UN General Assembly to tackle global economic crisis

The United Nations General Assembly is convening a three-day summit of world leaders from 24 to 26 June 2009 at its New York Headquarters. The UN Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development aims to assess the “worst global economic downturn since the Great Depression,” providing “a uniquely inclusive forum to address issues of urgent concern to all nations,” according to UN News service.

Representatives of UN 126 member states are due to attend the summit, including the heads of 14 states and governments, 4 vice presidents, 3 deputy PMs, 32 ministers.

The leaders will focus on the problems of the world’s developing countries, which had no hand in creating the crisis, to cope with the global recession. The World Bank projects a finance gap of up to $700 billion in these countries, resulting in additional deaths of 1.5 to 2.8 million infants by 2015 and more than 100 million people tipping over into extreme poverty each year for the duration of the crisis.

The United Nations summit of world leaders in June was mandated at the Follow- up International Conference on Financing for Development, held in December 2008 in Doha, Qatar.