"The combination of the environmental, economic and social dimensions of development with a view to achieving sustainability, along with a clear commitment to developing less advanced regions, is the key to success," said the Chancellor in her address. It is economic weakness and social destitution that increase the temptation to go for quantitative growth at any price.

On 19 and 20 July 2013 the World Bank, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Bertelsmann Stiftung held the German World Bank Group Forum 2013 in Berlin. The motto of the Forum was "Leadership Matters - Business and Politics as Drivers for Inclusive and Sustainable Development". German Development Minister Dirk Niebel attended along with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim.

Post-2015 Development Agenda

The Chancellor touched on the report of the High Level Panel which has been working on a set of goals to replace the Millennium Development Goals as of 2015. The report recommends linking development goals with the philosophy of sustainability. The principle of sustainability embraces the environmental, economic and social dimensions of development, explained Angela Merkel.

The World Bank too pursues an integrated approach and has made sustainable growth, environmental protection and climate change mitigation priority concerns. Growth can be decoupled from resource consumption and toxic emissions. Since 1990, Germany has reduced its emissions of greenhouse gases by more than a quarter while its economic output has risen.

The post-2015 development and sustainability agenda is to replace the trailblazing Millennium Development Goals. The new agenda is to define globally valid and universally applicable goals for the international community, and a wide range of sustainability and development issues are to be linked.

Joint goals in development cooperation

Angela Merkel stated that global challenges cannot be mastered by nation states alone. International organisations, states and private actors are called on to act. At the heart of development policy is not only the total financial sum involved. "We must – and this is really obvious – ask how effectively these funds are used. And increasingly people are asking. And that is good. It is an ongoing learning process."

"If development cooperation is to be successful under these conditions, I believe that two things are called for: firstly, the development of shared yardsticks and objectives, and secondly an incredible level of coordination."

In this context the Chancellor called on the international community not to lose sight of the Millennium Development Goals in the fight against global poverty, even after 2015. In spite of all the progress made not all goals will be achieved everywhere by 2015.

Major progress made

International development cooperation has made enormous progress in recent years, the Chancellor continued. Since 1990, almost one billion people have been freed from the fetters of absolute poverty. The percentage of people without access to safe drinking water has been halved. Progress has also been made in the fields of primary education and fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.

Responsibility and voluntary commitments of private businesses

The Chancellor also mentioned the responsibility of private businesses. She gave the example of the tragic events in Bangladesh, which showed that such dramatically poor working conditions and payment are not acceptable. Globalisation and the new media means that events like this no longer remain unknown. "This generates voluntary commitments, and responsibility on the part of the private sector."

In conclusion she said, "We need a lot of support, and we need the broad support of as many parts of society as possible if we are to have all these goals accepted."