February 29, 2004ImmediatePrime Minister Paul Martin will travel to New York on March 1 to present, as Co-Chair, the Final Report of the United Nations Commission on Private Sector and Development to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Following presentation of the Report, the Prime Minister and Minister for International Cooperation Aileen Carroll will outline Canada's national response to the Commission's recommendations at a high-level luncheon hosted by the Secretary General."The work of this Commission is all about unleashing the energy of local private enterprises and placing them at the heart of development strategy. It is a call to action by governments and by the private sector in developing and developed countries", said the Prime Minister. "We have put the focus on the need for new and innovative partnerships that can give real support to the growth and development of small and medium-sized businesses and micro-enterprises in developing countries. And that will contribute significantly to the creation of jobs and prosperity for the least advantaged where it really counts - in their local communities."The 17-member commission, launched by the UN Secretary-General in July 2003 and co-ordinated by the United Nations Development Program, was mandated to explore how the private sector can contribute to meeting the Millennium Development Goals of reducing poverty and improving lives throughout the world. The Commission is co-chaired by the Prime Minister and Ernesto Zedillo, former president of Mexico and currently Director at Yale University's Centre for the Study of Globalization.The report, Unleashing Entrepreneurship: Making Business Work for the Poor, offers recommendations on how governments, international agencies, multinational corporations and civil society organizations can work together to tap the entrepreneurial energy and potential that exists in everywhere in developing countries - often at the very local or community level. In this way, the private sector - in developing countries and in developed countries - can contribute to the Millennium Development Goal of alleviating poverty globally. The report is the result of extensive consultations by the Commission and its members, including four formal sessions with international labour representatives, European foundations, academics, and Canadian civil society organizations.-30-
