17 October 2009: On the occasion of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark stressed that climate change has the potential to undermine development and make it worse for those already unable to access adequate shelter, food, energy, clean water and sanitation.

She highlighted that the effects of climate-induced disasters on the poor, women and children will be disproportionately higher, with a person living in a developing country 79 times more likely to suffer from such a disaster than someone living in a developed country. Clark noted that the UNDP mandate focuses on poverty reduction, as well as on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, including sustainable development, and noted that good governance, peace and stability contribute to overall development. She said that, in Copenhagen, the global community will have the responsibility to ensure that poverty eradication is at the centre of any negotiated international agreement on climate change. [UNDP Newsroom]