Mr. President,

We would like to thank the panellists for their valuable remarks on the ways to enhance technical cooperation to support inclusive and participatory development and poverty eradication at the national level.

We believe that this year is specifically important for achieving the global poverty eradication, as the final negotiations draw to an end on the post-2015 development agenda. The 3^rd International Conference on Financing for Development will also be held in Addis Ababa this year.

The Sustainable Development Goal number one reads: “end poverty in all its forms everywhere”. Our conviction is that this goal is the rule of thumb in achieving healthy and sustainable development. Technical cooperation and capacity building are indeed crucial tools in overcoming poverty in a global spirit of solidarity.

In that sense, technical cooperation at the bilateral level is an efficient method. Since the inclusive development is a broad and multi-dimensional endeavour, both North-South and South-South cooperations are relevant and useful in terms of sharing national comparative advantages.

As far as the multilateral international level is concerned, our work at this level not only gives the opportunity to share the best practices, but it establishes a mechanism to transparently and efficiently coordinate the flow of resources and capacity building work to the regions and societies in need as well.

For the sake of the effectiveness of these development initiatives and in order to ensure that the end product of development is enjoyed by all, it is also important that these technical cooperation and capacity building initiatives are in compliance with international human rights norms and principles.

In that respect, women and youth are the two largest demographic groups in the world and are still facing inequalities, limited choices and restricted freedoms, including in education, health, social protection, decent work, livelihood and economic opportunities. Therefore, it is important that we devise our development strategies so as to leave nobody behind.

I thank you.