The burden of debt

Britain has agreed to write off hundreds of millions of pounds owed to it by some of the world's poorest countries. The move follows a similar move by the US. BBC News Online explores the issues:

Lenny Henry says drop the debt
Comedian and Comic Relief performer, Lenny Henry puts the case for dropping debt.

Why it won't help the poor
Karl Ziegler of the Centre for Accountability and Debt Relief argues that unconditional debt forgiveness will only benefit ruling elites.

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Your questions answered
UK Chancellor, Gordon Brown and Comic Relief campaigner Tony Robinson answer your questions.

Is it time to write off the debt?
As the IMF and World Bank agree with major donor countries to increase debt relief - can it make a difference for the world's poor or is it too little too late? Read the debate.

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Q & A: Dropping the debt
BBC News Online's Fergus Nicoll examines the arguments for and against cancelling the debt owed by developing countries.

Could the debt be cancelled?
The BBC's economics correspondent looks at the timing and likely success of the initiative to cancel debt.

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Mozambique's foreign debt
On paper, Mozambique looks set to benefit from the World Bank and IMF-sponsored debt relief intiative, but there are several catches.

Case study: Central America
Central America is saddled with billions of dollars of debt - a fact made worse by the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch.