SAO PAULO, June 14: Socialist Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Monday asked the world's rich nations to launch a new "Marshall Plan" to help developing countries pull out of poverty.

In opening remarks at a meeting of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Sao Paulo, Lula called for a world development plan similar to the one put in place by the United States to reconstruct European nations after World War II.

"Trade alone is not enough," Lula said in his speech, adding that in 40 years since UNCTAD came into being, per capita income in the world's poorest nations only grew from 212 dollars to 267 dollars. In the same period, Lula said, per capita income in industrialized nations nearly tripled, jumping from 11,400 dollars to 32,400 dollars.

The Brazilian president also called on developing nations to create "a new trade geography in the world". He lauded a decision to reinstate the Global Trade Preferences System by the Group of 77 developing nations in a meeting on Saturday in Sao Paulo. He said the move would help increase south-south trade.

"Development is not a gift that the international community will give our countries. We must strengthen our union," he said. The Brazilian leader also demanded that world leaders, scheduled to meet at the next United Nations General Assembly in September in New York, come up with concrete proposals to establish a world fund to fight hunger. -dpa