UN's Ban questions faith in "magic" of markets

[Ghost Dog]

Source: Reuters

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 23 (Reuters) - The global financial crisis endangers efforts to reduce world poverty and demands a new approach with less "uncritical faith in the 'magic' of markets," U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday. The financial turmoil roiling world markets put at risk the achievement of the U.N.-agreed Millennium Development Goals set in 2000 to halve global poverty by 2015, Ban said in his opening address at the United Nations General Assembly.

"The global financial crisis endangers all our work -- financing for development, social spending in rich nations and poor, the Millennium Development Goals," he told world leaders gathered in New York for the annual meeting.

Speaking shortly before U.S. President George W. Bush was due to address the assembly, Ban said it was time for global leadership and collaboration rather than confrontation. "We need a new understanding on business ethics and governance, with more compassion and less uncritical faith in the 'magic' of markets," Ban said, calling for collective action and global leadership.

...

"We need to restore order to the international financial markets," Ban said. "We must think about how the world economic system should evolve to more fully reflect the changing realities of our time."

"We face a global financial crisis. A global energy crisis. A global food crisis," Ban said.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idINN2347310820080923?rpc=44

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Good to be reminded of the scale and the interconnectedness of things.

[tama]

1. Good to be reminded of the scale and the interconnectedness of things.

Yeah, when the top guy of UN does the reminding. But it seems that more common reminders who just post to DU get easily the "shoot the messenger" treatment... :)