 Bob Geldof: Appeals to expand G8
Robert Frederick Xenon Geldof, known as Bob Geldof has joined the world leaders meeting at the G8 summit in Japan to honour their promise to the poor. He siad at the meeting that the group of eight will have to make some tough decisions about its size and make-up or it will lose relevance.
Irish musician Bob Geldof said to the leaders at the G8 summit that the number of countries invited to share views with the rich nations showed that the G8 could no longer act on its own.
He told to the reporters, "The decisions can't be made by eight people in a small room any more because the rest of the world is developing and they need to contribute. But they also need to decide".
Referring to the next U.N. General Assembly in September, Bob Geldof said, "And so going forward to the UN, that's when I think a lot of real decisions will be made now and I think the G8 will either expand or will lose its relevance".
Current year's G8 summit brought together 22 countries, the greatest number since the grouping was first created in 1975, including the seven African nations.
Some members and critics have expressed their opinion that the G8 should be expanded to include at least China and India.
Bob Geldof said that the G8 should speed up and increase their commitments to Africa, considering that the total amount of aid was small in contrast to the group's enormous wealth.
Bob Geldof said, "We are talking about the wealthiest countries in the planet and the amount of money is small, so small for the poorest people on the planet".
At present the G8 includes Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Britain, Russia, Canada and the United States.
In 2005, the G8 leaders have pledged to raise annual aid levels to its poorer neighbors by $50 billion within 2010, including $25 billion a year to Africa.
On Tuesday they also pledged to give $60 billion to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, saying they would work toward fulfilling the pledge over five years.
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