GORDON Brown said today he believed the world was now ready to rally behind new sanctions against the "illegitimate regime" of Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe.
On the final day of the G8 summit in Japan, the Prime Minister said there appeared to be sufficient support within the United Nations Security Council for fresh measures against Harare, including an international arms embargo.
At his closing news
conference, Mr Brown also raised hopes of agreement on a long-delayed world trade deal, opening up international markets to producers from poor countries, at "make-or-break" talks later this month.
However there were signs a rift opening up between the industrialised nations of the G8 and the main emerging nations – who were also invited to the three-day summit – over the issue of climate change.
The Prime Minister said it was now time for the developing countries to make "major steps forwards" after the G8 nations yesterday committed themselves to halving carbon emissions by 2050 – provided other countries did their bit.
Emerging powers like China and India said that the industrialised nations needed to go further, with deeper cuts and clearer commitments, before laying down the law to the rest of the world.
Mr Brown acknowledged that the issue of Zimbabwe had overshadowed a summit which was intended to concentrate on climate change and wider development in Africa.
He said he believed that agreement on the G8's sanctions package should now be possible in the UN Security Council within the next few days.
"The mood is outrage against what is happening in Zimbabwe, disgust at the behaviour of the Zimbabwe regime, an acceptance by all of them that this is an illegitimate regime that has got blood on its hands," he said.
A key breakthrough came last night when Russia – one of the five permanent, veto-wielding members of the Security Council, was persuaded to drop its normal reluctance to interfere in the affairs of other countries.
Mr Brown's comments suggest a confidence that China – which also has a permanent seat on the Security Council – will not seek to block fresh sanctions.
The draft resolution – to be tabled by the United States – will include targeted measures against 14 named individuals associated with the regime, with travel bans and asset freezes.
The G8 has also called for the appointment of a UN special envoy to Zimbabwe – a move widely seen as a rebuff to the mediation attempts of South African President Thabo Mbeki, who was among the leaders of the developing world attending.
Following bilateral talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Mr Brown spoke optimistically of a breakthrough on a world trade deal at ministerial talks in Geneva called for July 21.
"The key to a deal is Brazil," he said. "I believe that President Lula is now making possible a resumption of the negotiations with the hope that a deal that has eluded us for months is now possible in the next few days."
Any Brazilian willingness to accept cheaper imports of western goods such as cars and chemicals could prove the catalyst for European nations, especially France, agreeing to cut support for agriculture.
Arguments over the level of subsidies for farmers in the West and restrictions on the export of goods from European nations, such as cars and chemicals, to the developing world have been the main sticking point.
Mr Brown acknowledged that failure to get a deal in Geneva could leave the negotiations on hold for years, perhaps never to be resumed, spelling disaster for farmers in poor countries.
"If we fail this month to secure a trade agreement it will not be easy to resume negotiations, not only for the next few weeks or months but for the next year," he said. "So we are a minute to midnight in the trade negotiations."
There was less harmony, however, on climate change. While the emerging nations agreed to a "shared vision" with the G8, they did not sign up the G8's 50% emission cut.
Instead there were calls for the industrialised nations to go further, with cuts of 80% and clearer national targets, before they looked to those countries that were still developing.
Mr Brown insisted that the emerging economies also had to do their bit if there was to be real progress. He pointed to the assistance on offer to help them develop alternative energy sources while pursuing economic growth.
"I think developing countries are recognising that they have also got to make major steps forward in their commitments to climate change reductions," he said.
"That is why I emphasise the provision of more than £100 billion of funds to enable these countries to convert to alternative sources of energy.
"So the argument cannot be that it is impossible financially to do it. The funding is now there. It is now for the developing countries to look at what commitments they can make."
The full article contains 827 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
