Prime Minister Hun Sen touted his government’s record in handling the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and urged world leaders gathered in New York to discuss creating a new set aims for developing countries to strive for.

“I am happy to inform the meeting that over the past two decades Cambodia has prioritised its achievements in full peace, political stability, security and public order, and a high annual growth rate of 7.7 per cent,” he said.

“Poverty has been reduced by 53 per cent to only 16 per cent in 2013, meaning that Cambodia was successful in meeting its Millennium Development Goals on poverty reduction and other social issues.”

The Millennium Development Goals were launched in 2000 and are set to be replaced by the new goals being hammered out in New York.

Assuring listeners that ‘‘Cambodia is on the right track’’, Hun Sen called on donor countries to ensure they stuck to pledges of spending 0.7 per cent of their gross national income (GNI) on aid, and at least 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of their GNI on least-developed countries.