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New York (Agenzia Fides) - Caritas is launching a new campaign to put pressure on governments to live up to their anti-poverty promises. ‘Caritas Voices Against Poverty’ aims to mobilise its supporters behind the Millennium Development Goals, a series of targets agreed by the 189 UN member States in 2000 to build a better world for humanity by 2015. While progress has been made in improving lives, millions still live in unacceptable poverty, facing hunger, lack of rights, and disease. World leaders will meet at the UN Headquarters in New York for the High-Level Meeting ‘MDG2010 Summit’ to assess progress and recommit to their pledges. According to Caritas Internationalis Secretary General Lesley-Anne Knight, “over one billion people are suffering from hunger and malnutrition because they are so poor. Caritas believes the Millennium Development Goals must be met, as they are a milestone in the fight against poverty. More debts need to be canceled, says Knight. A poor country cannot spend money on health and education if it all goes to servicing national debt. Caritas will be following the MDG2010 Summit through its office in New York, where its Permanent Delegate to the United Nations Joseph Donnelly is a member of the General Assembly President's MDG2010 Summit Task Force. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 6/9/2010)
