21 August 2013: In an interview with UN Radio, Amina Mohammed, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning, reflected on the recently released report, ‘A Life of Dignity for All: Accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and advancing the UN development agenda beyond 2015.’

Mohammed highlighted, inter alia: key MDG achievements; the report’s emphasis on dignity; governments’ role in raising ambition; and means of implementation for the new development agenda.

On the MDGs, she said much remains to be done, including on education quality, sanitation and poverty. Mohammed said the report emphasizes dignity for all and a rights-based agenda that speaks to poverty, the environment and sustainable development. She stressed that no one should be left behind. Mohammed described three ways governments could raise ambition and achieve the MDGs, beginning with ensuring sufficient domestic budgets to address the environment, education and health. She stressed the importance of creating partnerships and meeting and increasing resource commitments. She also recommended improving domestic capacities and institutions, including data and statistics.

On means and implementation, Mohammed said conversations on the new financial architecture for the post-2015 agenda must be as robust as the demands for the agenda itself.

Looking ahead, Mohammed called for “consensus around a universal agenda that puts sustainable development at the core” with eradicating poverty as its primary objective. She described the future development agenda as an opportunity for “rebirth and reinvestment” as a global community to make multilateralism work for the poor. [UN Radio Interview] [IISD RS Story on UNSG Report] [Publication: A Life of Dignity for All: Accelerating Progress towards the MDGs and Advancing the UN Development Agenda beyond 2015]