On September 13th, 2005, on the eve of the United Nations World Summit and General Assembly, former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto, Co-Chairmen, hosted a reception to launch the High Level Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor.

The co-chairs were joined by 12 Commission members, including Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, who delivered the keynote address, at a launch ceremony in the Delegates Dining Room of the United Nations. The event was attended by 200 government and UN officials, as well as UN affiliated representatives of civil society.

In addition to remarks from President Mkapa, Secretary Albright and Dr de Soto, those gathered also heard from Hilde Johnson, the Norwegian Minister of International Development, in representation of Norway’s role as the lead donor country supporting the HLCLEP. Kemal Derviş, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, and U.N. Deputy Secretary General Louise Frechette, spoke powerfully of the United Nations’ commitment to support the work of HLCLEP going forward.

While the September 13 launch was aimed at informing global government and UN officials, the HLCLEP Secretariat is planning a range of events in 2006, to be hosted in developed and developing countries, that will engage representatives of civil society, including NGOs, the media, students, the private sector and informal sector representatives.

Read the Speeches