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Africa report focuses on aid and trade
Tony Blair has said the report from his Africa Commission offers "the best hope" to lift the continent out of poverty.
The prime minister, flanked by Bob Geldof and Gordon Brown, formally published the final report of the commission on Friday.
It seeks to promote practical ways of helping the world's poorest continent solve some of its persistent problems.
And the 400-page final document says the developed world should write off debts, increase aid by £30bn and end trade practices that damage poor economies.
There should be 100 per cent debt cancellation for sub-Saharan African countries which need it, the study adds.
The report has also put tackling bribery at the heart of its recommendations.
Geldof welcomed the report as an opportunity to begin "the long walk to justice".
He then rounded on African leaders who had presided over corrupt regimes and Western governments for signing up to documents to help Africa which "they had no intention of fulfilling".
The campaigner went on to praise the prime minister and chancellor for their work on the area.
"They've gone beyond their jobs by committing themselves to this this. I don't think they need this politically I've got to be honest. Why bother?" he said.
The founder of BandAid called on activists and politicians to go out and make a reality of the "dream" contained in the report.
"Leave here now, go and prepare for the long walk to Gleneagles [G8 summit venue]," he said.
"Just as Tony and Gordon have to prepare to ring George [Bush] and say: 'Do this. Do this one George, if anything do this one for me. It's going to cost you fuck all,'" he said referring to the comparatively small £200m a year African debt to America.
When asked what he would do to persuade President Bush and other leaders to support the plan, Blair backed Geldof's comments and added: "What he said is what I think."
New opportunity
Speaking in the British Museum the prime minister said the report was "a great opportunity".
"None of us came to this simply wanting to put out a polemic or a campaign document, what we wanted to do was produce a serious analysis and then a plan for action and it involves responsibilities on both sides," he said.
Blair also pledged that "we'll do what's necessary from our perspective and I hope other countries will do what's necessary".
"We've got to get it done."
He also stressed the importance of changing the relation between donor and recipient countries.
"This report is not just about aid and it's not just about responsibilities on behalf of the wealthy nations, it's also about issues to with Africa's responsibilities and issues to do with corruption governance and conflict," he said.
Public opinion
The chancellor rejected fears that the commission's report may fail to make any impact.
"This is different because first of all I believe public opinion is in a different place from where it was a few years ago," Brown said.
"What is different is that when I go along to a finance ministers meeting now on the agenda is debt relief, how we can support HIV/Aids research, how we can deal with a preventative vaccine for Malaria and how we can find an innovative mechanism for finance, which never happened before.
"There is momentum here that will require the coming together of African and British public opinion, that will require the NGOs to work with us, as well as criticise us, and will also require governments when it comes to the G8 and the UN special summit to recognise that the progress they talk about has to be delivered.
"I believe in the coming months we will see a big change in how the G8 and the UN approach this and of course then we have to have this monitoring mechanism."
Radial and realistic
Blair and chancellor Gordon Brown believe it is a "make or break" year for Africa and will need to fight to get the report's recommendations accepted, particularly by the United States.
Glenys Kinnock, Labour's development spokesman in the European parliament, said the findings were "both radical and realistic".
"Radical because the commissioners, acting independently have given detailed analysis, and have identified specific areas which need urgent action," she said.
"Realistic because the delivery of these goals has been properly costed and agreed with African leaders."
The MEP said the report did not consist of "empty words" but was instead "a workable plan for action".
"As someone who has campaigned on African issues for a generation I can recognise that now real change is possible in our approach to that neglected continent," Kinnock added.
"For the first time there is a broad consensus in the international community that Africa must have a new level of priority. The commission is therefore not operating in isolation."
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