On November 18 and 19 the leaders of the world economy will meet in Melbourne Australia. Finance ministers, treasurers and central bankers of 19 of the world's biggest developed and emerging economies and the heads of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are meeting to discuss the future directions of the global economy. Together they have the chance to ensure national budgets and international approaches to debt, aid and trade make a difference to the lives of those in extreme poverty.

Whether they choose to do so will be a test of their political will and our ability to concentrate their minds. We are calling on them to take the next steps in canceling debts of, and ensuring more and better aid to, the world's poorest countries so they can achieve the Millennium Development Goals, the global agreement to halve world poverty by 2015. Also to do what they can to get the Doha 'development round' of trade negotiations back on track to achieve trade justice for poor countries unable to compete with the massive agricultural subsidies and free market fundamentalism of many of the richest countries and international financial institutions.

- taken from Make Poverty History

Learn more

• Make Poverty History: how the G20 can help make poverty history
• G20: Wikipedia
• G20: Official Website