United Nations Radio

Strengthening the rule of law is key to unlocking the Millennium Development Goals.

He told the General Assembly's committee dealing with social, humanitarian and cultural matters that without the rule of law, countries ravaged by crime and violence cannot prosper.

"They are trapped in a malign spiral of under development leading to violence that feeds back into an even greater degree of poverty. So domestic savings and the brightest minds leave the country and foreign investors move to other locations."

Maria Costa says that is why since 2004, The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has called for greater support for countries in West Africa that lack the means to defend themselves from the onslaught of drug traffickers.

He says the chance that these countries will reach the MDG's shrinks everyday.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.

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