Japan, Korea to act on pressing issues: UN chief

"We need countries such as Japan and Korea to offer concrete measures to address three pressing, interrelated challenges: the global food crisis, climate change, and the race to reach the Millennium Development Goals by 2015," Ban said while embarking on a three-nation tour yesterday.     

Referring to the global crisis caused by soaring food prices, Ban called on both countries to deliver immediate food assistance over the next 18 months, minimise export restrictions on food commodities, cut agricultural subsidies and to increase the share of Official Development Assistance (ODA) from its current level of three per cent to 10 per cent.     

"When the Group of Eight leaders meet in Hokkaido next month, they have a moral obligation to support the UN's efforts to address the food crisis," the Secretary-General said.     

"If not addressed, high food prices may drive over 100 million more people into poverty. If the crisis is not brought under control, it risks unleashing large population movements, instability and inflation throughout the world," he added.     

On climate change Ban called on Japan and South Korea to "show real leadership" by focusing on ongoing negotiations to produce a new deal at next year's summit in Copenhagen.     

On the MDGs, a set of anti-poverty targets to be achieved worldwide by 2015  Ban called for greater attention to be given to the goal of improving maternal health, which he said was the "slowest moving target of the MDGs".