U2 singer Bono has said it is time to move beyond "moral" statements of intent to fight poverty and turn them into legally binding agreements, writes Simon Carswell, Finance Correspondent, in Davos
The rock star told the World Economic Forum in Davos that the developing world could then sue the world's richest nations for failing to fulfil promises to tackle poverty under UN commitments.
"I would like to turn our moral contracts into legally binding contracts and then my advice to the developing world? Get a good lawyer and haul our asses into court," said Bono.
Attention turned from the subject of economic uncertainty to issues of health, aid and development on the third day of the political and business summit.
Bono shared a stage with leading figures as they raised a banner calling for action on the UN millennium development goals, which aim to halve extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.
Joining the U2 singer on stage were UK prime minister Gordon Brown, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, Queen Rania of Jordan, Nigerian president Umaru Musa Yar'Adua and John Chambers, chief executive of US firm Cisco.
Ban Ki-moon described Bono as a "force of nature", but the singer said it would take more than a "preening rock star" to make a difference. "I thought that this was our chance to show what our technological prowess, our financial firepower, our creativity and our moral purpose was capable of," said Bono.
"It looks like this is the moment when our generation gets to draw a line in the sand or snow and stops. Other generations put a man on the moon; we can't put every kid in school and give them a shot at not just looking across the hill to our prosperity but being part of it."
Bono has been highly critical of G8 nations at Davos this year for not delivering on promises to provide $50 billion (€34 billion) a year to eradicate poverty. "I am not pissed off because of a sense of failure. I am pissed off because of a sense of success because we know how to do this," he said.
He said the anti-poverty and African debt cancellation campaign had put 29 million children in school and two million Africans on anti-retroviral drugs "where five years ago we were laughed out of it at the thought of getting drugs to the far-reaching parts of the continent". Bono called on people to push their leaders for change.
"Social movements will always win the day, not rock stars, not politicians, none of us. So I put my faith in the social movement in France, in Germany, in Italy and in the United States. It gives us a chance of a generation to redeem ourselves." He ended his speech by citing the words of "a famous Irish lyricist Bob Dylan" and his song, The Times They Are A-Changin'.
Mr Brown said that based on current trends, the UN's health goals would not be met by 2015, but in 2050 and the education objectives by 2115. "We need to tell the truth - there is a development emergency."
Bill Gates said it was important for business to back development goals.