Subject: US fights drive to help poor  
Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2002 12:10:23 +1100


US fights drive to help poor  

By CHARLOTTE DENNY
LONDON
Thursday 24 January 2002

The US Government is trying to block an international drive to increase aid
for the world's poorest countries after September's terrorist attacks.

With less than two months to go before a key United Nations summit on global
poverty in Monterrey, Mexico, US officials are trying to neuter a draft
declaration that calls for rich countries to raise the amount they spend on
helping the 2.8 billion people who live on less than $US2 ($A3.85)a day.

The conference, strongly backed by British Finance Minister Gordon Brown,
has been called to discuss ways of helping poor countries reduce poverty,
cut infant mortality and provide universal primary education.

However, Washington is seeking to delete all mentions of the internationally
agreed development goals and of the suggestion that rich countries should
meet the UN target of spending 0.7 per cent of national income on aid.

Despite being the world's largest economy, the US is one of the stingiest
international donors, devoting only 0.1 per cent of gross domestic product
to its international aid effort. 

Britain and other more generous donors had hoped the renewed US interest in
multilateral action during the war in Afghanistan would help bring about a
change of heart in the Bush administration.

Instead of discussing increased aid budgets, Washington wants the conference
to focus on how poor countries can improve their economic performance
through market liberalisation.

US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill is sceptical about the effectiveness of
international aid efforts, arguing that the money is wasted by corrupt and
ineffective governments.

GUARDIAN

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Inequality is the source of all revolutions;
no compensation can make up for inequality.
	- Aristotle, Politics
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