§ Mr. SweeneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the world summit for social development which was held in Copenhagen from 6 to 12 March.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe world summit for social development provided an opportunity for discussion of the key development issues of poverty reduction, job creation and improving social cohesion, and for ideas to be shared at a high level on how these problems might be overcome. My right hon. and noble Friend Baroness Chalker of Wallasey represented the Government and made a keynote speech setting out the Government's good record on tackling problems of poverty and unemployment at home, and our support through the aid programme for developing countries' efforts to achieve sustainable people-centred development
The Government are pleased that the summit's documentation includes strong references to human rights, good governance, developing country debt, trade liberalisation and the need for economic growth.