The European Union(EU)'s executive Commission said Wednesday that it will wrap its headquarters in a white band on Thursday in support of the campaign for the "Global Call to Action against Poverty."

The Berlaymont Building is the first of a number of well known buildings across Europe to be "wrapped" with a white band in the coming months - the Coliseum in Italy, the Brandenburger Tor in Germany and, in France, the Trocadero's buildings which sit either side of the Eiffel Tower will be wrapped with two white bands.

The commission said the aim is to send a clear message to EU leaders at their summit starting Thursday to give their full backing to ambitious development aid targets on the summit agenda.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso will be presented with a 3 meter white band with the message "Aid, Trade and Debt."

"This campaign, and the white band as its symbol, is a reminder to EU leaders to remember the wider world as they grapple with internal issues. 2005 is a unique year of opportunity for development. And we must take advantage of every key event in international calendar which will allow us to push this agenda forward," Barroso said.

"When the eyes of the world are focused on DU finances and the constitutional debate, I will talk about Africa. We must not allow ourselves to accept the present reality, in which 25,000 people die every day from hunger, in which 25 million people have died from AIDS in sub Saharan Africa," the president added.

Source: Xinhua