On 31 July 2012, in New York, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, UK Prime Minister David Cameron and  President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia as co-chairs to lead a 26-member advisory High-Level Panel to advise on the global development agenda beyond 2015, the target date for the Millennium Development Goals (MGDs).

In announcing the eminent group the Secretary-General said: “I have asked my High-level Panel to prepare a bold yet practical development vision to present to Member States next year,” said the UN chief. “I look forward to the Panel’s recommendations on a global post-2015 agenda with shared responsibilities for all countries and with the fight against poverty and sustainable development at its core.

On 25 September 2012, in New York, the 26-member High Level Panel officially met for the first time in New York to begin the enormous task of envisioning a new development model which would replace the MDGs in 2015.

The MDGs, which were agreed at a meeting in New York in September 2000, set out eight specific – and ambitious – goals for the international community, including eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary school education and reducing childhood mortality rates.

At the first historic meeting, President Sirleaf said; “the great challenge before us is to look at our past experiences and go beyond our own borders and prepare a bold yet practical vision that reflects the new development challenges while incorporating the lessons of the Millennium Development Goals.”

On October 4, 2012, in Monrovia, the man seconded by the United Development Programs (UNDP) as Special Advisor to aid President Sirleaf in crafting the new development paradigm, Dr Garry Conilli, a former Prime Minister of Haiti, hit the ground running as if time was of the essence for the High Level Panel, especially having arrived in the country on Wednesday, 3 October 2012 to begin what would be his official work. (Garry came in mid-September and stayed for a week before attending the September 25 meeting in New York).

Indeed time is of the essence! Conille met President Sirleaf at once early Thursday morning to begin work, which includes, based on the President’s request, a daily meeting every week at 9 AM with him and the Secretariat the President has set up to finish the work in time.

Following his meeting, Mr. Conelli rushed to make his debut appearance at the weekly Thursday Press Briefing to immediately introduce himself to the media and the nation and to say he will be helping to achieve while in Liberia.

Our reporter John Momoh pens account of Dr. Conille’s deliberation at MICAT’s regular weekly press conference held yesterday.

The Special Advisor to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in her capacity as Co-Chair of the High Panel on the Post 2015 Development Agenda, Dr. Garry Conille, has expressed optimism over the significant progress that Liberia is making to achieve the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Dr. Conille said “it is an incredible honor to be able to work with President Sirleaf, adding that the task of the committee of three heads of state to formulate a development framework to continue the development agenda of the Millennium Development Goals is very inspiring.”

Recounting the history of the MDGs, Dr. Conille explained that in the year 2000 world leaders converged at the United nations General Assembly for a meeting, during which they expressed the need to work together to reduce poverty in the world by half, by the year 2015 through the achievement of eight development goals.

“We need to work to eradicate poverty, to reduce maternal and infant mortality rate. Since the year 2000 there had been tremendous progress. The MDGs was for a 15 years life span. You need to be effective and to put on a process to be able to reach a process,” Dr. Conille said.

He observed that in Liberia a consensus is needed on the way forward after the next 3 years on the basis of a consensus by engaging grass-root groups such as the civil society for their participation in the process.

Dr. Conille further noted that it is the vision of President Sirleaf that as Co-chair, a development framework to replace the MDGs should be participatory and constitute wider views and perspectives of Africans through the engagement of civil society groups and together determining where we are now and what we need to ensure as an agenda in a country like Liberia.

“We will have to listen to the contributions of civil society so that by the end of May 2013 we will put out a high level document,” Dr. Conille concluded.

September 2013, New York: This is the time when the High Level Panel will present all the findings to the UN member states for consideration at the 68 United Nations General Assembly.

Congratulations, Madam President, for yet another noble selection and welcome Dr Conille.