MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

With few ideas to combat poverty concludes Davos Forum.

The World Economic Forum gathered in Davos, Switzerland concluded Sunday with a message of hope for the Korean peninsula but with very few ideas of how to reduce poverty, combat sickness and stimulate the world economy.

On closing the annual meeting of the super rich, business tycoons and world leaders, South Korea Unification Minister, Chung Dong-Young said he had hopes of substantial advances in the nuclear negotiations with North Korea. "The moment for diplomacy is now", he underlined.

But for the rest, only time will tell if the targets announced in Davos to combat poverty, eradicate illnesses and ensure peace in Middle East will be enough. But for many of the activists who participated such as Bono from the U" rock band, they expect a greater commitment from world leaders.

"I believe we can be the generation which ends with extreme poverty, I really believe it and I think I will spend the rest of my life working for that objective", said Bono, who went on to praise British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Microsoft president Bill Gates and other leaders committed to combat poverty particularly in Africa.

This year's World Economic Forum edition centered great attention on social affairs in an attempt to respond to the increasingly strong and active anti-globalization movement which claims the former gathering of rich and famous is elitist and distanced from reality.

Prime Minister Blair and French president Jacques Chirac challenged world leaders to combat poverty in Africa where apparently 300 million people have no access to drinking water; 3,000 children per day die of malaria and 6,000 people per day of Aids. "We know all this; then what can we do?" said Mr. Blair in his address.

Great Britain is pressing for a development aid increase timetable and that many more countries join the "International Finance Facility", which was created with the purpose of doubling the 50 billion US dollars annual aid to Africa.