contribution by Owen Tudor

In less than three weeks, the UN will hold a review summit on the Millennium Development Goals (set in 2000, they are due to be achieved in 2015 so we ought to be two thirds of the way there – and we aren’t).

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and International Development Secretary of State Andrew Mitchell will be attending the event for the UK – and the TUC has joined with many NGOs to call on them to support a concrete plan of action to reach the MDGs.

One key issue is how to pay for the measures necessary to reach those goals, and financial transactions taxes (FTTs) would make a big difference.

But it won’t just be unions and NGOs calling for a Robin Hood Tax in New York. The Leading Group – 60 nations including the UK – are calling for a currency transaction levy (a compenent part of an FTT) at the UN summit.

French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner, Japanese foreign minister Katsuya Okada and Belgian international development minister Charles Michel are leading the charge.

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