G20 Summit- Day After ReCap
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Overall, yesterday’s G20 Summit communique has left ONE very hopeful, but as always, with a lot of work on our plates. Below, I’ll quote the very succinct recap by our Global Campaigns Director Roxane Philson, and then I’ll include 3 very short flip camera interviews with some incredible G20 Voice bloggers: Nigerian blogger Sokari Ekine, Richard Murphy of the UK (who was able to ask a question about tax havens to Gordon Brown at his internationally-covered G20 press conference), and Kenyan blogger Daudi Were.
Roxy’s Summary:
“Yesterday’s G20 Summit looks like it made some real progress for the world’s poorest. Caution tells me that some of the vague language will take hard work to clarify, but this morning, as I re-read statements and news from yesterday, I am filled with a sense of hope and optimism.
Highlights include:
Resources: The G20 announced US $50 billion for low-income countries – although we are concerned this includes existing funding – and a further US $100 billion in lending for development banks.
Reform: Developing countries will have greater representation in the international financial institutions and that election to World Bank/IMF leadership will be based on merit.
Regulation: The G20 announced regulation of illicit tax havens.
As with all summits like the G20, we’re left with just as much work coming out of the summit as we had going in. We need to work to ensure that money going to developing countries is given as grants, not loans that trigger another debt crisis. Also, much more needs to be done on the green agenda in the interests of developing countries at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen later this year.”
And below, short interviews with 3 great global bloggers:
Nigerian Sokari Ekine of the blog Black Looks on attending the 2009 London G20 Summit:
UK Richard Murphy of The Tax Research Blog on asking a question on tax haven reform to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the internationally-covered G20 press conference:
Daudi Were, who lives in Nairobi, Kenya, and blogs at Mental Acrobatics blog, on the outcomes of the G20 Summit.
Attending the 2009 London G20 Summit as an accredited member of the media was absolutely the opportunity of a lifetime. I just want to publicly thank Karina Brisby, Shane McCracken, Samantha Bronnar, and everyone who put the G20 Voice project together and made it possible for 50 bloggers from around the world to attend this historic global summit. I hope it’s only the beginning for allowing new independent voices, particularly those from from the developing world, into these critical global discussions. I also want to thank our own Weldon Kennedy for handling all of ONE’s G20 Voice project work from the UK.
-Virginia Simmons
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April 3, 2009 at 3:28 pm
While much of the language coming from the G20 was positive, I agree that there was also a degree of vagueness attached, and that will require a great deal of follow up to monitor the effectiveness. I addition, the type of spending that occurs from government to government seems to have a less than desired effect.
April 3, 2009 at 4:43 pm
the government is bleating about tax havens as if the tax they missed collecting was one of the reasons for the economic downturn which is of course absolute rubbish, the government have been spending beyond their means for a number of years and since becoming e.u. members the outgoings have been stretched to breaking point , the cash cow taxpayer is being continually taxed and charged but nowhere do we see any kind of real responsibility being shown for spending,aliens arriving in the country are given help and hand-outs whether deserving or not and its well known and is the reason why every far flung exile heads for the warm lap and freebies dished out by the dhss at the expense of real life-long u.k.citizens. the economic down turn is not a result of tax strapped governments but irresponsible banks and traders trading on paper money that never existed to the tune of billions until the paper chase overtook them.why the tax payer should help them out is illogical the deserving are those facing repossesion by banks for default on mortgage payments those unable to withdraw savings or deposits and small to midsize business’s facing closure. global companies and banks do not deserve saving only the unlucky savers who trusted them.
April 3, 2009 at 10:36 pm
I feel such a big relief. Of course, there’s still a lot of work to do and we must keep pushing, but now leaders at least agree there are some urgent topics to deal with. Only a year ago, that was unimaginable.
April 4, 2009 at 12:25 am
I hope this money be spent in education, that is the only thing everybody knows can solve the underdevelopment in a country. I t is strange that only few efforts are directed in that goal.
April 4, 2009 at 8:42 am
Dear Roxy,
I am glad, that there are commitments made, but about the part of the banks, I am afraid, that that is something, to have quistions about.
What about intrest-rates?
Who is going to say which person ore business ore land is going to get those founds? (In the Netherlands we had a big raw about the investings of the pensionfunds – and the way banks invested in for instance clusterbombs! People were not aware of what was happening whit the money they saved)
What will be the influences of the banks on the way the money will be spend bij the lenders?
Will that be money from banks who have aide from the covernment to exist at all?
After the last period with the crises, i would be very conspicues of the actings of the banks!!
What will be the influence from the banks on the covernements they lent money to?
Be aware of these things please and keep not one but two eyes open!!
Thanks for being active in One!
Big hug from me,
Yvonne Verbeek.
April 5, 2009 at 7:28 am
dear brother,
we need to inspire the G20 to manifest a decentralised economic development through Block Level Planning in order to:
1. guarantee the 5 basic necessities (food, shelter, clothes, education, health care) to every person
2. increase the purchasing power of every person
3. create industries in the villagges according to the local natural resources for their self sufficiency
i have such kind of project. now i am in lusaka, zambia, for that mission.
cosmic brotherly
April 6, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I am shocked at this policy regurgitation. A few bells and whistles to divert from the fact that the IMF has been gven its biggest power upgrade in years. Disaster Capitalism rears its ugly head yet again. Read my post on G20’s mean feat – http://www.earthsharing.org.au/2009/04/06/g20-means-plenty-for-some/