§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What estimate they have made of the cost to the United Nations of the seven-day summit to review the millennium development goals, to be held in New York in September 2005; and whether they will consider the possibility that the goals might be more easily achieved if the money spent on large meetings were directed towards the goals themselves. [HL795]
28WA
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe Millennium Review Summit will take place from 14 to 16 September 2005. It will be followed by a 10-day debate in the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
The UN Secretariat forecast that the summit could cost up to £564,000 to cover conference servicing, security, protocol and public information services. UN member states have asked that the cost of the summit be absorbed within existing resources.
It is impossible to organise such international meetings without incurring costs. Without such meetings we could not press for faster progress to meet millennium development goals.
The UK worked hard with European Union partners to ensure the summit and its preparations would be concentrated in New York, to ensure costs were kept to a minimum.
Global events such as the summit provide strategic oversight and direction, as well as securing commitment and resources without which the practical task of achieving the millennium development goals cannot be pursued.