By Dongying Wang

Britain has pledged that poor countries will have their voices heard, and insists their problems need to be addressed at the G20 London summit in April.

Britain's commitment is particularly focused upon Africa. Without involving the continent, Britain says that solutions cannot be found to deal with the global economic, security and climate challenges.

However, only South Africa, the African Union, and NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa's Development) will represent the 53-nationcontinent at the London summit.

The conference, which will gather the nations that produce 85 percent of the world's GDP, is viewed as "significant and critical" to salvage the struggling world economy.

In an attempt to fulfill its promise, London recently hosted a roundtable during which some of the most important political leaders of Africa gathered to discuss problems facing the continent during the global downturn.

Prior to the meeting, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has expressed the need for the G20 to help developing economies.

"This will make sure that the conclusions of the G20 do take into account, by direct input from the countries concerned, the needs of the developing countries," he said at a London conference on the world poverty in early March.

The meeting, hosted by the Department for International Development, sent a warning message that the economic downturn could devastate the developing world as 90 million more people are forced into poverty by the end of 2010.

Protection of the poor has been placed high on the agenda at the G20 summit, though its core task is to stabilize the global financial system and put the global economy back on track.

Lord Malloch-Brown, British Minister for Africa, Asia and the United Nations, has warned that "without addressing issues facing Africa, and allow African voices to be heard, the G20 will fail morally."

However, it is still open to question whether the G20 will bring substantial benefits to Africa.

The poverty-stricken continent has drawn increasing attention as a key supplier for global growth with its natural resources and potentially huge markets.

Issues facing Africa concerning sustainable development and combating poverty have intensified as the recession sweeps around the world.