This event will serve to promote and advance, through a panel discussion, recent initiatives and proposals on innovative sources of development financing, in particular, towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

Following opening remarks by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil will deliver a keynote address on "Financing hunger and poverty eradication". The Panel, chaired and moderated by USG/DESA José Antonio Ocampo, will feature presentations on "International Finance Facility" (UK), "New International Contributions to Financing for Development" (France), "Innovative Approaches to Funding the Millennium Development Goals" (OECD) and "Innovative Sources for Development Finance" (UN-DESA/UNU-WIDER).