The United Nations Millennium summit is drawing to a close in New York after three days of discussion about the role of the organisation in the twenty-first century.

The final session is expected to adopt a declaration setting targets for tackling poverty and disease and promising to make the UN more effective in keeping the peace.

About a hundred and fifty heads of state and government took part in this unprecedented event -- several on the last day using their five-minute speeches to call for the benefits of economic globalisation to be spread more evenly.

The Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, said globalisation had so far meant prosperity only for the chosen few of the industrialised countries.

And the President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, accused the rich countries of seeking to maintain their domination under cover of calls for good governance and human rights. The UN also welcomed back Somalia to the organisation after a ten year absence.

The newly-elected president, Abdikassim Salad Hassan, said a democratic Somalia would be a strong and productive member of the UN.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service