Rural and agricultural development needs to be integrated into national and international development plans, according to Ministers and other high-level government officials attending the annual session of the U.N. Economic and Social Council meeting in Geneva this week. The leaders called for increased investment in rural and agricultural development to improve agricultural productivity, food security, and the capacity of developing country farmers to take advantage of trade opportunities.

The ministers' call followed a three-day stocktaking of global progress toward achieving MDG 1 by strengthening efforts to eradicate poverty and hunger. The event marked the inauguration of the Council's Annual Ministerial Review (AMR). The AMR was established as part of a reform package adopted last year by the U.N. General Assembly to enhance the role of the Economic and Social Council and enable it to better collaborate with the Security Council.

The Ministerial Declaration, which incorporates some of the key concerns highlighted by IFAD during the review, reflects the consensus by U.N. member countries concerning priorities and actions to more effectively eradicate poverty and hunger. This consensus evolves as a result of ongoing deliberations in a variety of international arenas. Increasingly, it includes the recognition of the rural concentration of global poverty and the pivotal role of agriculture in its reduction. The provisions of the declaration can serve as a benchmark for assessing progress and strengthening accountability of national and international leaders.