World Debt Day: Monday 16 May 2005

Statement from Gordon Brown and Hilary Benn to the Jubilee Debt Campaign

"So much is owed to those who have campaigned tirelessly and with such dedication to bring the case for debt relief to the world's attention. The call to justice, sense of duty and faith of those campaigners has been at the heart of the enormous progress made in recent years, bringing together the full range of NGOs, from campaigning organisations that work in one country or one continent to those that have a world wide role. We would like to thank all of you for the service you have given and the dedication you have shown.

Because of your tireless efforts, debt relief has been provided to 27 countries and led to increases in spending on health, education and poverty reduction. In Tanzania, for example, your efforts meant 31,000 new classrooms got built, 18,000 new teachers recruited and the country will achieve universal primary education by 2006.

But despite these successes too many developing countries are still faced with the unacceptable choice between servicing their debts and making the investments in health, education and infrastructure that would allow them to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The journey that began in Birmingham in 1998 continues today. We need to go further. And so we are now working to convince our international colleagues to agree to financing 100% multilateral debt relief, matching the 100% bilateral debt relief we and others have provided. In the meantime we have already started to provide 10%, just over our share, of debt service to 22 countries so that they can start to use these additional funds for health and education.

We are committed to the goal of 100% debt relief. The need has never been more urgent. The task for the international community in 2005 is clear - no longer evading, no longer procrastinating, no more excuses, but endeavours which by making change happen this year, can make real your vision of justice on a global scale".

Gordon Brown and Hilary Benn