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David Cameron co-chairs UN meeting in Liberia David Cameron calls on UN to end 'extreme poverty'
(about 4 hours later)
Prime Minister David Cameron is co-chairing a meeting of the UN's high-level panel in Liberia, on the final leg of his Africa trip. David Cameron has told a UN meeting in Liberia that "eradicating extreme poverty" should be the focus of a new set of international development goals.
The group is seeking to agree aims to replace the millennium development goals - to end poverty - which expire in 2015. The British PM was co-chair of the panel, which met on Friday to discuss new targets to replace the millennium development goals which expire in 2015.
It is also being led by Indonesia and Liberia's presidents. Mr Cameron said the UN must focus on ending poverty factors, including "corruption [and] lack of justice".
Ahead of the meeting, Mr Cameron said he was committed to "eradicating extreme poverty". If agreed later this year, the new pledges will run until 2030.
Mr Cameron - who chaired the high-level panel jointly with Liberian president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Indonesia's Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - said the north African country had been "absolutely devastated by conflict and civil war".
But he insisted more than just financial aid was required to lift countries in a similar situation out of poverty.
'Rule of law'
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Cameron said: "[Liberia] is now recovering but there is still desperate poverty... one in 10 children do not make it to the age of five.
"It is important we look at those things that keep countries poor. Conflict, corruption, lack of justice, lack of the rule of law. These things matter as well as money."
During the press conference, the Prime Minister was also forced to defend his commitment to dedicate 0.7% of British gross domestic product to foreign aid.
Mr Cameron has pledged to protect the international development budget but conceded on Thursday that the UK defence budget could be cut further in 2015-16.
He said: "I am proud of the fact that Britain has kept its promises. We will achieve 0.7% of our gross national income in aid as promised. And I am proud to be the PM who has helped deliver that."
The GDP commitment has yet to be enshrined in law.
UN goals
The millennium development goals, designed to be completed by 2015, are pledges by UN member countries to increase living standards in poorer parts of the world.The millennium development goals, designed to be completed by 2015, are pledges by UN member countries to increase living standards in poorer parts of the world.
'Write the rules'
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. But attempts to reach other goals have been less successful.
Mr Cameron was selected by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to chair the meeting, along with Indonesia's Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Liberia's Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Mr Cameron was selected by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon as joint chair the meeting. The next set of UN goals will be drafted with input from charities and advocacy groups.
He said: "We are chairing a panel that's going to write the rules for aid and development for the next 20 years. More than 60 groups were in the Liberian capital Monrovia - where the meeting took place - to air their views.
"It's up to us to keep up the emphasis on eradicating extreme poverty." Earlier, Mr Cameron visited the Anna F Whisnant elementary school with President Sirleaf.
He added: "We must also look at those things that keep countries poor, including conflict and lack of justice." He said many of the children he spoke to in the playground "wanted to be doctors, lawyers and even government ministers.
The next set of UN goals will be drafted with input from charities and advocacy groups. "If you ask children in the UK, all they want to be is pop stars and footballers," he joked.
More than 60 groups are in the Liberian capital Monrovia - where the meeting is taking place - to air their views.
Earlier, Mr Cameron visited a school with President Sirleaf.
The next meeting will be in Indonesia. followed by a final gathering in New York in May - where the findings will be presented to Ban Ki Moon.The next meeting will be in Indonesia. followed by a final gathering in New York in May - where the findings will be presented to Ban Ki Moon.
On Thursday, Mr Cameron was in Libya, where he announced that police investigating the 1988 Lockerbie bombing were to visit the country.
He also met Prime Minister Ali Zidan and President Mohamed Magarief, and visited a police training college.
His African tour began in Algeria, where the recent hostage crisis left some 37 foreigners dead - including up to six Britons.
While there Mr Cameron announced that the two counties had agreed a security partnership, including co-operation on border and aviation security, as well as joint action on trade, investment and education.