He will liken his proposal to the post-World War II Marshall Plan, under which the United States transferred 5% of its national income to the conflict-ravaged countries of Europe for a period of four years in order to aid economic recovery.

"America's post-war achievement in what we now call the Marshall Plan should be an inspiration in this post-Cold War world, not just for the reconstruction of Afghanistan, but for the entire developing world," Mr Brown will tell an audience at Washington's Press Club.

Corruption-free policies

"Fifty years on we not only see more clearly our interdependence, but the gap between what technology enables us to do - abolish poverty - and the reality of 110 million children without schooling, seven million avoidable child deaths each year and a billion of our citizens in poverty."

Developing countries, Mr Brown will argue, have to pursue corruption-free policies to promote stability, and encourage investment by opening up trade.

He will add: "In return, we should be prepared to increase by $50bn a year vitally needed funds until 2015."

The investment plan is needed to meet the UN's 2015 targets for poverty reduction, reducing infant mortality by two-thirds and providing universal primary education.

Mr Brown's proposal is directed mainly at the US, which has been criticised for the low percentage of national income which it devotes to foreign aid.