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Commonwealth Secretariat press release

Commonwealth Finance Ministers to discuss effective delivery of basic services to the poor

10 September 2003

Commonwealth Finance Ministers will hold their 37 meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam on 16-18 September. As is customary, this meeting takes place the week before the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

'Delivering Basic Services to the Poor' will be the theme of one of the main sessions of this year's meeting. Shanta Devarajan, the principal author of the World Bank's 2004 World Development Report, Making Services Work for the Poor, will address Ministers. Representatives of civil society and private sector organisations will also make presentations on this theme.

Commenting on the upcoming, meeting Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon said today: "The delivery of basic services to poor people is a major challenge for almost all of us. I hope that our meeting will enable ministers to examine ways and means of improving delivery of these services.

"We also need to be open-minded about alternative ways of delivering services and to ensure affordable access by all Commonwealth citizens. This can best be done by involving the poor in decision-making."

Ministers will also discuss global economic prospects, the outcomes of this week's World Trade Organisation meeting in Cancun, Mexico, issues relating to debt sustainability under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, and ways of increasing private investment flows to developing Commonwealth countries.

Note to editors
For media enquiries please contact Joel Kibazo, Director, Communications and Public Affairs Division, from 15-18 September on +673 2418888 or +44 7740 450901.

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