This week we’re highlighting some of the key development issues we’re hoping to see addressed during next week’s G8 summit in Japan.

Yesterday, Josh Lozman put the spotlight on overall development financing and Monday’s troubling Financial Times article that indicated G8 negotiators are considering omitting a reiteration of their 2005 promise to increase aid to Africa by $25 billion by 2010. Watering down that commitment would be a serious breach of the G8’s credibility and accountability and we’re fighting to make sure it doesn’t happen.

But it’s important that we also focus on what’s needed to achieve the aid target. Big numbers, after all, are easier for the G8 to hide behind. Ultimately meeting the ambitious $25b goal requires scaling up financing for effective programs in specific sectors, such as health, education, agriculture and water and sanitation. Previous G8 commitments to these sectors are more than enough to meet the $25b goal. That’s why we’re asking G8 negotiators to get devilish in the details – we want to see an annual action plan for delivery on these promises.

In my next post, I’ll focus on what we’re asking the G8 to do this year on health.

-Ben Hubbard