16 October 2012: Mark Lowcock, UK Permanent Secretary for the Department of International Development (DFID), addressed the British Council in New Delhi, India, on 16 October 2012, on the future of international development and poverty eradication. Lowcock highlighted the need for more input from the Global South and from the poorest in the world when determining development priorities for the next 20 years, and called for the complete eradication of poverty to be the goal for the next generation of efforts.

Reviewing progress made in the quality of human life over the past 50 years, Lowcock noted global improvements in infant mortality, life expectancy, and access to knowledge, and praised the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for their drastic and rapid achievements internationally over the last generation.

Looking to the future of development beyond 2015, he called on the international community to be “bold and ambitious” with new goals. He stressed the UK’s commitment to the post-2015 development agenda, noting UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s involvement in the UN Secretary General’s High-Level Panel (HLP) on the issue. Finally, he highlighted as important for the new development architecture, inter alia, increased and sustained funds, transparent governance, and a focus on results for better growth in societies. [Full Statement] [Press Release on David Cameron’s Appointment to HLP]