Report of the Secretary-General 103. Central to this quest is the need to address maternal health, the Millennium Development Goal which lags behind the rest. Maternal health is a critical indicator of the health and prosperity of a nation. Women are central to building productive and social capital: they provide the labour force and the glue cementing communities together, and they frequently are responsible for caring for extended families which would otherwise be completely destitute. 104. Over the past few years, the Organization has seen important progress in the prevention and treatment of hiv/aids, tuberculosis and malaria. The multi-stakeholder partnerships that have been forged to address these diseases have proven to be effective. Ending malaria deaths, for example, may soon be a reality. 105. We must continue to address a host of diseases primarily affecting the world’s poor in both the South and the North, particularly the neglected tropical diseases. We must also direct our attention to preventing and treating chronic diseases, especially heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer, which are the biggest killers worldwide. Without focusing on these threats to health, we will not be able to improve livelihoods and continue to expand healthy lifespans. 106. In the current economic crisis, there may be some temptation to cut budgets for health and reduce services available to the poor. This would be both morally wrong and economically counterproductive. Investment in health has huge positive implications for a country’s economic and social well-being today and decades into the future. 107. Many of these themes have been picked up and further elaborated at the Economic and Social Council’s 2009 Annual Ministerial Review on “Implementing the internationally agreed goals and commitments in regard to global public health”. The Organization looks forward to continuing the dialogue to help fine-tune the strategies it is currently employing for a healthier world. C. Countering terrorism 108. Addressing terrorism is one of the global challenges that must be met if we are to enjoy a future of peace, security and development. The General Assembly adopted resolution 60/288, the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, in September 2006 as a concrete plan to counter terrorism and the conditions conducive to its spread, while maintaining human rights imperatives. In September 2008, the Assembly renewed its commitment to the Strategy. Earnest efforts are needed at the national, regional, international and grass-roots levels to ensure the continued implementation of the Strategy in a comprehensive and integrated manner.
13 109. In September 2008, Member States urged the Secretary-General to make the necessary arrangements to institutionalize the United Nations CounterTerrorism Implementation Task Force, a body established to ensure coordination and coherence in counterterrorism efforts among various entities within the United Nations system (General Assembly resolution 62/272). In response to this request, the SecretaryGeneral has relocated the base of operations of the Task Force to the Department of Political Affairs. A new, full-time Task Force Chair will be appointed who will continue to work in a coordinated fashion with Member States and with the member entities of the Task Force, including the Security Council’s counter-terrorism-related bodies. 110. In assisting implementation of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the Task Force has identified cross-cutting areas of work where cooperation across Task Force entities can provide added value. At present, eight working groups are organized around these cross-cutting issues: (a) integrated assistance for countering terrorism; (b) preventing and resolving conflicts; (c) supporting and highlighting victims of terrorism; (d) preventing and responding to weapons of mass destruction attacks; (e) tackling the financing of terrorism; (f) countering the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes; (g) strengthening the protection of vulnerable targets; and (h) protecting human rights while countering terrorism. The Task Force briefed Member States on its work most recently in March 2009. 111. As part of this work, last year the SecretaryGeneral convened an international symposium on supporting victims of terrorism that brought together victims, experts and representatives of Member States, regional organizations, civil society and the media. The symposium gave victims of terrorism a human face and provided a forum for sharing best practices and discussing concrete steps to assist them. 112. While the Task Force and United Nations system entities have a role to play, the greater part of Strategy implementation must be undertaken at the national, regional and grass-roots levels. As the Organization looks to the future, it anticipates increased efforts to expand and strengthen partnerships between Member States, the United Nations system, regional and subregional organizations and civil society. D. Disarmament and non-proliferation 113. The world continues to face risks from the existence of weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear weapons; their geographical spread; and their possible acquisition by non-State actors and terrorists. Moreover, despite certain achievements in the field of conventional arms, the destabilizing accumulation and proliferation of conventional arms still remains a serious security threat.