G8 pledges to help poor

The leaders did not always see eye-to-eye

The leaders of the world's richest nations say they are determined to make globalisation work for everyone, including the poorest countries.

They set out their intentions at the end of the G8 summit in the Italian port city of Genoa - a summit overshadowed by two days of violent anti-capitalist protests in which one person was killed.

G8 leaders united in their condemnation of the riots, saying they could not allow violent protests by a few to derail their talks.

Canada wants to avoid a repeat of these scenes at next year's G8 summit

They said they would seek "enhanced co-operation and solidarity with developing countries, based on a mutual responsibility for combating poverty and promoting sustainable development".

They promised to do more to open up their markets to their products, and said they would look for ways to broaden debt relief.

The statement also endorsed the launch of an "ambitious" new round of global trade talks, but conceded that the leaders had been unable to resolve differences between the US and the other main industrialised nations over global warming.

Earlier this year, US President George W Bush surprised and angered other nations, particularly those in Europe, when he announced that his country would not implement the Kyoto agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Broad agreement

The statement did not address Mr Bush's controversial proposal to build a national missile defence system, which the US president dicussed separately with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday afternoon.

The summit has also produced broad agreement on major economic and foreign policy issues - including the Middle East, the Korean peninsula and Macedonia.

Protest groups condemned a police raid on their HQ

The statement reflected the emphasis the leaders put on their $1.3bn commitment to a new global fund to fight Aids and other infectious diseases in developing countries.

It endorsed moves by drug manufacturers to make medicines more affordable through flexibility in patent protection.

But the summit was dominated by images of Italian riot police firing teargas and wielding clubs against some of the tens of thousands of people who flooded Genoa to express their opposition to policies they say harm the poor.

Hundreds of people were injured in the clashes and dozens were arrested despite a tight security zone being created.

The violence continued overnight, whe Italian police raided the headquarters of a group co-ordinating protest action in an operation that left at least 40 protesters injured.

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The police say they seized computer discs, iron bars and knives but the anti-globalisation movement, the Genoa Social Forum, condemned the raid on a school building where 50 anti-capitalist activists were staying. They say the assault was unprovoked and that Italian police ran amok, beating up peaceful demonstrators.

Meanwhile, an official investigation has been opened into the fatal shooting on Friday of a 23-year-old Italian protester, Carlo Giuliani, by a policeman.

The 20-year Carabinieri conscript, who is being treated for shock, could face manslaughter charges.

Frustration

Behind a security cordon and protected by 20,000 police, the leaders of the US, UK, France, Italy, Canada, Germany, France and Russia have expressed frustration over their failure to focus attention on the issues they came to discuss.

A BBC correspondent in Genoa says the G8's leaders are united in saying they cannot allow violent protests by a few to derail their talks, but a consensus is also growing that future summits must change become more informal gatherings for world leaders, away from the media and mass protests.

The next summit is due to take place in Canada next year. Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien has picked a tiny Rockies resort called Kananaskis, Alberta - some 80 km (50 miles) from Calgary.

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Map shows "red zone", the exclusion area surrounding the Palazzo Ducale summit venue, and the outer "yellow zone", which was meant to be free of protesters but was breached.