Billions in new commitments unveiled at UN anti-poverty event
NEW YORK, 25 September 2008: Governments, foundations, businesses and civil society groups have rallied around the call to action to slash poverty, hunger, disease and other socio-economic ills by 2015.
According to the UN they announced an estimated 16 billion US dollar (ca. 80 milliarder DKR) in new commitments to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs – 2015 Målene), at a high-level event at United Nations Headquarters.
– Today we did something special. We brought together a broad coalition for change, UN General Secretary Ban said at the end of the day-long event, which he convened with General Assembly President Miguel DEscoto.
The gathering “exceeded our most optimistic expectations,” he stated, noting that it generated the estimated 16 billion dollar, including some 1,6 billion to bolster food security, more than 4,5 billion for education and 3 billion to combat malaria.
– If so, that expression of global commitment would be all the more remarkable because it comes against the backdrop of financial crisis, said the Secretary-General, who recently reported that soaring food and fuel prices and the global economic downturn are impeding advances in meeting the internationally agreed anti-poverty targets.
Mr. Ban has called for a summit on the MDGs in 2010 to further assess the delivery of the commitments undertaken.
Mr. DEscoto said the new initiatives will inject new energy, resources and hope into global efforts to achieve the Goals. – However, these good efforts, as important as they are, are not enough, he noted.
– The only way we can alleviate the suffering of the world’s poor is by creating a sound and just international economic system, he stated, urging participants to work towards progress on the stalled Doha round of trade liberalization talks.
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