Call to Action

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 Prime Minister Gordon Brown 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.

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 Council of the European Union, ECOSOC (the UN's Economic and Social Council), the G8 summit in Japan and Accra High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness.

Agreeing an action plan at the UN High-level Event 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 the 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 Event 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 Government 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 set out what more the EU can do to accelerate progress towards the MDGs.

G8 Summit 7-9 July: The Japanese meeting saw the G8 countries reaffirm their promises on official development assistance (ODA) made in Gleneagles in 2005.
ECOSOC 30 June-25 July: Developed and developing countries discussed their roles in accelerating progress to reach the MDGs.

ACCRA Aid Effectiveness High Level Forum 2-4 September: Saw agreement on an "Accra Agenda for Action" which sets out concrete commitments for both donors and developing countries to improve the quality of global aid.
Secretary-General's MDGs meeting 25 September: The Secretary General will host a meeting of Heads of Governments, with representatives from 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.

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 groups to review progress made in the preceding 12 months and accelerate action on the MDGs. It will be for the UN Secretary-General 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 MDG 2 and MDG 3

Health - to address MDG 4, MDG 5 and MDG 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.

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

A: The G8 Summit in July in Japan provided a key opportunity to involve a key set of influential donors in the international development community, and help influence and galvanise concrete action at the UN High-level Event. At the Summit, the G8 countries reaffirmed their promises on official development assistance (ODA) made in 2005 in Gleneagles. The G8 also made specific commitments on climate change, food security, malaria and increasing the number of health workers in Africa.

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 2007 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 up 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

Enhancing collaboration among the Group’s members at the country level, for which they 10 countries have been proposed.

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 High-level event on MDGs on 25 September 2008, which we hope will involve a large number of private sector companies.

Q: What can faith groups do to support the Call to Action?

A: Faith groups, through their networks of followers, have the power to mobilise millions across the world and are frequently involved in providing health and education services to communities.

Faith groups and leaders have already expressed their commitments towards Call to Action when they took part in the Lambeth Rally in July to bring attention to world’s needy and to press leaders for more action. Additionally, to raise awareness of the MDGs, different faith groups will be holding a fast whilst the UN High-level Event is taking place.

Q: What role are NGOs playing regarding Call to Action and meeting the MDGs?

A: Non-governmental organisations play a vital role in challenging governments and leaders to make poverty history and hold them to account over their promises. They propose new directions and inspire new actors to ensure that everyone with a contribution to make is involved and that development efforts are sustainable. They raise awareness and accelerate progress on the MDGs through their work on the ground.

Q: What role do cities have to play on the Call to Action?

A: Cities have enormous knowledge and spending power. As urbanisation increases, they have an important role to share best practice in mobilising urban institutional capacity, skills and financial resources to tackle health, education, growth and environmental MDGs.

Last updated: 16 September 2008