Princess Máxima of the Netherlands named new UN advocate on inclusive finance

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has named Princess Máxima of the Netherlands has his new Special Advocate on Inclusive Finance, which he said can spur poverty reduction and advance development.

“Your extensive knowledge and expertise makes you a perfect choice for this important undertaking,” Mr. Ban said yesterday. “You will be able to work for the well-being of so many people who need our hands, who need your hands and who need the United Nations.”

Inclusive finance, he pointed out, has a key role to play in propelling efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight anti-poverty targets with a 2015 deadline.

Princess Máxima was a member of the Advisors Group to the 2005 International Year of Microcredit and a year later she joined the UN Advisors Group on Inclusive Financial Sectors. She was a member of the Group’s Executive Committee and chaired its Working Group on Advocacy.

The Secretary-General voiced hope that Princess Máxima’s “advocacy will make a tremendous difference.”