Former Prime Minister of New Zealand urges governments

In her main address on day two of the fifth World Government Summit in Dubai, Helen Clark, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, addressed trends in global governance, and the type of governance needed to tackle challenges beyond the capacity of individual nations.

In her speech, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand spoke about the history of global governance, starting off with the failed League of Nations of nearly a century ago and moving through to the age of the United Nations, which has expanded from 51 founders to 193 member states today.

Her speech gave the audience perspective on the hard work and progress made in the field of international relations and global politics in terms of a multilateral approach to peace and security, finance and economy, human development and much more. It also touched upon some of the challenges facing the world in the 21st century.

Clark said, "The magnitude of the shared problems we have requires us to continually re-invigorate our multinational institutions. I see this need to a certain extent in the financial and economic arena and also in sustainable development and global governance. While developmental agendas have more moral than legal power, it is encouraging to see how nations are taking them to heart, certainly with the Paris agreement [COP21 historic agreement on climate change]."

She added, "However, from shrinking civic space and suppression of freedom of speech and war crimes, there are many assaults on human rights today, and human rights are imperative. Member countries should move ahead with progressive agendas addressing the root of conflict, and use all available means to build and sustain peace. Our 2030 agenda boldly asserts that there can be no sustainable development without peace, and no peace without sustainable development. So success in implementing this agenda will have long-term benefits for people and the planet, for peace and security and also, I believe, the legitimacy, credibility and relevance of the multilateral system."

Before becoming the first female administrator of the UNDP, Clark served as Prime Minister of New Zealand for nine years. Throughout her tenure, she brought about positive change in the community, including significant economic growth and high levels of investment in health and education. Under her leadership, the UNDP has focused on building a better future for developing countries and promoting global happiness.

The World Government Summit, #WGS 2017, has drawn the participation of more than 4,000 personalities from 139 countries around the world, reflecting the leading stature of the summit on regional and international levels and the high interest from governments, global organisations, private and public sector entities, decision makers, entrepreneurs, academics and university students as well as scientists and innovators. WGS 2017 features 150 speakers across 114 sessions that highlight the world’s most pressing challenges and showcase best practices and cutting-edge solutions to deal with them.