Brown presses world leaders on aid

12 April 2012

Gordon Brown faces crunch talks with fellow world leaders as he bids to secure support for his plans to boost aid to Africa and curb soaring oil prices.

A fresh commitment to meet previous aid pledges and radical plans to end petrol dependency are top of the UK's agenda at the G8 summit in Japan - Mr Brown's first as PM.

Intense discussions between the leading industrialised nations will focus on the poor state of the world economy - including the impact of soaring oil and food prices.

The Prime Minister wants them to use the opportunity to reaffirm a commitment made at the 2005 Gleneagles summit to double international aid, notably to Africa, by 2010.

With the G8 off track to meet that pledge - and United Nations Millennium Development Goals - charities fear the global slowdown could push rich countries to cut help still further.

But Mr Brown will argue that instead they should intensify efforts in developing nations, especially in boosting their agricultural production, to stimulate recovery globally.

He is also looking for a signal of real intent to switch to greener cars and other fuel efficiencies in a bid to help reduce the price of oil from the present record levels.

The leaders of the G8 - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and America, along with Russia - are meeting amid ultra-tight security in a mountain-top hotel above a lake on Japan's northern Hokkaido island.

Other issues under the spotlight include Zimbabwe, on which they are expected to back tougher sanctions against Robert Mugabe's regime - and climate change.

Last year's G8 secured an agreement for all nations, including the US, to "seriously consider" cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050.

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