Deiss said the global financial crisis that began in 2008 had undermined progress towards the MDGs in many countries, but he emphasized that the preceding years of strong economic growth indicated the underlying potential of the world economy.
"We must be confident; we have the know-how and the resources to succeed, and we can do it. But that requires commitment from the donors and commitment from the beneficiaries, leading to a genuine partnership. This partnership must also include civil society and the private sector," he said. "If we want to succeed, we have to do it together."
World leaders and other senior government officials are addressing the high-level meeting over the next three days and also holding round-table discussions to examine how they can focus their efforts over the next five years to try to reach the Goals.
When delivering his statement at the General Assembly meeting, Bhim Bahadur Rawal, the minister for home affairs of Nepal, said that the least developed countries (LDCs) require effective international cooperation to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
A "high degree of vulnerability" and "deep structural constraints" make it difficult for LDCs to reach the MDGs, he said. "Therefore we wish to underline that the international community should fully take this into account and give priority consideration to them, while making decisions on international support measures, including resource allocations."
Accelerated progress towards the MDGs, especially for the LDCs, can be catalyzed by stronger partnerships for development, Rawal said.