§ 11. Mr. LukeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department is taking to combat child poverty in developing countries. [29134]
§ Clare ShortWe seek to reduce the poverty of children, which causes suffering to today's children and jeopardises the well-being of future generations, by working to address the causes of deprivation in their communities. Support for children's rights to basic health care, education, nutrition, shelter, protection from violence and abusive labour, along with sustainable livelihoods for their parents, is central to my Department's work towards the millennium development goals.
We are determined to do our utmost to energise the international system to achieve the goals. The goals include the target of, by 2015, lifting one billion people out of abject poverty, universal primary schooling, and reducing under-five child mortality by two thirds. The goals are achievable given greater and more united international effort.