British finance minister Gordon Brown will pledge later today to continue fighting for debt relief and aid for the world's poorest countries and for a timetable to end trade-distorting export subsidies.
Mr Brown will congratulate the Make Poverty History coalition of charities, churches and other groups in a speech in Edinburgh for its work in raising awareness of the plight of Africa.
“We are today seeing Britain at its best, united as one for a great cause,” he will say at a Christian Aid rally after today's Make Poverty History march in Scotland's capital.
“Twenty years ago the call was for charity, donations to the powerless and the poor,” Mr Brown will say, according to Treasury officials.
“Today at Live 8 the call is for justice, the empowerment of the powerless and the poor,” he will say, drawing a comparison between today's rock concerts to raise awareness of Africa and the 1985 Live Aid concerts to raise funds for famine relief.
Mr Brown, who is widely expected to take over from Mr Tony Blair as British prime minister in the next few years, will say Make Poverty History is exposing the suffering of the millions struggling in poor countries and serves as a beacon of hope.
“Round the world people, whether in rallies or concerts, are coming together in a movement of millions for debt relief, aid and trade justice,” Mr Brown will tell the campaigners.
“We have come a long way and have still a long way to go. This is more than a week's work at the G8. It is a lifetime's work across the world.“
Both Mr Brown and Mr Blair have championed the cause of Africa and Mr Brown has pushed other rich nations to cancel African debt.
Some campaigners, however, have criticised the West for not wiping out the debts of more countries and for attaching economic policy conditions to debt write-offs.