United Nations, Sep 27 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Friday said poverty eradication must remain at the heart of the post-2015 development agenda.

He said the post-2015 development agenda must finish the work of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which have also been adjusted to have a broader agenda to respond to global challenges, Xinhua reported.

MDGs are a set of eight anti-poverty targets to be reached by the deadline of 2015.

The secretary-general said the new agenda will focus on the concerns of people living in G77 countries and China.

"It will have sustainable development at its core and poverty eradication as its most urgent priority," he said.

The new agenda will address basic needs such as energy, infrastructure, food and economic transformation, Ban said, urging the group to improve financial support for effective implementation of the whole new agenda.

The United Nations is leading the world efforts to hammer out the new agenda for global development.

"Ending poverty and transforming our societies and economies to meet fundamental human needs is an essential step toward achieving planetary sustainability," he said.

Meanwhile, Ban also highlighted climate challenge as a key issue that need to be addressed in sustainable development. "We will not be able to deliver on the ambitions of the new development agenda without tackling the climate challenge."