This, together with microcredit, microenterprise and microfinance schemes, are our strongest instruments for increasing development and unleashing the democratic progress of people around the world. Mr. Chairman, these programs reflect the widely shared belief that economic development must benefit all sectors of society, including women who live in households with little or no assets, if it is to be sustainable and just. Governments have a key role to play in alleviating poverty. They should be actively engaged in providing health, housing, nutrition, education, infrastructure, and access to land to help the poor. To succeed in combatting poverty, governments must strengthen, encourage and protect civil society, local, independent agencies, women's groups and non-governmental organizations working in their countries.
Poverty alleviation has to be a national priority for all.
Support of macroeconomic and microeconomic policies are necessary for enabling small and microbusinesses to flourish. With respect to the many private and non-governmental microcredit and microfinance institutions, the primary role of governments should be to ensure an adequate regulatory and supervisory structure. The direct provision of credit and other financial services is not an appropriate role for governments. Governments should be facilitators of microcredit and microfinance rather than direct implementors or managers of private sector initiatives. Daily experience proves that the strongest corollary with poverty alleviation is simply economic growth.