Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared that it is not going to be easy to convince all the participants at the UN meeting, formally known as the Action Against Hunger and Poverty, that financial mechanisms must be created to end the problem.
“We should not have any illusions about coming out of this meeting with a hunger combat fund in place,” said Lula.
The fight against poverty has to begin at home. One of Lula’s ideas is to give prizes to locations (a city, municipality or state) that takes action to help the country reach the Millennium Targets set by the UN.
“We have to stimulate improvements or we will reach 2015 in worse shape than we are in now,” said the President.
The so-called Millennium Targets were established four years ago at the UN by 191 countries that all agreed to work to make improvements in eight areas by the year 2015: eradicate hunger and acute poverty, combat AIDS, universalize elementary education, reduce infant mortality, promote gender equality and women’s rights, improve maternal healthcare, protect the environment and create a worldwide partnership for development.
According to Lula, the Millennium Targets is a case where the whole country has to get on board. “This is not just a government commitment. It is not just the president or the mayor – it is everybody. We have to keep the country on track, moving ahead. We want a cycle of growth for Brazil,” said the President.
Today Lula is at the UN in New York for the Action Against Hunger and Poverty meeting. He will join representatives of 60 nations to discuss a preliminary report drawn up by representatives from Brazil, Chile, France and Spain which suggests eight mechanisms for financing the war against hunger and poverty.
Agência Brasil
Reporter:Gabriela Guerreiro
Translator: Allen Bennett