Thirteen years ago, the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) established
humanitarian principles for the twenty-first century.
Together, Member States and international organizations
stood for the idea that the world’s poorest nations and
poorest people should not have to live without dignity
and hope.
The world is a different place now. We have
witnessed the struggles of a global economy reeling
from a financial crisis and, indeed, a recession. But
we have seen a billion people lifted out of poverty,
more children in schools, greater care for the sick. And
we have observed a generation born in a new age of
information, ready to embrace ever-expanding frontiers
of technology.
But the transformative effect is not yet complete.
The list of shortcomings is as long as that of the
successes, and as we think about the theme of “The
post-2015 development agenda: setting the stage”, we
must have the courage to go beyond business as usual.
The report of the High-level Panel on the Post-2015
Development Agenda, A New Global Partnership:
Eradicate Poverty and Transform Economies through
Sustainable Development, has laid out an ambitious
vision for the future, and I congratulate the eminent
persons who worked to produce it.
But together we must now take an honest look
at the MDGs, determine what worked and what did
not, and commit to forging a new global partnership
founded on mutual responsibility and trust. That will
require developing nations to take greater ownership
of the post-2015 agenda. One of the failings of aid has
been the lack of attention to country-specific context
in agreements. So now is the time for the developing
world to make its voice heard in order to shape the
debate and ensure that policies and programmes are
demand-driven.
It will also require Governments to empower those
whose lives we are trying to transform, to give them a
stake in the process and a say in their countries’ progress.
In Rwanda, we have found that empowering local
leaders while demanding accountability is an effective
catalyst of development. But for decentralization to
work, the centre must remain stable. That is why we
continue to place such emphasis on good governance.
It has inspired trust in our institutions and been a
foundation for our development. We know it is the best
way to achieve inclusive and sustainable development.
There must also be a far greater focus on the role of
the private sector and recognition of its power to create
prosperity. For that, we need a global environment
without trade barriers and one that facilitates
investment in infrastructure. Greater investment is
particularly needed in roads, railways and airports
in order to connect domestic markets to regional and
global ones. Investment is also needed in energy.
Electricity, something taken so much for granted in the
developed world, is still a luxury for far too many people
and businesses. Access to knowledge, information
and technology will also play an important role. It is
levelling the economic playing field for developing
countries and is beginning to break the cycle of poverty.
Post-2015 presents an opportunity to turn that new
sense of possibility into a reality, to give people in
developing nations increased opportunity. In Rwanda
we are on course to meet all the MDG targets, but for us
they are the floor, not the ceiling. We remain tireless in
our pursuit of progress, because we know all too well the
cost of failure. Next April, Rwanda will commemorate
the twentieth anniversary of the genocide. Over three
long months, flickers of life went out all over the
country, but today Rwandans are standing strong,
having overcome adversity. In building a new nation,
we have a purpose that is shaped by a tragic past but
focused firmly on the future. And as within the larger
African and world community we move towards the
next chapter of global development, we must create
strong and meaningful partnerships that have a positive
impact on the lives of all. Together, we can make sure
that the post-2015 era is defined by opportunity and
optimism, prosperity and progress, dignity and hope.
On another issue of critical importance, Africans
supported the global consensus against impunity and
the creation of an international justice system to fight
it. We did so on the understanding that such a system
would promote peace and security within and between
nations, and that it would uphold the principle of the
equal sovereignty of nations. In practice, however,
the International Criminal Court (ICC) has flouted
those principles. It has shown an open bias against
Africans. Instead of promoting justice and peace, it
has undermined reconciliation efforts and helped to
humiliate Africans and leaders, as well as serving the
political interests of the powerful.
Nowhere have the shortcomings of the ICC been
more evident than in the ongoing trial of Kenyan leaders.
The people of Kenya have shown their eagerness to heal
the wounds of their past, reconcile and move on. That
is why they elected the current leaders who are on trial.
Those efforts to reconcile their communities and move
forward should be supported, and development of the
national judicial capacity to fight impunity should be
promoted rather than undermined.
The General Assembly and the Security Council
should be examining this matter as well as the wider
issues of universal jurisdiction that have already been
brought before them. That is the least we can do to
uphold the principles of justice and the equality of
nations, support reconciliation processes and respect
the dignity of Africans.