More than 30 Christian leaders from denominations worldwide gathered Sunday at the “Consultation of Religious Leaders on Global Poverty” in Washington D.C. to affirm the UN Millennium Development goals set by UN members in 2000.
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A communiqué is soon to be published on the results of the Consultation and the agreed steps to be taken by Christian around the world in tightening collaboration between themselves and their prospective governments in order to make more effective their work for the poor.

The Consultation comes amid calls from Pope Benedict XVI for the commitments of the UN member states to help the poor, sick and hungry to be reaffirmed at the forthcoming UN World Summit taking place in New York from 14 to 16 September.

The Pope said at his Sunday blessing: “I express my fervent hope that the governments united there may find appropriate solutions to reach the great goals that have been set previously, in the spirit of harmony and generous solidarity.”

He also re-appealed to wealthy countries to put into place concrete steps to alleviate poverty: “I especially hope that effective concrete measures can be implemented to respond to the most urgent problems created by extreme poverty, sickness and hunger, which afflict so many populations.”

World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) international board chair Rev. Ndaba Mazabane said the Consultation provided “religious communities with a tremendous opportunity to reflect together on ways we can be part of the solution in the fight against the ‘gian’ of poverty which ravages so many of our peoples”.

The multi-denominational meeting held at Washington National Cathedral included closed consultative sessions which will continue through Tuesday before an official communiqué is presented to the UN by a delegation representing the Consultation.