A PLAN to eradicate "extreme
poverty" has been set out in a report by the High-level Panel on
the Post-2015 Development Agenda (HLP), which is co-chaired by
David Cameron.
The report - A New Global Partnership: Eradicate poverty and
transform economies through sustainable development - was
delivered to the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, on Thursday of
last week.
The members of the HLP last
met in Bali, in March, to discuss plans for global development
after 2015, when the Millennium Development Goals expire (
News, 28 March).
The report calls for "five
major transformational shifts" in tackling poverty after 2015, a
statement from the UN said. These are: to "move from 'reducing' to
ending extreme poverty, leaving no one behind; putting sustainable
development at the core of the development agenda; transforming
economies to drive inclusive growth; building accountable
institutions, open to all, that will ensure good governance and
peaceful societies; and forging a new global partnership based on
co-operation, equity, and human rights".
In an address to the UN
General Assembly on Thursday of last week, Mr Ban said: "The
post-2015 process is a chance to usher in a new era in
international development - one that will eradicate extreme poverty
and lead us to a world of prosperity, sustainability, equity, and
dignity for all."
Helen Dennis, a senior
adviser on poverty and inequality for Christian Aid, said that the
panel had made "an encouraging start", but she expressed
disappointment that it had "shied away from suggesting action that
could address increasing economic inequality in many countries.
"This is an awkward subject
for some, but sustainable development will only be achieved if we
reduce the gap between the haves and the have-nots. The panel's
report is a good one. We hope that governments around the world
will now build on this work as they negotiate a new global plan to
replace the Millennium Development Goals."