United Nations Radio

The head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Thursday called for a more effective alliance between the State and the market to tackle economic problems plaguing the world today.

Helen Clark

Helen Clark made the call in a lecture at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Santiago, Chile.

She said the workings of the market alone will not end poverty, or deliver either equity or justice.

She said it is fundamental to support public policies that may complement the failures of the market in order to address the multiple crises that impact developing countries.

These, she added, range from the financial crisis to climate change, as well as food and energy crises.

Helen Clark acknowledged the significant progress made in several Latin American and Caribbean countries, particularly in attaining universal education and promoting gender equality.

However, she pointed out that countries are lagging in reducing poverty and hunger and achieving goals in maternal health and women's empowerment.

She also insisted on the urgency of combating the lack of governance and the corruption of institutions and the need for donor countries to increase official development assistance.

Gail Walker, United Nations Radio.
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