Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, said that the year 2005 marked one third of the way towards 2015 as a keystone year when the Millennium Goals should be achieved. It was of paramount importance to ask what had been done since 2000 when world leaders signed the Millennium Declaration. Poverty, hunger and communicable diseases, as well as global terrorism, still caused deep troubles in the developing world. In some regions, despite efforts, poverty had even increased. Nonetheless, important and positive steps to eliminate those problems had been made both by developed and developing countries.

Just a few weeks ago, he said, unique solidarity had been proved after the European Union Council adopted a new collective European Union ODA target of 0.56 per cent of gross national income by 2010, whichwould result in an additional annual 20 billion euros. While welcoming such initiatives, he strongly believed that mobilization of local resources, commitment for good governance and ownership and the ability to absorb assistance for the implementation of reforms should be further strengthened by developing countries. Trade liberalization and investment promotion should play a significant and complementary role in the achievement of the Millennium Goals.

BRUCE BILLSON, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, urged developed and developing countries to accord the highest priority to completing the WTO Doha round by 2006. Agricultural liberalization would mean eliminating agricultural export subsidies, reducing trade-distorting domestic support, and lowering tariffs to provide substantial improvement in market access. A more open trading environment should be accompanied by good governance to create an