Wednesday, 1 August 2007
Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaks at UN Headquarters

Speaking at the UN in New York, Prime Minister Gordon Brown declared the need for “emergency action” to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He said that halfway to the 2015 deadline, “the goals the world has set are not being met and we face…a development emergency.” His speech followed a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and two days of meetings with US President George W. Bush.

Mr Brown called for an emergency meeting next year to asses the progress towards the Goals, and emphasised that all organs of society - business, financial institutions, NGOs and individuals - must work together towards achieving the MDGs. He particularly highlighted the responsibilities of developed nations, calling on them to realise MDG 8 - 'develop a global partnership for development' - which is crucial to the achievement of the all Goals.

The Prime Minister also voiced his support for the draft UN Security Council resolution proposing to send 26,000 troops and police to protect civilians and aid workers in Darfur, which was unanimously adopted by the Council later in the day. Resolution 1769 agrees the deployment of a hybrid United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force, the ‘United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur’ (UNAMID), which will be the largest in the world. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commended the Council on its 'clear and powerful' signal of commitment and called the resolution, “historic and unprecedented”.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meets with Gordon Brown, at UN Headquarters in New York.

© UN Photo/Mark Garten