Today I delivered a keynote speech at the conference organised by the umbrella organisations for European NGOs, Concord. The theme of the conference was “The Millennium Development Goals after the UN Summit: Moving Forward or Backwards?”

I see NGOs as key partners in the Commission’s development policy and I am working closely with them. NGOs and civil society play a vital role in promoting democracy, social justice and human rights and also help us to implement many projects on the ground.

I am always interested to hear the views and opinions of knowledgeable and committed audience and this meeting gave me an opportunity to do so. I also wanted to share with you what I have talked about during the conference, share my views on the UN Summit in New York and introduce my vision for the modernisation of EU development policy.

First of all achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 will remain my absolute priority. My mandate, in respect to the Lisbon Treaty, is indeed to “eradicate poverty” by ensuring efficiency of EU aid. In my view, the meeting in New York can be considered as a success and gives cause for optimism. The whole international community, from donors to developing countries, committed to achieve the MDGs, each of us playing its role. It matters because it makes all of us accountable to our citizens and partners. So we should all push to maintain the ambition high on the political agenda.

In New York, the focus has also been on what works in terms of attaining the MDGs, based on the now considerable experience. There was also an important discussion on which areas we should act ‘beyond aid’.  This refers to the “bricks” needed to provide conditions for more inclusive growth, especially sustainable growth, to alleviate poverty and provide a chance for all to have a decent living and make plans for their future.

Indeed, everybody recognizes that aid alone even with 0.7% of worldwide GNI, will not be enough. We will endlessly run after the MDG objectives if we do not act more at the roots: that is creating conditions for stability, and more and inclusive growth in developing countries. Development assistance will have higher impact if it leverages growth rather than tries to offset poverty. Obviously, this does not mean doing less for MDGs: this is fully interlinked and should act as a virtuous circle. We want a fairly redistributed growth, tackling inequalities, and allowing countries to build social safety nets and social protection to prevent people to fall in extreme poverty.

Next month, I will launch a consultation modernising the European Development Policy. I presented today the main lines of the ideas that will be presented in a Green paper. They basically focus on increased leverage of aid, governance and budget support, proactive policy coherence for development, consolidation of domestic private sector, sustainable development, and better European coordination (you can read the full speech here).

Development aid today is not about charity, but about making a real difference. Faced with emerging donors, Europe will maintain its leadership position if it shapes a modern, ambitious but realistic policy, which includes all the actors of development.

You can watch a short movie from the conference or read the full speech.

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