MDG3 Gender Equality Torch

Remarks by

Torben Bellers
Temporary Alternate Director
for Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland,
The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden
Asian Development Bank

31 July 2008
ADB Headquarters, Mandaluyong City

Mr. President,

The MDG3 Global Call to Action campaign was launched by the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation Mrs. Ulla Tørnæs in March this year to make gender equality and economic empowerment of women a higher priority on the international agenda.

Half way to 2015 we are far from achieving the MDGs. Gender equality - MDG3 – is core to accelerating progress on all MDGs. It simply pays off to invest in women. Thus, Denmark has initiated this Global Call to Action on gender equality and women’s empowerment, which is complementary to the Gordon Brown MDG Call to Action.

The objective is two-fold: 1) to bring gender equality and women’s empowerment higher up on the political agenda internationally and at the country level, and 2) to ensure that more resources are made available both in partner countries and through ODA.

All actors – governments, international organizations, private sector and civil society - can make a difference.

This Torch, which I will hand over to you on behalf of the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation, is the symbol of our Call to Action. By receiving the torch you have committed to do something extra to promote gender equality.

Torches are right now travelling from North to South generating more than 100 new commitments. The World Bank President has joined. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Yunus has joined.And so has the first Nepalese women’s expedition to Mount Everest, who has carried a campaign flag to the top of the world to emphasize the need for gender equality.

All the torch commitments will be presented to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the MDG High Level meeting in New York on 25th of September. Denmark is hosting a side event where the Secretary General will be invited to receive the last Torch.

Finally, Mr. President, before handing over the torch to you, let me emphasize that this Call to Action is about forming a Global Coalition of partners willing to do something extra in the run-up to the 3rd High Level Forum in Accra, the UN High Level Meeting on the MDGs in September and the Doha meeting later this year. On behalf of the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation I would like to thank you Mr. President for participating in this campaign and for your commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment.