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10 key questions and answers on the Call to Action

Q: What is the Call to Action?

A: The Call to Action was launched in July 2007 by the Prime Minister in New York, speaking alongside the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, to accelerate progress to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is about:

• Mobilising not just governments but the private sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society, faith groups and cities to do more to accelerate progress on the MDGs.
• Collaborative and coordinated action which scales up successes, addresses gaps in current efforts and is measurable.
• Securing more action to achieve the MDGs in all relevant international meetings this year including the June European Council, ECOSOC, G8 summit and Accra HLF on Aid Effectiveness.
• Agreeing an action plan at the UN MDG meeting that sets out specific commitments to help get the MDGs back on track.

 Q: Why do we need the Call to Action?

A: Halfway to 2015 we have made some vital progress but we still face an enormous challenge. Without an extraordinary effort we will fail to achieve the MDGs. If we worked more closely and with a broader range of players with greater cooperation then we could achieve the goals we have set ourselves. The Call to Action seeks to do this.

Q: How does it fit with UN meeting and the other international meetings this year?

A: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has declared 2008 a critical year to make progress on the MDGs. The Call to Action seeks to support this effort especially through the numerous high-level meetings on different aspects of development scheduled throughout 2008. The MDGs are central to many of these meetings. Call to Action supporters will seek to raise the profile of the MDGs at each of those meetings, encouraging those present to agree actions that will accelerate progress. The Call to Action does not replace or duplicate any of the multilateral development processes that already exist. Momentum will build throughout the year leading up to the UN Secretary-General's high-level meeting on the MDGs in New York on 25 September.

Q: What and where are the key events on the MDGs this year?

A: There are numerous high-level meetings on different aspects of development scheduled throughout 2008. The MDGs are central to many of these meetings. Call to Action supporters will seek to raise the profile of the MDGs at each of those meetings, encouraging those present to agree to actions that will accelerate progress. Particular focus will be on:

• MDG private sector meeting 6 May: UNDP and the UK Govenrment hosted an event for representatives of the private sector at which announcements were made of new measures to help achieve the MDGs.
• EU Council 19-20 June: European leaders will set out what more the EU can do to accelerate progress towards the MDGs.
• G8 Summit 7-9 July: Japanese G8 will focus on development and climate change.
• ECOSOC 30 June-25 July: Developed and developing countries will discuss what roles they can play to accelerate progress to reach the MDGs.
• ACCRA Aid Effectiveness High Level Forum 2-4 September: To focus on predictability of aid and country-led division of labour.
• Secretary General's MDGs meeting 25 September: The Secretary General will host a meeting of Heads of Governments, with representatives of the private sector and civil society to galvanise action to achieve the MDGs.
• Financing for Development 29 November-2 December: to review the Monterey Consensus on financing for development and highlight the importance of meeting commitments such as ODA.

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Q: What is the UN meeting all about?

A: The original declaration urged the convening of a UN meeting in 2008. The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the President of the General Assembly Srgjan Kerim have issued invitations to the high-level event on the MDGS in New York that they will co-host and chair on September 25th. This event will bring together governments, leaders from the private sector, civil society and faith to review progress made in the preceding 12 months and accelerate action on the MDGs. It will be for the UNSG to decide the format of the meeting but it could take stock of progress so far, showcase successes the world could build on, set a path for the future to 2015, and allow each group to make practical commitments.

Q: What are the MDG Call to Action priorities?

A: As each of the MDGs cannot be addressed in isolation from wider development activities, the Call to Action has clustered the work into four priority areas:

• Growth, jobs and trade (including agriculture and infrastructure) - to address MDG 1
• Education - to address MDGs 2 and 3
• Health - to address MDGs 4, 5 and 6
• Water, environment and climate change - to address MDG 7

The whole of the Call to Action addresses MDG 8 - developing a global partnership for development. Gender and other priority cross-cutting themes should be integrated into all four areas. These categories align closely with those being pursued by the Secretary-General's MDG Africa Steering Group.

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Q: How does the G8 fit into the Call to Action?

A: The G8 is a key opportunity to galvanise action from a key set of influential donors in the international development community. It will help influence and galvanise concrete action at the UN meeting on the MDGs. It is important that key donors reaffirm aid commitments which, while not the only solution to the development emergency we currently face, are also important to delivering the MDGs. It is also vital that the G8 set out their specific contribution to accelerate action on the MDGs (especially health and education), and we encourage the involvement of all stakeholders.

Q: What is the G8 doing in support of the Call to Action?

A: The Japanese have said that 'working towards the MDGs' will be the development focus of their G8 Presidency and we welcome this. It is also encouraging that seven of the G8 (excluding Russia) have signed the MDG Call to Action.

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Q: What are the multilaterals doing in support of Call to Action?

A: The MDG Africa Steering Group, chaired by the UN Secretary-General, was launched on 14 September with leaders from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), European Commission, African Union, African Development Bank, United Nations Development Group and the Islamic Development Bank. The Group was set to focus on three objectives:

• The international system’s support for African governments in implementing practical programmes to achieve the MDGs in five areas - health, education, infrastructure, agriculture and food security;
• The need to ensure aid predictability; and
• Enhancing collaboration among the Group’s members at the country level for which they have proposed 10 countries for the latter objective.

The findings of the MDG Africa Steering Group will feed directly into the UN meeting on the MDGs through their business plans, which will set out what the multilaterals will do to accelerate action on the MDGs.

Q: What can the private sector do to support the Call to Action?

A: The private sector has the technology, skills and expertise for wealth and job creation that if fully mobilised will help meet the MDGs. It is in their best business interest to help poor countries develop. The world’s leading entrepreneurs and business leaders could put their talents and effort into creating businesses and jobs in the new economies and towards encouraging a new generation of entrepreneurs for the future.

We would like the private sector to:

• Implement concrete initiatives that apply their core business skills and expertise in a transformative manner that can be replicated and scaled up to enhance growth and wealth creation to help meet the MDGs. This is not about encouraging more philanthropy or corporate social responsibility, but producing business ideas that are both commercially viable and help to achieve the MDGs.
• Participate in an event at the time of the UN meeting on MDGs on 25 September 2008, which we hope will involve a large number of private sector companies.

Last updated 30 May 2008