CRI听力: Ban Appeals for 450 mln Dollars Donation for Central Emergency Response Fund

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is now calling on donors around the world to help the world body's Central Emergency Response Fund reach the target of 450 million US dollars for the coming year. As CRI's UN Correspondent Shen Ting reports, Ban says if the fund gets the money it needs, it will go a long way in getting help to those who need it quickly, effectively and efficiently.



Ban Ki-moon made the appeal for donations from around the world on the replenishment conference of Central Emergency Response Fund, or CERF. He said that since its creation by the General Assembly at the end of 2005, the CERF has become one of the world's leading tools for disaster response.

"The CERF has become an established part of the humanitarian architecture, delivering funds strategically in the early hours of crisis, allowing agencies to begin working immediately, and contributing to a more equitable distribution of assistance."

According to Ban Ki-moon, in the past five years, nearly $1.8 billion have flowed through the Fund to help millions of people in need throughout the world.

He stressed that the smooth operation of the CERF lies on the support from the international society, and the UN will work hard to justify the support by a good use of these funds.

"The Fund enjoys widespread and generous political and financial support. Nearly two-thirds of Member States contribute-including ten for the first time this year. We value every single one of these contributions, each of these expressions of global solidarity, and we will continue to work hard to justify your support through rigorous and transparent management of these funds."

Ban Ki-moon said the UN have begun to implement the CERF Performance and Accountability Framework. In addition, the independent Five-Year Evaluation of the CERF mandated by the General Assembly is under way. He called upon the international society to give generously so that the Fund can meet the target of $450 million for 2011.

For CRI, this is Shen Ting from the UN Headquarters in New York.