Geldof praises G8 deal but others don't

Bob Geldof today hailed the deal struck at the G8 to help Africa out of poverty.

But professional aid organisations were less enthusiastic.

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 Geldof countered: “When did 10 million people alive become a whisper.”

He went on: “When were 10 million lives ever a whisper? It’s a disgrace to suggest anything other than that.”

He said today’s announcement would lead to the education of 20 million children and to five million orphans being taken care off.

“Please – perspective,” appealed Geldof.

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.”

And he declared: “The promise to deliver by 2010 is like waiting five years before responding to the Tsunami.

“Despite constant calls from people worldwide for trade justice it is desperately disappointing that G8 leaders failed to act properly on this issue.”

The debt deal was “a small belated step” in the right direction.

Matt Phillips, of Save The Children, said: “This is a step forward by eight men, not a giant leap for children.

“The campaign will go on.”

He said some new money that would save lives was pledged today, there was a recognition that poor countries must not have economic policies forced on them, and there was a commitment to support an end to charging Africa’s children for health care.

But he said: “The agreement today is only one step forward.

“The giant leap to make 2005 a breakthrough year to make child poverty history is yet to come.”

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.”

Geldof pledged to hold the world leaders to account, to ensure they lived up to the deal announced today.

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

He said Tony Blair had “I guess demanded” that the leaders put their names to the document.

“They put their personal honour and the honour of their country to this document,” said Geldof.

“Should they fail, it besmirches the honour of their country – and we will let them know if they have failed.”

He said: “We have many, many people who participated on Saturday, and we will get to them, and we will let them know that come the ballot box, they will feel the force of that displeasure.”

Bono told the Gleneagles press conference today’s outcome represented “a result” for hundreds of thousands of people who took to the streets in the crusade to make poverty history.

“A mountain has been climbed only to reveal higher peaks, for sure, on the other side,” said Bono.

“But it’s worth just stopping for a second and looking back down the valley where we have all come from.”

He said doubling aid for Africa had not been easy.

“It’s been a very hard sell for some of us salesmen and I’m very proud to report these figures extremely meaningful,” said Bono.

Referring to action to fight malaria, he said: “Six hundred thousand Africans, mostly children, will remember this G8 summit in Gleneagles – because they will be around to remember this summit and they wouldn’t have been before today.

“That is an extraordinary thing that has come off, and I just hope it is recognised as a real achievement.”

Universal access to Aids treatment was also “a remarkable achievement”.

Bono went on: “We jumped up and down when Live Aid raised £200m (€290m).

“We thought we had cracked it.

“Now – just stop for a second – we are talking about $25bn (€20.9bn) of new money.”