Geldof hails poverty deal but aid bodies disagree

Joe Quinn

Mr Geldof said it was the most important summit ever held for Africa and said it would help improve the lives of millions.

He was appearing on a platform where one anti-poverty campaigner, Dr Kumi Naidoo, chairman of the Global Call To Action Against Poverty, had earlier declared: "The people have roared but the G8 has whispered."

But Mr Geldof countered: "When did 10 million people alive become a whisper? When were 10 million lives ever a whisper? It's a disgrace to suggest anything other than that."

He said yesterday's announcement would lead to the education of 20 million children and to the care of five million orphans. "Please perspective," appealed Mr Geldof.

Asked at a press conference if the deal was legally binding, he said: "Under the Live 8 rule of law, yes."

And U2 lead singer Bono argued similarly.

"If an Irish rock star is allowed to quote Winston Churchill, I would not say this is the end of extreme poverty, but it is the beginning of the end," he said.

Aid organisations and campaign groups, however, were less enthusiastic. Dr Naidoo said 50,000 people died unnecessarily each day.

"If the leaders actually implement today's announcement in an urgent manner, we estimate that by 2010, this will fall to around 37,000. "The promise to deliver by 2010 is like waiting five years before responding to the tsunami," he said. Oxfam head of policy Jo Leadbeater said: "The world's richest nations have delivered welcome progress for the world's poorest people. But the outcome here in Gleneagles has fallen short of the hopes of the millions around the world campaigning for a momentous breakthrough."

Mr Geldof said UN Secretary General Kofi Annan had called the summit "historic" and a huge success. "But it must be translated into action," said Geldof.

"Time will tell if this has been historic or not. What is true is that never before have so many people forced a change of policy onto the global agenda."

Campaigners later sought to distance themselves from Geldof's praise of the G8.

Peter Hardstaff, head of policy for the World Development Movement, said: "Bob Geldof's response to the G8 communique is misleading and inaccurate. By offering such unwarranted praise for the dismal deal signed by world leaders, he has done a disservice to the hundreds of thousands of people who marched in Edinburgh at the weekend.

"His comments do not reflect the collective conclusions of the development campaigns who make up Make Poverty History."