The Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) exchange views with Helen CLARK, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on "Millennium Development Goals, Climate Change and Policy Coherence", in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Committee on Foreign Affairs

Brussels

exchange of views

LEINEN, Jo (S&D, DE)

PÖTTERING, Hans-Gert (EPP, DE)

fight against climate change (T)

Millennium Development Goals - Climate Change and Policy Coherence: extracts from the exchange of views with Helen CLARK, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme

SOUNDBITE (English), Helen CLARK, Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), There is also tremendous potential for EU policies beyond ODA (Official development assistance ) to contribute to the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals). &ndash; not least when it comes to trade and agriculture &ndash; as is so well recognized in your Policy Coherence for Development Agenda. For example, if the EU proposes further reform to the Common Agricultural Policy which may be more supportive of the world&rsquo;s poor, or can show how the Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth can generate opportunities for developing countries, that would present a powerful image of a post-Lisbon EU which is more open and committed to the world than ever before.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helen CLARK, Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), What our common efforts to advance development and address global challenges bring to light, however, is just how much national policy makers&rsquo; room for manoeuvre has become constrained by factors over which they have little control. This puts an enormous onus on those countries and groupings which do have power and resources to keep a global perspective and keep our common interests as a world community to the fore. No single actor can achieve the MDGs, fight climate change, or tackle alone the global challenges we face. But, as has been shown by the successful EU-UNDP, and broader UN-EU, partnerships to date, we can do together what we cannot do alone.

SOUNDBITE (German), Jo LEINEN (S&amp;D, DE), Chairman of the Environment Committee, About the financing of climate protection. This is a point which in Bonn at the present discussion and in the context of climate negotiations has been something as a dispute. So how do you see this, how do you think that the body which should manage this should be like? To manage this 30 billion Dollars available at the moment, who's this institution that should deal with the other institutions? As regard the technology transfer, it's a very complex issue, how do see that in practical terms? How should we remove the technology in to other countries so they can be sustainable. With development aid we have many examples when we have modern equipment, its dropt in a country that it hasn't worked with it yet.

SOUNDBITE (German), Hans-Gert P&#214;TTERING (EPP, DE), How do you see the chance that important countries like China, India, that they are going to join us on this road. If they don't join us we would not be successful. So we in the EU are talking a path that we will need to be careful to not push our business to leave, and to go to China, Africa, India. That means we will loose employment here and we will not achieve anything on the issue of climate change.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helen CLARK, Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP),, The issue of technology transfer that you rise, that drown our attention absolutely to the links between these issues and de development agenda. Because you're right if you transfer a technology and within the country there is no capacity to adopt it sustain it maintain it, have the skilled peoples whom are absolutely part of insuring such technology and can succeeding their role up, than wed haven't achieved anithing, we are back to the basic building and developing of capacities for sustainable developments. I think is all inherent in the technology transfer agenda.