The Prime Minister has called upon the international community to renew its efforts on the Millennium Development Goals in a speech at the Lambeth Conference in London.
Speaking to assembled bishops and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, the PM said that poverty can, must and will be eradicated “if we can all work together for change”. With adequate technology and knowledge already available “the will to act must now be found”, he said.
Mr Brown called upon the bishops to return to their countries and press their governments to make three commitments:
- To work to get 40 million more children in education by 2010 and all children by 2015;
- To help train four million more doctors, nurses and health workers and eradicate diseases such as polio and tuberculosis;
- To contribute to a $20 billion fund for food aid and investment aimed at boosting agricultural production and creating a “green revolution” in Africa
The Prime Minister highlighted the emergency UN session on MDGs scheduled for 25 September as a chance for the world to “redeem the pledges that have been promised”.
On current rates, child and infant mortality will not be cut to the proposed 2015 levels until 2050, universal child education will not be achieved until 2115 and poverty will not be halved “in this century or the next”, he said.
Image copyright: ACNS/Gunn
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