The international community must show courage to tackle global problems such as the economic crisis, poverty and global warming, prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende said in a speech to the UN at the weekend.

‘Interdependency gives us a shared responsibility. We can see now that the problems we face are too big for any single nation,’ Balkenende said in his address to the UN’s general assembly.
‘There is a real danger that those who had no part in causing the crisis will be the people who suffer most deeply,’ Balkenende said. ‘In rich countries, the crisis means the loss of jobs and assets. In developing countries, it means rising child mortality and rising hunger.
The prime minister called on the developed world to ‘honour an old promise’ and set aside at least 0.7% of national income every year for development aid.
For the full speech, click here