This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20163840

The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 3 Version 4
UN poverty meeting in London hosted by David Cameron World has chance to end extreme poverty for good - Cameron
(about 3 hours later)
  
Prime Minister David Cameron is hosting a meeting of politicians from around the world to discuss how to combat poverty in developing countries. David Cameron has said there is a "real opportunity" to end extreme global poverty within the next few decades.
He is co-chairing the first meeting of a United Nations panel, along with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the Indonesian president. The prime minister said politicians had been talking about the goal for years but "this generation" had a chance of fulfilling the long-held ambition.
Mr Cameron was asked by the UN to look into how poverty in developing countries should be tackled after 2015. He was speaking after hosting a meeting of politicians from around the world to discuss anti-poverty strategies.
Thursday's meeting, the first of a series, will be attended by 26 members. Mr Cameron has been asked by the UN to look into how poverty in developing countries should be tackled after 2015.
The panel will meet again in Monrovia and Jakarta next year, before reporting to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon. On Thursday, he co-chaired the first meeting of the United Nations panel, along with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Most of the other attendees of the London gathering are ministers from foreign governments or heads of economic committees. 'Great progress'
The president of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is on a three-day state visit to Britain. After the meeting, attended by 26 countries, Mr Cameron said "great progress" had been made since the launch of the Millennium Development Goals in the late 1990s but the international community must aspire to do even more.
All countries had obligations to do their bit to help meet the anti-poverty targets, he added - citing the need for the UK and other wealthier countries to be transparent about how their aid budget are spent.
"The principle aim of the panel should be finishing the job of ending extreme poverty...That is something that politicians have been talking about for a while but for the first time I think this generation really has the opportunity to do it."
The process begun in London should be completed by May when the "High Level Panel" reports to the UN secretary-general.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.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.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.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.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. The Millennium Development Goals, set to be completed by 2015, 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. But attempts to reach other goals have been less successful.
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. Mr Cameron said there needed to be a renewed focus on tackling the causes of poverty - highlighting the importance of reducing corruption, promoting the rights of women and minorities and backing freedom of expression and association.
But attempts to reach other goals have been less successful. The panel will meet again in Monrovia and Jakarta next year, before reporting to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon.
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. Most of the other attendees of the London gathering are ministers from foreign governments or heads of economic committees.
The UK currently spends about 0.5% of its national income on aid. The Indonesian president, who is on a three-day state visit to Britain, said the UN panel had a "common vision" over how to respond to the challenges facing the developed and developing world.
The UN secretary-general's High Level Panel (HLP) meetings were opened by International Development Secretary Justine Greening. "I believe that poverty eradication can only be achieved by raising the living standards of the poor around the world.
She said: "The High Level Panel's work will be vitally important to shape the future of development. "This can be done by creating job opportunities and providing accessible and affordable health services, education facilities, housing, clean water and sanitation."
"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.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.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.