G20 SUMMIT ‘MUST NOT FORGET POOR’

BBC NEWS
469.stm
2009/03/30 08:54:25 GMT

Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders have urged the G20 leaders to
remember the world’s poorest people.

They said to forget the needs of the poor would be to "compound
regrettable past failures with needless future injustices".

The religious figures published their joint statement in advance of
this Thursday’s G20 meeting in London.

The 32 signatories include Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams,
and Muslim leader Dr Mohammed Abdul Bari.

While acknowledging the "sheer complexity" of the challenge facing
politicians, the statement called on them to restore "that lost sense
of balance between the requirements of market mechanisms that help
deliver increased prosperity, and the moral requirement to safeguard
human dignity, regardless of economic or social category".

Roman Catholic leader Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor said: "At a time of
economic difficulty, it is important for all political leaders not
to forget their promises to the world’s poor.

G20 LONDON SUMMIT

World leaders will meet next week in London to discuss measures to
tackle the downturn. See to the G20 summit. The G20 countries are
Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India,
Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa,
South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the US and the EU.

"We pray for the poor, vulnerable and marginalised and also for the
political leaders in their deliberations this week as we seek to
create a more just world."

Dr Williams said people had high expectations of the meeting.

He added: "As religious leaders, we shall be praying that these
expectations will be met and that the gathered politicians will be
inspired to share a word of hope with all of us."

The UK government, which is hosting the G20 meeting, wants world
leaders to focus on "co-ordinated macro-economic actions to revive
the global economy, stimulate growth and employment".

It also says the international community needs to act to "support
vulnerable emerging and developing markets".

Other religious leaders who have signed the appeal include Chief Rabbi
Sir Jonathan Sacks and the the chairman of the Christian-Muslim Forum,
Dr Musharraf Hussain Azhari.

The General Secretary of the Hindu Council UK, Anil Bhanot, and the
Primate of the Armenian Orthodox Church of Great Britain, Bishop
Nathan Hovhannisian, are also signatories.