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29th Mar 2024

U2's Bono warns EU not to 'blow it' on Africa

  • "Look up from the numbers and look to the future" (Photo: European Communities)

U2's Bono gave a loud and clear message to EU leaders on Thursday (9 June) urging them not to blow it when it comes to development aid for poor countries.

Bono was in Brussels, not only ahead of the U2 concert on Friday, but as a representative of Make Poverty History where the goal is to double development aid to the world's poorest countries by 2015 as part of the UN's Millennium Development Goals.

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The Commission unveiled plans in April to boost development aid to €66 billion by 2010 and to more than €90 billion by 2015 - effectively almost doubling the current rate of about €46 billion euro.

This jump in aid would achieve the UN goal of 0.7 per cent of gross national income but those plans are yet to be approved by the heads of all 25 member states.

Next week's European Summit, where development issues are on the table, threatens to be overshadowed by the recent rejection of the European constitution in two key member states.

It is also just the first of a string of important meetings that will determine development aid levels to the world's poorest countries.

Bono blamed the recent failure of the EU constitution on a lack of vision for Europe that all Europeans can identify with. By doubling aid to Africa, Europe can set beliefs and values for its citizens, he said.

"Africa, and the problems of that continent, gives us the chance to describe ourselves," Bono said.

All around Europe, Bono said he has found political support for increasing aid to Africa, but that it is the finance ministers, like Germany's Hans Eichel, who are getting in the way.

"Put down your national flags, look up from the numbers and look to the future," the Irish singer said.

Perhaps a bit star struck as well, Mr Barroso quoted two U2 songs when trying to relate the struggle in Africa to help Europe. Bono equated the meeting with Mr Barroso to a meeting of two band leaders to discuss their problems.

"We have some problems in Europe. But those problems are nothing in comparison to what is happening in Africa," said Mr Barroso.

Next stop, Gleneagles

In a month's time, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will host the world's eight richest countries in Gleneagles, Scotland - where Mr Barroso hopes to bring the full support of the 25 member states on increased development aid.

Aid to Africa is one of Mr Blair's major policy points, with the cancellation of debt his first priority.

The G8 includes the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Canada, Japan, the EU and the US. In a last ditch effort to bring the US onboard with debt eradication, Mr Blair met US President George Bush Tuesday (7 May) but media reports claim the meeting was not as fruitful as Mr Blair had hoped.

Mr Bush has long withstood pressure to eliminate Third World debt saying that corruption has to be tackled first.

Yet there may still be time for Mr Bush to come to the table and agree to cancel debts in Africa, primarily multilateral debts that include the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Bono used Uganda as an example where the cancellation of debt has allowed the country to triple its education funding.

Following the Gleneagles meeting, when tens of thousands of protesters are expected to descend upon the organised rallying points in Edinburgh, the focus will then be on the UN meeting in New York in September to evaluate global progress on helping developing countries to meet the Millennium Development Goals.

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