British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Wednesday that he is committed to using the UK's G8 and EU presidencies to try to make a breakthrough on Africa and climate change.

Speaking at the opening plenary of the World Economic Forum at the Swiss alpine resort of Davos, Blair said improvements on the two issues "would make a huge difference to the prospects of international unity as well as to peoples' lives and our future survival."

About 300 million Africans still don't have access to safe drinking water, 3,000 African children under the age of five die every day from malaria and 6,000 people die each day from AIDS, said Blair.

"We cannot confront the endemic perpetual crisis of African poverty on any basis other than a partnership between African governments and those of the developed world. The old donor/recipient relationship is patronising and unworkable," he told the session.

The African Commission, established last May by Blair and with half membership being African, is to report in March. Blair said the report would "attempt systematically and comprehensively to deal with all aspects of Africa's plight."

As to climate change, there has been fierce debate about globalwarming.

Blair said the G8 would first "set a direction to travel" whichis greenhouse gas reductions.

"Secondly, through the G8 process I want to develop a package of practical measures, largely focused on technology, to cut emissions," he added.

Besides, the G8 needs to work in partnership with the rapidly developing economies to find a way for them to grow and develop a slow carbon economies, according to the British prime minister.

Source: Xinhua