2005 was a record breaking year.  In a year of unprecedented public campaigning, millions of people called on the UK Government to use its unique influence as host of the G8 and chair of the EU to make poverty history.

If you played a part THANK YOU. Thanks to you, global poverty was on the agenda at the very highest levels.

MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY called for justice, not charity. As a result of public campaigning, some progress was made in 2005 to deliver more aid and debt cancellation and significant steps were taken towards providing treatment for all with HIV & AIDS by 2010.

But they are just first steps. We now need to ensure that these promises are kept. In some cases they are already under threat. We also need to make sure that the Government continues to push further and renews its efforts to make poverty history in areas such as trade where little progress was made.

Together, we have successfully put global poverty on the agenda, but we can not afford to let it slip. There is still much more to do.

We need your support more than ever in 2006 to help us:

• hold decision makers to account and make sure promises made this year are kept
  
  AND
• to urge global decision makers to aim higher in the fight against global poverty.

In 2006 ActionAid’s campaigns will focus on delivering trade justice and preventing corporate abuse, securing the promised treatment and drugs for HIV and ensuring that all government aid is 'real' not 'phantom'– meeting the needs of the poor rather than serving the desires of the donors.

Please make it your New Year pledge to support ActionAid's important campaigning work next year.

photo : ©David Gordon/ ActionAid UK