We tend to forget it, but the development cooperation agenda started, more than fifty years ago, with the aim of reducing the income gap between what is now called rich and poor countries. In 1990, poverty was again put on the international political agenda, without inequality. All the World Bank had to say about is, was that inequality was different from poverty.

This UN summit is extremely important, even for the billion and a half extremely poor people in the world. Since I am known for being very critical of the poverty reduction policies, this statement may surprise. Let me explain what I mean.