Helen Clark says the United Nations is feeling the effects of the slowing global economy and says conflicts around the world are adding to the problem.
The former Prime Minister and candidate for the UN's Secretary-General role made the statement during a live feed from the UN this morning.
She said the global economy had seen much slower growth for some time now and that was now affecting the UN Development programme, which she runs.
She said the programme's main funders were developed countries, and even they were struggling to donate as much as in the past.
In addition, she said, conflicts around the world were draining funding away from development and into meeting the catastrophic emergency needs of affected countries.
