Blair vows to keep G8 aims

Tony Blair has renewed his pledges to tackle world poverty amid criticism that little has changed 12 months after the G8 summit. The Prime Minister was warned by charities he risked breaching the trust of millions who had supported his initiatives. Mr Blair, speaking almost a year after the global series of Live8 shows, confirmed plans for a new body to monitor the progress of promises on poverty made at last summer's Gleneagles G8 summit. The Africa Progress Panel, to be chaired by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, will produce an annual report to be submitted to the G8, UN and the Africa Partnership Forum to 'maintain the international political profile of Africa achieved in 2005'. The Prime Minister also promised a forthcoming Government White Paper on 'Eliminating World Poverty' to maintain momentum. And he said the next month was 'critical' in trying to kick-start failed world trade talks supposed to help developing nations. He also announced that the Department for International Development's budget for education would more than double to more than £1 billion-a-year by 2010, up from £450 million last year. On climate change, Mr Blair, speaking at King's College, London, also repeated his call for a new agreement to supersede the Kyoto Treaty, with the goal of stabilising global temperature and emissions involving China, the US and India in the agreement. The Prime Minister maintained that what was achieved at the Gleneagles G8 summit he hosted last July was 'more than all but those with the most rose-tinted spectacles thought was possible'. He added: 'These issues were not high up the political agenda, in the UK, let alone internationally. Now they are.' Mr Blair said the Africa Progress Panel would be funded by billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft founder Bill Gates and also feature Bob Geldof, Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo and founder of anti-corruption organisation Transparency International Peter Eigen. The comments met with mixed reactions from charities, with many questioning what real power the panel would hold. Oxfam policy director Jo Leadbeater said: 'With the right teeth and membership, this welcome initiative could hold governments to account for the promises made at the G8 summit last year. World Development Movement head of policy Peter Hardstaff said: 'Tony Blair is picking his own panel to hold himself accountable for his own promises. Why not just keep the promises instead? 'We are tired of world leaders heaping praise on Make Poverty History while simultaneously stabbing us in the back by breaking their promises.'

ITN | June 26, 2006

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