[Asia] poverty conference to start

from The BBC

An international conference which aims to find new ways of tackling poverty in Asia - home to two-thirds of the world's poor - is being held in London.
The event has been organised jointly by the UK government, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

It aims to put the spotlight on Asia, after a year in which much of the focus has been on poverty in Africa.

A key aim is for Asia's politicians and non-government groups to discuss how to distribute wealth more evenly.

Fresh cash pledges are also expected to be announced at the event over the next two days.

BBC Asia analyst Jill McGivering said the contrasts in Asia are extreme and much of the focus has been on the success stories - from East Asia's now mature economies to the current explosive growth of countries like China and India.

Wealth gaps

But across Asia 650 million people live on less than $1 a day, she said.

Even within its booming economies, many people are simply excluded and that has created dramatic wealth gaps between rural and urban areas, men and women and different ethnic groups, she said.

Organisers of the conference, which starts on Monday, say absolute poverty could be eliminated in Asia within a generation - but that may need major changes.

One of the biggest questions will be how to manage Asia's growth in a more stable and inclusive way.

Other concerns include: better protection of the environment; better infrastructure, especially in poverty-stricken regions; and stronger public and financial institutions.

Jill McGivering says politics underlies these themes, with a suggestion that more accountable and inclusive governance can help the poor most.

She added: "All this is sensitive. Asian countries try hard not to interference in each others' affairs, especially in public.

"So the tone of the conference is likely to be not critical but one of gentle suggestion to try to keep a rapidly changing Asia on a stable track."