Echoing similar concerns of those stated the previous day by top Evangelical leaders, national leaders from countries both rich and poor called for action Thursday to address crippling external debt and the blight of poverty.
"By adopting the Millennium Development Goals, Member States have taken a bold and historic step," said Namibia's President, Hifikepunye Pohamba, referring to eight goals that all 191 United Nations member states had agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015.
"Our resolve should therefore propel us towards a new dawn of hope,” he continued, “to conquer poverty, hunger, ignorance and diseases. We must mobilise resources and bring within the reach of billions of people, the hope that they and their children can have a better life."
Coronel Azali Assoumani, President of the Comoros, said if developed countries made a real commitment to achieving the MDGs, there would be progress in a number of areas. He praised the G-8 countries for providing debt relief to certain developing countries.
Meanwhile, Guy Verhofstadt, the Prime Minister of Belgium, pointed out that while the UN is celebrating its 60th anniversary, Africa remains afflicted by ills such as AIDS, poverty and armed conflict.
"This situation is morally unacceptable,” he said, according to the U.N. News Service.
“It is also politically dangerous and economically wrong. We must help Africa to emerge from this vicious circle," he added.
Prior to Thursday’s calls, religious leaders said they were concerned that the impoverished, including the 30,000 children who die from poverty every day, are victims of economic and political policies.
At an interfaith prayer service that opened a three-day prayer and advocacy campaign to overcome global poverty, the religious leaders urged governments around the world, particularly the United States, to fully commit themselves to the Millennium Development Goals.
“We need to start a new war against global hunger,” said Richard Cizik, Vice President of Governmental Affairs for the National Association of Evangelicals, as he highlighted the need for evangelicals to work together with other Christians on the issue of poverty.
“We are here to join you in this fight on world hunger,” said Cizik. “We can do it together.”
The three-day campaign – which features prayer vigils, summit briefings, sermons, worship services and Labyrinth Walks – ends today with a closing celebration.
Organisers hope the fasting and prayer vigils will impact governments to increase their commitments to the poor. They are specifically calling on U.S. leaders to increase aid by 1 percent of the U.S. federal budget – or $25 billion over five years – and fulfill the Millennium Development Goals' promise to halve poverty by 2015.
Joe Alvarez
Christian Today Correspondent