CHOGM urged: Ease debt of poorer countries and save lives

Sydney
24 March 2002

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CHOGM urged: Ease debt of poorer countries and save lives

Fr Brian Gore accepts a small bundle representing one of the many children who die for want of adequate medical care in developing countries

By Chris Hook

Thousands of children die each day in developing countries because money that could be spent on providing basic health care and medicines is being used to service huge debts to other countries, says the anti-debt campaign group Jubilee Australia.

It said provisions for bankruptcy in international relations were vital to save lives.

Jubilee Australia – the continuing initiative of the Jubilee 2000 ‘Drop the Debt’ campaign – called on the Commonwealth Heads Of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Queensland earlier this month to support an international bankruptcy procedure to prevent ongoing debt crises in the developing world.

Fr Brian Gore, of the Columban Insititute of NSW, which supports Jubilee Australia, said: “One of the major problems with the current system is that it lacks procedures for countries to go into bankruptcy.

“It has long been accepted in civilised countries that it is inhumane to throw debtors in prison or to leave them utterly destitute.

“We’ve yet to apply these principles in international relations.”

Jubilee Australia members held a memorial service outside the CHOGM venue in Coolum, laying down small bundles to represent the many thousands of children they say die each day because of money being directed to repayment of debt.

They also presented a 13,700-signature petition to an AusAID representative, calling for Australia to cancel debts owed by Bangla desh, Nepal, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Fr Gore said up to $A306 million is owed – slightly more than Australians spend on alcohol every fortnight.

Jubilee Australia, part of an international campaign to cancel debt owed by the world’s poorest countries, is supported by the Columban Mission Institute, the Mercy Foundation, Caritas Australia and other Catholic groups.