THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

MESSAGE TO THE AFRICAN CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM

Addis Ababa, 22 March 2007

I am delighted to send my greetings to the many civil society representatives who have gathered in Addis Ababa for this important Forum.

Your meeting's theme – Democratizing governance at regional and global levels to achieve the Millennium Development Goals – is particularly timely. In recent years many African countries have made remarkable progress towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals. Since the late 1990s, more than a dozen States have achieved average growth rates of above 5 percent. Many low-income countries have lifted sizable proportions of their citizens above the poverty line.

Several are on course to meet the target of halving poverty by 2015. Around 15 African countries have already achieved universal primary education, or are on track to do so. And most Southern African countries are on course to attain gender parity at the primary school level.

These advances are precious, and we must build on them. Good governance at every level is a prerequisite for sustained progress. Fortunately, the signs are promising: democracy is on the rise across Africa, while respect for human rights, good governance and the rule of law are founding principles of the New Partnership for Africa's Development. Equally important, an increasingly vigorous and diverse civil society movement throughout the continent is calling Governments to account, and empowering ordinary African men, women and children as never before. More and more, women are getting a say in governance, and youth are being consulted in the debate over their continent's future.

The international community is determined to support these developments. I believe this is best accomplished by augmenting and amplifying what is already being done by Africans themselves. That is why the United Nations will continue to strengthen its partnerships with Africa's civil society organizations.

How Africa fares in reaching the Millennium Development Goals is a matter of life and death for millions of Africans. It is also a test of the ability of the United Nations to work with Africa's Governments and peoples to meet the 2015 deadline. It will be one of my highest priorities to ensure that we meet that test.

In this spirit I wish you all a most successful meeting.