Brown Calls For New Global Strategy

Sky News
Posted: 2008-04-18 18:27:28

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Gordon Brown has called on the US and Europe to lead a new era of global "interdependence" to solve issues including terrorism, poverty and climate change.

In his first foreign policy speech in America he said countries "must summon up the best instincts and efforts of humanity in a co-operative effort to build new international rules and institutions for the new global era".

He was speaking at the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston.

The Prime Minister also reiterated a call for reform of the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and United Nations to give emerging countries such as China, India, Mexico and Brazil more say in the institutions.

During his speech, Mr Brown paid tribute to President Kennedy, saying that his call for public service "still reverberates around the world and always will".

He also hailed the example of the whole Kennedy family - one of whom, veteran Massachussetts Senator Edward Kennedy, JFK's brother, had given him a warm introduction.

In his speech Mr Brown said: "Now is an opportunity for a historic effort in co-operation, a new dawn in collaborative action between America and Europe."

Of efforts to forge better ties, he said: "America's leadership is, and will be, indispensable."

Edward Kennedy greets PM

The speech seemed to look toward the new White House administration that will be ushered in when George Bush leaves office in January 2009.

That new focus was evident when the Prime Minister met the three main candidates for the November presidential election - Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and Republican John McCain - before meeting Mr Bush in Washington DC.

Mr Brown said he wanted to see reform of the international institutions to reflect the new world order. His argument is that global problems need global solutions, as shown by the credit crunch that has seized financial markets.

He said: "I also sense this is also the moment to bring in China, India, South Africa, Brazil and other emerging countries to the heart of the debate."