An Unlikely Pair

When you see an op-ed writen by Bill Gates and Bono you have to take a look. Actually, they make some pretty good points and have some good ideas. Here is the crux of their propossal:

For a start, we hope that the leaders of every developed nation will resolve to take four crucial steps in 2005. The wealthy world has already committed itself to some of these ideas. Promises made must be promises kept. First: double the amount of effective foreign assistance - possibly through the International Finance Facility, a UK proposal to frontload aid and get it flowing immediately. A British- and French-backed initiative using the same principles is ready to roll now and could save five million lives by increasing child immunisation. Second: finish the job on poor countries' debts. They need more than relief - they need full debt cancellation. Third: change unfair trade rules, creating a pathway for poor countries to reach self-reliance. Fourth: provide funding for the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, a more aggressive and coordinated approach to developing an HIV vaccine.

These are actually all things I agree with, particulary the third point. There are a variety of unfair trade rules out there, some, sadly, instigated by America. One of the best tools for poverty reduction is trade and we should do all that we can to support it.