OMEN
06-27-2006, 07:47 AM
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GETTING TOUGH: British PM Tony Blair has chided the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations for failing to make progress on commitments to end global poverty.
LONDON: British Prime Minister Tony Blair said today the Group of Eight industrialised nations had failed to make progress on some of last year's commitments to end global poverty, particularly on world trade.
In a speech at London University, Blair urged world leaders to do more to lift Africa out of poverty and tackle climate change, Britain's twin priorities as G8 President last year.
He singled out trade as his main disappointment in the 2005 agenda but said there was still a chance for a breakthrough.
"We are not there yet, the coming month will be critical," said Blair, long a campaigner for a trade deal which he says would boost the world's economy and save millions from poverty.
"Everyone will have to move beyond their comfort zones ... failure would not only be a blow for the poor but the whole idea of multilateralism," he said.
World Trade Organisation members are struggling to strike a deal on cutting farm subsidies and reducing tariffs.
The prime minister will soon write to world leaders setting out how he sees the way ahead, said his spokesman.
Spurred on by millions of people attending concerts around the world to press for action, the Group last year promised an extra $50 billion a year in aid for all developing countries by 2010, including $25 billion for Africa.
As aid groups fear momentum has been lost since Russia took over the G8 presidency this year, Blair said he was determined to ensure the promises are kept.
A new panel, backed by rocker-turned-campaigner Bob Geldof and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will be set up to track how G8 nations are living up to their aid promises, he said.
Blair also pledged a doubling of Britain's education fund to 1 billion pounds a year by 2010.
But campaigners say a panel is no substitute for political action
"The true test of its credibility is whether it spurs G8 countries into going further than they have to date," said Patrick Watt, policy coordinator for campaign group Action Aid. Microsoft Corp's billionaire founder Bill Gates' Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will help fund the panel.
http://stuff.co.nz/inl/images/masthead/reuters.gif
GETTING TOUGH: British PM Tony Blair has chided the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations for failing to make progress on commitments to end global poverty.
LONDON: British Prime Minister Tony Blair said today the Group of Eight industrialised nations had failed to make progress on some of last year's commitments to end global poverty, particularly on world trade.
In a speech at London University, Blair urged world leaders to do more to lift Africa out of poverty and tackle climate change, Britain's twin priorities as G8 President last year.
He singled out trade as his main disappointment in the 2005 agenda but said there was still a chance for a breakthrough.
"We are not there yet, the coming month will be critical," said Blair, long a campaigner for a trade deal which he says would boost the world's economy and save millions from poverty.
"Everyone will have to move beyond their comfort zones ... failure would not only be a blow for the poor but the whole idea of multilateralism," he said.
World Trade Organisation members are struggling to strike a deal on cutting farm subsidies and reducing tariffs.
The prime minister will soon write to world leaders setting out how he sees the way ahead, said his spokesman.
Spurred on by millions of people attending concerts around the world to press for action, the Group last year promised an extra $50 billion a year in aid for all developing countries by 2010, including $25 billion for Africa.
As aid groups fear momentum has been lost since Russia took over the G8 presidency this year, Blair said he was determined to ensure the promises are kept.
A new panel, backed by rocker-turned-campaigner Bob Geldof and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will be set up to track how G8 nations are living up to their aid promises, he said.
Blair also pledged a doubling of Britain's education fund to 1 billion pounds a year by 2010.
But campaigners say a panel is no substitute for political action
"The true test of its credibility is whether it spurs G8 countries into going further than they have to date," said Patrick Watt, policy coordinator for campaign group Action Aid. Microsoft Corp's billionaire founder Bill Gates' Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will help fund the panel.
http://stuff.co.nz/inl/images/masthead/reuters.gif