Christian Leaders Praise Brown's Commitment to Poverty Goals

Christian leaders have reacted positively after Prime Minister Gordon Brown called for renewed determination to meet the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals.

Mr Brown was at the UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday where he met UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

In his address, Mr Brown spoke of a "development emergency" in the face of sluggish progress in many countries towards fulfilling the MDGs to halve extreme poverty.

He warned that the world was "a million miles away from success" in meeting the targets, and called for governments, big business, scientists, faith groups and NGOs to unite in a "force for justice" to drive the MDGs to completion by the target date of 2015.

Micah Challenge UK, a Christian coalition campaigning to ensure the Government meets the MDGs, applauded the Prime Minister's UN speech.

Laura Webster, Senior Policy Advisor at Micah partner Tearfund said it was inspiring to see Brown acknowledging the role of churches and faith based organisations. She warned, however, that many of the MDGs were "unlikely to be met".

"Churches fighting HIV and Aids and working tirelessly to reduce poverty at community level will welcome this leadership," she said. "But we must see action at an international level - and soon, because the PM is right - lives, quite literally, hang in the balance."

According to Downing Street, 12 world leaders, including France, Japan, Germany, Spain, India and Brazil, have signed a joint pledge promising to help meet the urgent need for development.

Andy Clasper, Micah's Executive Director, acknowledged Brown's "strong lead" awakening the UK Government and international commitment to the urgency of global poverty.

He pressed Brown to keep up the commitment: "I agree with Mr Brown that 2100 and even 2050 is too long to wait for justice, too long to wait when we have such an historic opportunity to make such a big difference to this greatest of causes."

Mr Clasper assured the support of the church in slashing global poverty. "Christians and the church in the UK are fully committed to being part of what the Prime Minister calls a coalition of conscience. We applaud the Prime Minister's efforts to keep it on the agenda and stand ready to play our part," he said.

The leaders of the Catholic Churches in England and Scotland have also welcomed Brown's international call for speedier action on development and his acknowledgement of the contribution made by faith groups.

"Today we have the means to achieve the MDGs - now we need the will," said the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, and the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Cardinal Keith Patrick O'Brien, in a joint statement.

"We have long believed that faith groups in particular are crucial to deliver the MDGs because in much of the Developing world, it is faith groups that provide many of the educational and health services.

"We believe that such a partnership on the international level - involving all the relevant stakeholders in society - could make the difference between success and failure in 2015."