Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at ILO-Realizing Rights Forum on “Accelerating the achievements of the MDG’s through Decent Work”  in New York on 20 September 2010

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It is a great pleasure to be here today to discuss the decent work agenda and the Millennium Development Goals.

The Millennium Summit was a stocktaking for the humankind. The Millennium Declaration set agenda and affirmed common values for the new Millennium in our interdependent world. The Millennium Development Goals laid clear, concrete and measurable objectives for development.

The World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization noted disparities and injustices of globalization. The Commission emphasized fair globalization as a value in itself and as a means to implement the Millennium Declaration.

The UN Summit in 2005 endorsed the concept of fair globalisation. Decent work for all, including for women and young people, has been made a central objective in national and international programmes of action.

It is now commonly agreed that access to decent work and education for all are the key to lifting individuals and nations from poverty to prosperity.

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The Millennium Development Goals can be met, but we have to be more convinced to take action - now. With right means and determination we will succeed in building a sustainable and fair world for all of us.

The international decent work agenda is firmly rooted in universal human rights. Just and favourable working conditions and equal pay for equal work are recognized as international legal obligations. Economic, civil, cultural, political and social rights are equally important.

Eradication of poverty is a key development goal. Creating new jobs is crucial for the achievement of this goal. At the same time we must ensure that basic labour standards are met.

Poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon. It can be tackled only through measures that address the full range of its root causes and consequences. In addition to decent work, dignified life requires clean water, sufficient nutrition and decent homes.

Decent work is a tool to prevent exclusion and to stimulate economic progress. It brings together key elements that empower the poor to have a share and a voice in national development.

Decent work is a factor that contributes to the social and political stability of countries and regions. Hence, decent work builds peace.

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Women are the half of the world’s population. It is important to ensure that all human resources are available for the common good. I firmly believe that the full participation of women in society is right in terms of equality, and it also increases competitiveness of the country and promotes fair globalization.

The UN Global Compact together with UNIFEM has launched the “Women’s Empowerment Principles”. I warmly welcome this initiative. Now it is time to put these principles into action. I am confident that the newly established UN Women can also enhance the implementation.

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Finland is fully committed to the MDGs. They are at the centre of our development and UN policies. The Government of Finland intends to continue increasing the funding for development cooperation, with the goal of reaching 0.58% of Gross National Income next year, thereby keeping us on track to reach the 0.7% level by 2015.

We are also ready to share our experience of a welfare society. Welfare and competitiveness are not mutually exclusive. I firmly believe in the Nordic model, which combines the dynamism of the market economy with a strong emphasis on human security, on education and on social well-being.

Expansion of social protection systems could be used more effectively for reaching the MDG targets. Better social protection ensures a more equal access to and distribution of resources. It supports the formation of human capital through education and health care.

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All segments of the society can benefit from the decent work approach. Ensuring decent work contributes to a more stable and predictable business and investment climate.

Non-governmental organizations have a very important role to play in promoting fairer globalization. Their encouragement, support and practical examples are decisive in improving the awareness of different options.

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I am currently Co-chair of the Secretary-General’s Panel on Global Sustainability. The objective of the Panel is to formulate a new vision for sustainable growth and prosperity, along with mechanisms for achieving it. Revolutionary groundwork was done by the Brundtland Commission in 1987, already 20 years ago. We started our work yesterday. Atmosphere was excellent, and the members were very committed. I look forward to your support and ideas. Together we can build a better world.