Solomon Islands Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Peter Shanel, joined other Pacific Island Leaders in a United Nations summit, to reiterate the fact that if the developed world wants developing countries to meet all eight Millennium Development Goals by 2015, then they will have to provide more help.
This week's summit is charting progress and issues being faced by the nations who committed to the goals in the year 2000, but who are now saying will not be met."Our vulnerability and special situations have been crowded out by partners adopting a one shoe fits all approach to regional frameworks," said Mr Shanel.
"There is a need to realign our approaches that link to national development priorities, to enhance national ownership and long term sustainability."
Mr. Shanel also stated that the MDG debt swap proposed a few years ago needs to be revised. "The concept involves developing countries using domestic capital investing in MDGs in return for debt that they owe to partners...that needs to be re-looked at"
The UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals concluded with the adoption of a global action plan to achieve the eight anti-poverty goals by their 2015 target date and the announcement of major new commitments for women's and children's health and other initiatives against poverty, hunger and disease.