PM's action call to help world poor

12 April 2012

Gordon Brown plans to draft in multi-national firms in a bid to tackle the "development emergency" in the world's poorest countries.

The Prime Minister hopes to use the expertise of about 20 companies, such as Google, Goldman Sachs and Wal-Mart, to reinvigorate flagging efforts to a bid to hit the UN's development goals by 2015.

People are still dying needlessly, millions of children are going without an education, and the international community must "keep its promises", said Mr Brown.

The PM told the Guardian newspaper: "We are halfway to the target date of 2015, but a long way off track to our goals and face a development emergency.

"2008 should be a development year and mark a call to action from everyone - not just rich and poor governments but civil society, faith groups, trade unions and even the private sector.

"There are 72 million children not going to primary school, in some countries one woman in six dies in childbirth, over a billion people do not have access to safe drinking water.

"The international community needs to face up to this development emergency. We know what to do - we need to keep our promises and act."

Mr Brown said he would be calling for a "millennium development goals action meeting" during the UN general assembly in September, to "galvanise" efforts to hit the targets - which were set in 2000.

He hopes the private sector will be able to help improve infrastructure, upgrade skills and provide capital for fresh investment.

However, giving them a prominent role in the effort to reduce poverty and improve health, education and sanitation, is likely to prove controversial with some elements of the development community.

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