Following a proposal from the Federal Government, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday (31 July) appointed former Federal President Prof. Horst Köhler as a member of the new High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The Panel comprises 27 members chosen to support the Secretary-General in drawing up a development agenda for the period post 2015.
Dirk Niebel, the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, commented:
Horst Köhler has proven time and again that he is an extremely forward-looking, committed expert on global issues. Both as Federal President and as Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, he was acutely aware of development policy issues, focusing on the African continent. His appointment to this High-level Panel is an expression of the huge respect Horst Köhler enjoys across the world. It also emphasizes the United Nations’ profound confidence in Germany and recognizes our commitment to development. I am proud that his application for a place on the High-level Panel was successful.
Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said:
Drawing up the United Nations’ future development goals is a fundamental and important task for the entire global community. I am therefore delighted that former Federal President Horst Köhler, with his many years of experience at the IMF and his commitment to Africa, is to be a part of this project. The Federal Government will do everything in its power to support him.
Until 2015 the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) derived from the Millennium Declaration will remain the key multilateral reference for reducing poverty and ensuring sustainable development worldwide. Although there have been substantial successes, there are still huge challenges to development, as discussed at the recent Rio + 20 conference in June. These challenges need to be tackled up to 2015 and beyond. The post-2015 development goals might include areas not covered by the 2001 MDGs, such as democracy and good governance, environmental protection and peace and security.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the process to come up with a post-2015 agenda on behalf of the United Nations General Assembly. The new High-level Panel will answer directly to the Secretary-General and is to present its recommendations as the basis for a report by the Secretary-General to the General Assembly in autumn 2013. The Secretary-General has asked British Prime Minister David Cameron, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to co-chair the Panel.