Denmark to lead UN poverty summit

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has appointed Denmark to lead the negotiations at the large UN summit to be held in New York in September, where the world's nations are to take stock of their efforts to combat poverty and underdevelopment, according to daily newspaper Berlingske Tidende.

Additionally, the summit is supposed to establish how developed and developing nations, together, may live up to the Millennium Development Goals - eight concrete goals that 192 UN member states have agreed to achieve by 2015, and that have formed the basis of international development cooperation since the year 2000.

- That means that we will have to prepare the summit, lead the negotiations, and prepare a draft communique, says Minister for Development Cooperation, Ulla Tørnæs.

Recognition of Danish leadership
She thinks that Ban Ki-Moon choosing Denmark to lead the summit is a recognition of Danish efforts.

- I think this is a clear recognition of Denmark's leadership in the field of international development cooperation. I am proud that we will be leading a summit of this importance. But there is no doubt that the task before us is challenging, says the Minister for Development Cooperation.

Translated by Martin Lamberth