U.N. urges Japan to keep aid promise

TOKYO, March 8 (UPI) -- A United Nations official has urged Japan to keep its promise of setting aside 0.7 percent of its gross domestic product as development aid for poor nations.

Jeffrey Sachs, head of the U.N. Millennium Project development plan, told the Asahi Shimbun newspaper he hoped Japan and other donors would set a timetable for achieving the 0.7 percent GDP goal by 2015. Japan and other donor countries promised to do this as far back as 1970.

Sachs said Germany -- which, like Japan, also aspires to permanent Security Council membership -- is likely to shortly announce a timetable for 0.7 percent of GDP for aid.

He also stressed that helping developing countries, such as promoting good governance through development aid, would serve Japan's long-term interests.

Currently, five European countries have already managed to set aside 0.7 percent of their GDP for aid. Six others have set timetables to meet the target, Sachs said.