Sachs’ colleagues at the Center for International Development said they are excited about the role he brings to Harvard as a center of academic thought and policy development in the global fight against poverty.

“This is a dream for us. It’s wonderful to be a guiding force in a new initiative,” said Sara E. Sievers, executive director of the Center for International Development. “These are issues we all care about and now we have a global stage on which to change things.”

Sachs’ colleagues also described him as an academic motivated by the enormous practical benefits of his knowledge.

“He is so impassioned about the power of ideas and their potential for improving the condition for the world’s poor that he literally works around the clock,” said John W. McArthur, who is Sachs’ chief research fellow. “What makes him unique is his capacity to combine intellect with enthusiasm for the public good.”

The overall strategy of the Millennium Development Goals focuses on eliminating trade restrictions, providing debt relief, promoting private investment and providing direct funds from governments of rich nations.

A proposal incorporating these initiatives was presented at the conference and will be voted on by the U.N. today.