[originaltext]下面你将听到的是一段有关减轻债务的讲话。 I want today to set debt reduction in th

下面你将听到的是一段有关减轻债务的讲话。
    I want today to set debt reduction in the context of development challenges of poor countries. My key message is that we need a change in the way we look at the purpose of debt relief: from ending debt to ending poverty. I think that debt relief is a strong anti-poverty weapon, but it must be part of a broader development strategy.
    We need to look beyond external sustainability to include internal sustainability as well. Domestic debt in some countries is a huge problem, and for several African countries it takes more than 10% of domestic revenue. This points us back to the government budget. We should think about working not just from the concept of external sustainability, but from the expenditure required to pursue the International Development Strategy. This means looking at each country’s domestic strategy for poverty elimination and its internal needs and constraints.
    Now is a time for new thinking, and the task is an urgent one. One out of four people in the world live in absolute poverty. Deserts are spreading, forests are shrinking and seas are being over-fished. With projections of growing strain on all natural resources of the world, and the likelihood of increasing violent conflict and calamity arising from that, it is not just morally imperative that we act to give the poor of the world the chance to get out of poverty; it is in our interest to do so. There can be no secure future for our children and grandchildren unless we build a more equitable world.
    So, we need to implement this change in the goal of debt relief: from ending debt to ending poverty. Debt reduction from now on has to be linked to the international development strategy.
    Debt is not evil in itself. Borrowing for high-quality investment is clearly beneficial and appreciated. The aim should be for countries to borrow prudently along a sustainable path to fund priority investments. This requires a clear debt management strategy.
    To make real progress, the government and people of each country must develop a clearly defined approach to this complex challenge.
    The priorities of government budgets are obviously central to this. We need to look at the expenditure necessary to achieve poverty reduction objectives and then see how debt reduction can contribute to making it possible. We must always remember debt relief is a means to an end not an end in itself.
    Debt relief has some important benefits for countries concerned. Firstly, it frees the government’s own resources to fund development. Secondly, it is a way of signaling donor support for the long-term programs of a government. Thirdly, it can help to simulate the investment necessary for long-term growth.
    But, of course, sometimes debt relief will not be the right option. Aid funds used for debt relief have an opportunity cost. Sometimes money will be better spent on direct support for the health or education sectors, or to promote sustainable livelihood. The key question to ask is what the role debt relief plays in eliminating poverty.