[afro-nets] 2005 World Summit at the UN

[Claudio Schuftan <claudio@hcmc.netnam.vn>]

2005 World Summit at the UN
---------------------------

High-Level Plenary Meeting
14-16 September 2005 United Nations

2005 WORLD SUMMIT OUTCOME

The world's leaders, meeting at United Nations Headquarters in
New York from 14 to 16 September, agreed to take action on a
range of global challenges:

DEVELOPMENT

» Strong and unambiguous commitment by all governments, in donor
and developing nations alike, to achieve the Millennium Develop-
ment Goals by 2015.

» Additional $50 billion a year by 2010 for fighting poverty.

» Commitment by all developing countries to adopt national plans
for achieving the Millennium Development

Goals by 2006.

» Agreement to provide immediate support for quick impact ini-
tiatives to support anti-malaria efforts, education, and health-
care.

» Commitment to innovative sources of financing for development,
including efforts by groups of countries to implement an Inter-
national Finance Facility and other initiatives to finance de-
velopment projects, in particular in the health sector.

» Agreement to consider additional measures to ensure long-term
debt sustainability through increased grant based financing,
cancellation of 100 per cent of the official multilateral and
bilateral debt of heavily indebted poor countries (HIPCs). Where
appropriate, to consider significant debt relief or restructur-
ing for low and middle income developing countries with unsus-
tainable debt burdens that are not part of the HIPC initiative.

» Commitment to trade liberalization and expeditious work to-
wards implementing the development dimensions of the Doha work
programme.

TERRORISM

» Clear and unqualified condemnation-by all governments, for the
first time-of terrorism "in all its forms and manifestations,
committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes."

» Strong political push for a comprehensive convention against
terrorism within a year. Support for early entry into force of
the Nuclear Terrorism Convention. All states are encouraged to
join and implement it as well as the 12 other antiterrorism con-
ventions.

» Agreement to fashion a strategy to fight terrorism in a way
that makes the international community stronger and terrorists
weaker.

PEACEBUILDING, PEACEKEEPING, AND PEACEMAKING

» Decision to create a Peacebuilding Commission to help coun-
tries transition from war to peace, backed by a support office
and a standing fund.

» New standing police capacity for UN peacekeeping operations.

» Agreement to strengthen the Secretary-General's capacity for
mediation and good offices.

RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT

» Clear and unambiguous acceptance by all governments of the
collective international responsibility to protect populations
from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against
humanity.Willingness to take timely and decisive collective ac-
tion for this purpose, through the Security Council, when peace-
ful means prove inadequate and national authorities are mani-
festly failing to do it.

HUMAN RIGHTS, DEMOCRACY AND RULE OF LAW

» Decisive steps to strengthen the UN human rights machinery,
backing the action plan and doubling the budget of the High Com-
missioner.

» Agreement to establish a UN Human Rights Council during the
coming year.

» Reaffirmation of democracy as a universal value, and welcome
for new Democracy Fund which has already received pledges of $32
million from 13 countries.

» Commitment to eliminate pervasive gender discrimination, such
as inequalities in education and ownership of property, violence
against women and girls and to end impunity for such violence.

» Ratification action taken during the Summit triggered the en-
try into force of the Convention Against Corruption.

MANAGEMENT REFORM

» Broad strengthening of the UN's oversight capacity, including
the Office of Internal Oversight Services, expanding oversight
services to additional agencies, calling for developing an inde-
pendent oversight advisory committee, and further developing a
new ethics office.

» Update the UN by reviewing all mandates older than five years,
so that obsolete ones can be dropped to make room for new pri-
orities.

» Commitment to overhauling rules and policies on budget, fi-
nance and human resources so the Organization can better respond
to current needs; and a one-time staff buy-out to ensure that
the UN has the appropriate staff for today's challenges.

ENVIRONMENT

» Recognition of the serious challenge posed by climate change
and a commitment to take action through the UN Framework Conven-
tion on Climate Change. Assistance will be provided to those
most vulnerable, like small island developing states.

» Agreement to create a worldwide early warning system for all
natural hazards.

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH

» A scaling up of responses to HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria,
through prevention, care, treatment and support, and the mobili-
zation of additional resources from national, bilateral, multi-
lateral and private sources.

» Commitment to fight infectious diseases, including a commit-
ment to ensure full implementation of the new International
Health Regulations, and support for the Global Outbreak Alert
and Response Network of the World

Health Organization.

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

» Improved Central Emergency Revolving Fund to ensure that re-
lief arrives reliably and immediately when disasters happen.

» Recognition of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement
as an important international framework for the protection of
internally displaced persons.

UPDATING THE UN CHARTER

» A decision to revise and update the Charter by:

. Winding up the Trusteeship Council, marking completion of UN's
historic decolonisation role;

. Deleting anachronistic references to "enemy states" in the
Charter.

The full text of the document is available on the Summit web-
site: http://www.un.org/summit2005

Issued by the United Nations Department of Public Information -
September 2005