Washington, DC—On July 23, 2009, the Women's Foreign Policy Group launched its Women in Power Series with a luncheon featuring Helen Clark, United Nations Development Programme Administrator and former Prime Minister of New Zealand. The Administrator spoke on the Development Challenge in the Middle of the Global Recession to an audience of WFPG members and guests, including numerous ambassadors and officials from government, NGOs, international organizations, and corporations. Kimberly Dozier, CBS News Correspondent, presided as Mistress of Ceremonies and moderated the question and answer session.

In her speech, the Administrator discussed the impact of the economic downturn on the developing world, the challenges that lie ahead, and the response needed from the international community. She outlined how the situation has been exacerbated by an extraordinary convergence of crises, including increased food and oil prices, swine flu, and climate change. While UNDP's core funders continue to hold the line, she pointed out that funding for the organization was constrained even before the economic crisis. Ms. Clark noted that she has the same budget at UNDP for five billion people in 166 countries as she had to provide health care for only four million New Zealanders. She acknowledged the not un-encouraging progress on some of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but emphasized the critical need to increase development support. Read more