challenge: To the donor community to provide more aid, better aid, aid that is predictable in the long-term and well coordinated.

It also challenges the developing countries to firmly take the lead in deciding how to best achieve the MDGs, by taking account of MDGs in there poverty reduction plans, in ensuring good governance, respect for human rights, mobilizing human and domestic resources, working closely with civil society and creating an enabling environment for private initiatives. The report also stresses that aid alone cannot achieve success. All other instruments in the hands of governments can contribute to development favourable to MDG-achievement, both for donors and developing countries...

...Most importantly, maybe, the report clearly states that it is possible to reach the MDGs by 2015, with a concerted effort from the whole international community - developed and developing countries alike.

This puts focus on the hundreds of millions of people that would benefit, and lifted out of extreme poverty, would increase their opportunity to govern their own future. Therefore, we must take on the challenge."

(from speech delivered at the UNDP/DfID-Seminar, Lancaster House, London, 26 January 2005)

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H.E. Benjamin W. Mkapa, President, United Republic of Tanzania

"I congratulate the UN Millennium Project on this path-breaking report. It outlines the challenge of meeting the MDGs with great clarity and sets out a practical agenda for achieving the Goals. We plan to draw on the recommendations of the report in preparing Tanzania's new Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper. I am confident that the suggestions on "quick wins," and the needs assessment methodology, will prove very useful to Tanzania's efforts."

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Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

"The recent Millennium Project report Investing in Development identifies malaria control as a 'quick win', where rapid concerted action could have dramatic effects in improving people's lives. The report calls for the mass distribution of mosquito nets and effective antimalaria medicines for all children in Africa by 2007. The world should be ready to heed this call."

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The Rt Hon. Hilary Benn, Department for International Development (United Kingdom)

"By investing in development now rather than waiting 10 or 20 years we will significantly reduce the costs in future years because it will be cheaper to take the actions recommended by the report today. Aid on the right scale can help Africa achieve the MDGs. Making the aid system more effective through better co-ordination and harmonisation is one of my top priorities for 2005."

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The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer (United Kingdom)

"I welcome the recent challenging Sachs Report setting out practical proposals to achieve the Millennium Development Goals."

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