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UN poverty meeting to be hosted by Cameron UN poverty meeting in London hosted by David Cameron
(about 5 hours later)
  
Prime Minister David Cameron is to host a meeting of politicians from around the world who will discuss how to combat poverty. Prime Minister David Cameron is hosting a meeting of politicians from around the world to discuss how to combat poverty in developing countries.
He is co-chairing the first meeting of a United Nations panel, along with the presidents of Indonesia and Liberia. He is co-chairing the first meeting of a United Nations panel, along with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the Indonesian president.
Mr Cameron has been asked by the UN to look into how poverty in developing countries should be tackled after the year 2015. Mr Cameron was asked by the UN to look into how poverty in developing countries should be tackled after 2015.
Thursday's meeting, the first of a series, will be attended by 26 members.Thursday's meeting, the first of a series, will be attended by 26 members.
The panel will meet again in Monrovia and Jakarta next year, before reporting to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon.The panel will meet again in Monrovia and Jakarta next year, before reporting to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon.
Most of the other attendees of the London gathering are ministers from foreign governments or heads of economic committees.Most of the other attendees of the London gathering are ministers from foreign governments or heads of economic committees.
The president of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is currently on a three-day state visit to Britain, staying at Buckingham Palace. The other co-chair is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia. The president of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is on a three-day state visit to Britain.
International aid The process begun in London should be completed by May when the "High Level Panel" reports to the UN secretary-general.
The London meeting is the first of three to be held in the capital cities of the three co-chairs, representing a spread of countries in terms of wealth.
Between the meetings, a separate process will go on to put ideas on paper, which one seasoned observer described as a "massive fight" over what should be in the final plan, who pays and how independent the successors to the MDGs will be of the UN.
Progress on the Millennium Development Goals has been patchy.
The UN says that for the first time the number of people living in extreme poverty is falling in every region of the world but the first MDG, cutting in half the proportion of people living in poverty, has been reached mainly because of the economic growth of China.
A set of international targets known as the Millennium Development Goals, drawn up at the turn of the century, are set to be completed by 2015.A set of international targets known as the Millennium Development Goals, drawn up at the turn of the century, are set to be completed by 2015.
The goals are pledges by UN member countries to increase living standards in poorer parts of the world.The goals are pledges by UN member countries to increase living standards in poorer parts of the world.
The first of them - reducing poverty among some of the very poorest - has been achieved, due largely to big increases in income in recent years in China and India.The first of them - reducing poverty among some of the very poorest - has been achieved, due largely to big increases in income in recent years in China and India.
But attempts to reach other goals have been less successful.But attempts to reach other goals have been less successful.
At his recent speech to the UN General Assembly in New York, Mr Cameron said he was proud of the UK's record in giving aid.At his recent speech to the UN General Assembly in New York, Mr Cameron said he was proud of the UK's record in giving aid.
The UK currently spends about 0.5% of its national income on aid.The UK currently spends about 0.5% of its national income on aid.
The BBC's International Development correspondent Mark Doyle says that this is less than some Scandinavian countries, but much more, as a proportion of its income, than the US. The UN secretary-general's High Level Panel (HLP) meetings were opened by International Development Secretary Justine Greening.
The UK has promised to increase its aid commitment further - but that is proving controversial with some politicians on the right saying charity should begin at home, our correspondent adds. She said: "The High Level Panel's work will be vitally important to shape the future of development.
"The focus of those meeting in London will be individual and household poverty. It is only right that we put this at the heart of any new development agenda so that we can shape a better future for everyone, wherever they are born."
BBC international development correspondent David Loyn said that in finding a successor for the Millennium Development Goals, China and some African countries will want to stop what they see as further interference into governance.
But the big donor nations in the West will need guarantees of transparency and better accountability for governments who receive aid, if aid is to continue, our correspondent added.