A third crucial issue was debt relief for poor countries.

Another important step forward was the finalization of the debt relief plan for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC).

Medicines for the poor, food relief for those who are hungry, and peacekeepers for those who are facing civil war.

Fourthly, debt relief has been limited to those highly indebted poor countries which have satisfied International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions for disbursements.

But such relief should be extended to include countries other than heavily indebted poor ones, as well as non African middle income countries.

In addition to favouring an increase in aid, Slovakia also supports further reform of trade relations as well as debt relief for poor countries.

We congratulate the Group of Eight for the commitment adopted at the Gleneagles Summit, giving much needed debt relief to 18 heavily indebted poor countries.

However, poor countries could not tackle poverty alone, but required increased aid, debt relief, capacity building support and an equitable multilateral trading system to spur growth.

While the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative has delivered tangible benefits to several African and least developed countries, many others in similar situations await some relief.

Debt relief for the countries of the region remains a major focus of our assistance to Africa, including through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative.

Under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative (HIPC), 54 billion has so far been committed for debt relief to 27 countries that have reached decision or completion points.

I wish to highlight the serious debt relief measures that Slovakia took earlier this year, forgiving several hundred million dollars in debt owed by heavily indebted poor countries.

While some of our countries have benefited from debt relief strategies including the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative that has not as yet resulted in debt sustainability in the region.

Multilateral lenders have long understood the importance of debt relief to poverty reduction. Indeed, the joint IMF World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative was launched in 1996 to coordinate efforts by multilateral organizations and governments to reduce poor countries debt burdens to sustainable levels.

Facing poor road conditions, poor communication networks and the daunting challenge of feeding and sheltering thousands, these relief agencies are in dire need of more efficient means of reaching isolated areas and villages in the north eastern coastal towns of Somalia that are still partly submerged.

We welcome the increase in debt relief, including debt cancellation, for many of the most highly indebted poor countries, as well as the renewed focus on Africa and on HIV AIDS.

Expresses its appreciation for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) debt relief initiative and calls for its accelerated implementation in order to enable more eligible countries to benefit from the initiative.

Welcoming the fact that the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative have enabled heavily indebted poor countries to increase their expenditures on health, education and other social services consistent with national priorities, development plans and internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals,

Furthermore, while debt relief for HIPC countries was welcome, the majority of the world's poor resided in other developing countries, many of which were middle income States also facing heavy debt burdens.

Relief

Reflecting on the G8's recent decision to cancel the multilateral debt of several poor countries, he recalled UNCTAD's pioneering role in advocating debt relief as an essential condition for overcoming the poverty trap .

8. Urges donors to ensure that their commitments to the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative and the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative be additional to existing aid flows, and underlines that full compensation by donors on the basis of fair burden sharing for the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative costs of relevant financial institutions is essential

Emergency relief

Debt relief

Islamic Relief

Disaster Relief

8. Reiterates the call upon developed countries, as expressed in the Millennium Declaration, to complete the enhanced programme of debt relief for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and to ensure that it is fully financed

Welcoming the progress made on the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative designed to provide deeper, broader and faster relief, while recognizing that significant challenges remain to ensure that countries achieve a lasting exit from unsustainable debt,

(a) Relief Services

(ii) Community relief

Reiterates its call upon developed countries, as expressed in the Millennium Declaration, to complete the enhanced programme of debt relief for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and to ensure that it is fully financed, and in this regard underscores the importance of full creditor participation in contributing their share to implementing the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative

Thus, the Asian Group and China welcomed the recent debt relief initiative, resulting from the Gleneagles Summit, to cancel multilateral debts of the heavily indebted poor countries, and to increase aid by 49 billion a year by 2010.

Urgent consideration needed to be given to providing significant debt relief or restructuring for low and middle income developing countries that were not covered by the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative and whose debt burden was unsustainable.

(b) To provide security and support for the distribution of relief supplies and humanitarian relief operations

In the face of considerable controversy, assistance continued to be provided without requiring the poor to enter oppressive workhouses. Outdoor relief, as the alternative was known, was expanded as the most cost effective way to address the poverty problem.

cooperation,culture,disaster relief

To implement the enhanced programme of debt relief for the heavily indebted poor countries without further delay and to agree to cancel all official bilateral debts of those countries in return for their making demonstrable commitments to poverty reduction and

The expert from the IMF gave a presentation on the recently adopted Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) to help the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) meet the Millennium Development Goals, foster longer term debt sustainability, and improve balance of payments positions.

The Bretton Woods institutions had done well to extend debt relief to 14 African countries, but the African Union's position was that the path to sustainable development was through 100 per cent debt cancellation for the poor countries on the continent.

Transition from relief to development

1935 relief, depression, recovery banks.

This is an immediate relief.

How Effective is Disaster Relief?

Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Assistance

Debt sustainability and debt relief