Call to end Third World debt

Campaigners called for the end of Third World debt at the anniversary of a protest in Birmingham.

Debt relief campaigners, including Bob Geldof, joined with church leaders to call for loans to the world's poorest countries to be written off.

The plea was issued on Friday to mark the fifth anniversary of a 70,000-strong human chain of protest formed around the 1998 G8 Summit of world leaders in Birmingham.

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham called for people to hear "the cry" of those caught up in hunger and poverty because of Third World debt.

The Most Rev Vincent Nichols told worshippers at a mass at St Chad's Cathedral: "We gather in Birmingham to echo and repeat the cry of five years ago for greater justice in the management of world affairs and particularly in the reduction of the burden of debt on the poorest nations."

Impoverished, hungry and dying people are still spending millions on debt repayments Bob Geldof

The Archbishop said the human chain had led to a change of policy by the G8 nations, but said that more work had to be done.

"Today, confident that change can be brought about, we ask for debt relief to be achieved more widely and more consistently," he added.

Geldof told reporters: "Impoverished, hungry and dying people are still spending millions on debt repayments that can be used for schools, hospitals and farms."

He added that 100% debt relief must be the achievable aim.

Campaign groups, including the Jubilee Debt Campaign and the World Development Movement, say G8 countries have failed to meet targets to reduce debt which they pledged to meet in 1999.