Africa pledges 'not materialised'

The aid agency said real advances had been made on aid and debt relief, but opportunities were being missed on fairer trade and arms dealing.

However, International Development Secretary Hilary Benn said large portions of debt had been written off.

He said a new humanitarian fund would also help combat famine in Africa.

Trade

Campaigner Bob Geldof told the BBC it was critical that a trade deal for Africa was agreed.

He said: "If we do not do a trade round, it will be a car crash for Africa. We must get a stand alone trade deal for Africa."

He said the Africa Commission was the "benchmark report" which "everything was measured against".

Mr Geldof praised progress made on debt cancellation and added that it not be "beyond the wit of man" to also achieve a doubling of aid by 2010.

Adrian Lovett, Oxfam's campaigns director, told the BBC Britain should show leadership over a possible arms trade treaty.

Poorest

Hilary Benn said: "On debt in January we saw the debts owed to the International monetary fund by 19 of the world's poorest countries written off."

He said it was hoped that the same would happen to the debts owed to the World Bank and the African Development Bank in July of this year.

Mr Benn added: "We've seen agreement on a new UN Convention against corruption, which Britain has now ratified."

He also revealed that a new humanitarian fund which was recently launched would aim to relieve crisis in the horn of Africa where seven and a half million people are at risk of starvation.

G8 promises

The commission's report a year ago was a British-led initiative designed to make major changes in African development.

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