A "new deal" proposed by Britain to speed debt relief and boost aid to some developing countries will not be on the agenda of the G8 Summit in Kananaskis, Alta., a spokesman for the Prime Minister's Office said yesterday.
The proposal, made yesterday by Gordon Brown, Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, would reward nations that fight corruption by increasing aid and trade from rich nations.
But Duncan Fulton, spokesman for Jean Chrétien, said that while it will not be on the table at next month's summit, an Africa Action Plan is already one of three topics on the agenda.
Mr. Fulton said he expects elements of the new proposal will be raised during the discussion on Africa.
Mr. Brown proposed the new plan yesterday at a UN summit on children.
"I suggest a new development compact grounded in new rights and new responsibilities -- where no country genuinely committed to good governance, poverty reduction and economic development should be denied the chance to achieve the 2015 goals through lack of resources," said the British minister.
The goals, set by the United Nations at its 2000 millennium summit, call for cutting world poverty in half, reducing child mortality by a third and providing universal primary education by 2015.
Susan Whelan, Canada's Minister of International Co-operation, said she is certain that the key points of Mr. Brown's proposal will be hashed out at the meeting of world leaders.
"There's going to be discussion of the Africa Action Plan and part of the Africa Action Plan will discuss issues such as good government, debt reduction, and economic development," she said.
Details of the G8's Africa plan are still being worked out, but the initiative is expected to build on a proposal presented by African leaders at last year's summit in Genoa.
That initiative, spearheaded by Nigeria, Algeria and Senegal, includes a commitment by African nations to improve their justice systems and end decades of corruption that critics say prevents aid from reaching the poorest citizens.
drowe@nationalpost.com
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