Coalition Ministers deliver MDG briefing

10 September 2010

Senior diplomats from across the world yesterday attended a Millennium Development Goals (MDG) summit briefing at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

At an event designed to galvanise political momentum in the run up to this month's United Nations MDG Summit, attendees were addressed by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell and Foreign Office Minister for Global and Economic issues, Henry Bellingham.

Nick Clegg emphasised the coalition government's commitment to international development despite the financially difficult times.

Andrew Mitchell stressed that the Summit needs to deliver a clear action agenda setting out the way forward to delivering the MDGs and halving extreme poverty by 2015. The Development Secretary outlined the UK’s intention to put women, girls and maternal health at the forefront of its efforts in line with the belief that empowerment of women is central to the delivery of the full range of MDGs.

In his speech, Minister Bellingham noted "This government believes that the goals of poverty reduction, improving human rights and international development are as important as ever."

The MDG Summit takes place in New York between the 20 and 22 September 2010 and is designed to speed progress towards delivery of all MDGs by 2015. Achieving the MDGs would transform the lives of millions of people living in some of the poorest parts of the world.