[Bob Geldof] ...to query poverty progress

from The BBC

Bob Geldof is expected to question whether promises made at last July's G8 summit to tackle African poverty have been kept.

Mr Geldof - organiser of the global Live 8 concerts last summer - will be joined by Eurythmics star Annie Lennox.

The joint press conference in London comes only days after Tony Blair warned that it would take "hard work for years to come" to tackle poverty.

Mr Blair praised the Gleneagles summit for raising awareness about poverty.

"These issues were not high up the political agenda in the UK, let alone internationally," the UK prime minister said.

"Now they are."

Mr Geldof is not expected to share Mr Blair's praise for the progress made after the summit as the aid increases promised have not materialised.

And the key concessions that the richest nations would have to make to improve trade terms for Africa have not come either.

Africa Progress Panel

The Irish pop star is expected to name individual countries which he feels have not done enough to keep the pledges made 12 months ago.

Mr Blair has enlisted Mr Geldof, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan to a new body to monitor the progress of pledges made at the G8 summit.

The Africa Progress Panel, which will be chaired by Mr Annan, will produce an annual report to be submitted to the G8, UN and the Africa Partnership Forum.

The aim is to "maintain the international political profile of Africa achieved in 2005".