Bob Geldof applauds U.K. for “finally” meeting 0.7 aid target

The United Kingdom has become the first member of the G8 to sign into law an obligation to allocate 0.7 percent of shared of national income for international aid.

The target, established 43 years ago, has long been championed by international development advocates such as Sir Bob Geldof. The former Boomtown Rats frontman (and Georgia Straight music editor for a brief period in the 1970s) commented on the news earlier today in an interview with Australian radio station Triple M.

“Even in the hardest of economic times in the U.K., finally, the British have done what they promised they would do all of those years ago and give 0.7 percent of the total economy in overseas aid,” he said. “A long, long struggle, politically, and an economic struggle. And it’s there.”

The G8, a forum of some of the world’s wealthiest countries, consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

In 2005, Geldof was at the centre of a series of concerts collectivly billed as Live 8 (a play on the name of 1985's Live Aid festival, which Geldof was also involved with). Before Live 8 was over, G8 leaders announced they would double 2004 levels of aid for the world's poorest nations.

In 2012, Canada spent 0.29 percent of the country’s gross domestic product on international aid, according to a report by the Toronto Star.

You can listen to Geldof’s interview with Triple M in its entirety here: [edit test]