Brown issues poverty pledge
Gordon Brown joins group of world leaders vowing to make 2008 turning point in fight against poverty at WEF meeting.
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Friday, 25, Jan 2008 03:27
Gordon Brown has joined a group of world leaders in Davos vowing to make 2008 a turning point in the fight against poverty.
The prime minister issued a joint statement alongside the likes of Ban Ki-moon, Queen Rania of Jordan and Nigerian president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Switzerland.
Joining the call for action was Microsoft boss Bill Gates, U2 frontman Bono, WEF president Klaus Schwab and Cisco chairman John Chambers.
The joint statement explained: "At the Millennium Summit in 2000 the international community – every world leader, every international body, almost every country – vowed to spare no effort to achieve the seven key Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)."
But with 72 million children still not in school, over 33 million people living with HIV and 980 million people surviving on less than $1 (50p) a day, the world leaders have issued a renewed call to tackle poverty in the coming 12 months.
"It is right that here in Davos we tell the truth that there is a development emergency and that we must summon everyone in a call to action to take measures to meet the MDGs by 2015," said Mr Brown.
United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-Moon added: "We are here to say one thing loud and clear: Not on our watch! I speak to those who are most vulnerable to climate change and those who suffer the most grinding poverty. Let 2008 be the year of the bottom billion."
Today in Davos we - the undersigned - commit to work to make 2008 a turning point in the fight against poverty. We are pleased to join the 19 countries and 21 private sector companies that are now signed up to the MDG Call to Action. And we pledge to work together to help the world get back on track to meet the MDGs."
The group's joint statement pledged that the 19 countries and 21 private sector companies signed up to the MDG Call to Action would work together to help meet the goals.
"This is a moral compact, not a legal contract. To take a concrete step forward, we must take this from a moral compact to legally binding contracts," Bono commented at a subsequent press conference.
"Thanks to African leadership and debt cancellation, 29 million children are now in school."