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UN chief calls for deeper global cooperation to end poverty

Xinhua, July 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Sunday called for deeper global cooperation in trade and development in order to end world poverty.

Ban told the 14 session of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) which kicked off in Nairobi that trade and investment can be positive forces to uplift the quality of lives of everyone.

"Used wisely they can ensure that we leave no one behind. So I urge the global community to renew the spirit of international engagement in order to end global poverty," Ban said during the opening session of the 14 session of the UNCTAD.

The week-long event brought over 7,000 delegates from the UN Member states to discuss ways to ensure prosperity for all through sustainable development initiatives.

UNCTAD 14 will comprise the World Investment Forum, Global Commodities Forum, Civil Society Forum as well as the Youth Forum.

Ban said the global economic slowdown has sharpened the divide between those who have benefited from globalization and those who continue to feel left behind.

"There are worrying signs that people around the world are increasingly unhappy with the state of global economy," he added.

He noted that instead of the global community working together to change the prevailing economic model for the better, many leaders are instead embracing protectionism and even xenophobia.

The UN official reiterated that trade must provide prosperity for both the people and the planet in ways that help to respond to the challenges of climate change.

"The successful actions we will make over the next 15 years especially in the area of trade, investment, technology and finance require that we tap the full potential of all actors, promote innovation and correct unsustainable trends," Ban said.

UNCTAD Secretary General Dr Mukhisa Kituyi said Kenya has been accorded the privilege to become the first developing country to hold UNCTAD conference twice.

Kituyi said when Kenya was given a chance to host the UNCTAD 4 in 1976, it was statement of global solidarity.

"However UNCTAD 14 is a statement on how a developing country full of optimism for the future can leverage an opportunity to raise its profile in the international scene," he said. Endit