Just before last week’s G20 summit in Pittsburgh, Josh reminded us to look north to Canada, the host of the next G8 summit. Well Canada, it seems, is looking south- towards Africa. On Friday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Canada will make $2.6 billion in additional lending available to the African Development Bank (AfDB). This is great news. The increase, which will triple Canada’s “callable capital” to the AfDB, will enable the AfDB to increase lending by 75% compared to its original planned lending for 2010.

The announcement comes after the African Development Bank’s most recent call for more resources ahead of the Pittsburgh G20. In response to the global financial crisis, the Bank expects its investments in 2009 to double, with commitments amounting to some $11 billion (compared to $5.8 billion the previous year). The Bank’s funding shortfall is expected to be $3 billion over the next year.

Canada was the only G20 country to step forward in Pittsburgh with new resources for the Bank. The African Development Bank responded to the announcement with the following quote:

“I very much welcome Canada’s generous offer to triple its callable capital to the AfDB, and will strongly recommend acceptance by our shareholders, declared AfDB Group President Donald Kaberuka. Canada’s action responds to the needs in Africa. It will enable the Bank to continue its support to African countries affected by the financial and economic crisis. It will help facilitate trade, private sector activities, including in the low income countries, and to promote growth. It gives practical effect to the commitments made by G20 countries, and to their challenge to the MDBs, including the AfDB, to step up their efforts in responding quickly and effectively to the crisis. The offer is also a positive signal of confidence in the AfDB and that the resources will be used to good effect.”

This is a great sign that ahead of 2010, Canada is already looking towards Africa. 2010 is a big year for the continent: it’s the due date for the delivery of the Gleneagles promises and 5 years away from the deadline for meeting the Millennium Development Goals. As host of the G8 summit and now the next G20 gathering, Canada holds tremendous influence over the global agenda for the coming year. Here at ONE, we hope that the Canada’s support of the AfDB is the first of many steps that Canada will take between now, 2010 and beyond.

-Nora Coghlan

Yesterday Bob Geldof, advisor to ONE, appeared on the Canadian Television News segment “Power Play” to discuss Canada’s progress in meeting the 2005 Gleneagles Summit commitments and its role in hosting the upcoming G8 Summit. He had some very kind words for the Canadian peoples’ strong commitments (and strong follow-through) in ending extreme poverty.

You can check out the clip here:

The G20 has a lot to do tomorrow in Pittsburgh. But, I hope they take a moment to look north. Next June, some, maybe all of the members of the G20 will be about 300 miles north in Huntsville, Ontario for the next G8 Summit.

Development advocates have watched cautiously as the political center of global discussions has moved between the G8, the G20 and the United Nations. Which of these is the best forum to move the development agenda forward? No one has a definite answer on that; certainly all are important. But, no development advocate should doubt the importance of Canada’s G8. Canada’s G8 Summit in 2002 in Kananaskis really launched the G8’s focus on Africa that eventually led to the Gleneagles set of commitments that have since framed the discussion on development assistance to Africa. It is at Canada’s Summit when these commitments come due. How Prime Minister Harper and the Canadian government approaches that will be the subject of much of ONE’s work for the next 9 months.

Lots more to come on this topic, but for now check out this article from Tuesday’s Global and Mail discussing Canada’s G8.

-Josh Lozman

According to this year’s DATA Report, while the G8 are collectively failing to follow through on their 2005 Gleneagles promises to Africa, three countries are successfully meeting or beating their targets. One of the surprising front-runners in this group is Canada. At Gleneagles, Canada pledged to double its development assistance to sub-Saharan Africa: $1.5 billion by the end of 2008. It has not only met this target, but exceeded it, directing $1.9 billion to Africa by the end of last year. This means that it has delivered 206% of increases promised by 2010.

Canada remains a strong supporter of basic education, health, and more recently agriculture and food security. Canada has also emerged as a new leader on the aid effectiveness front, promising to untie all development assistance by 2012–2013.

Canada should be applauded for meeting its commitment to Africa, particularly in a year where countries like Italy and France are threatening to drag down the entire G8’s efforts. Accountability is more important than ever in an increasingly unpredictable financial climate, which has left the world’s poorest countries struggling maintain recent gains in the reduction of poverty and disease. Canada should use its good performance as leverage at the upcoming G8 in Italy to push the group to develop a recovery plan for countries who are behind to get back on track towards Gleneagles.

As host of the G8 Summit in 2010, Canada must also look ahead to create bold, new aid, trade and investment commitments to Africa. Despite already meeting its target, Canada has yet to indicate any increased spending plans to Africa over the next few years. While the Canadian government has said that its new aid strategy—which focuses the majority of bilateral aid on 20 focus countries (seven of which are in Africa)—does not indicate a shift, it still hasn’t shared detailed plans to prove this. These plans should include a clear timetable for delivery and a roadmap for increasing development assistance to reach 0.7% of GNI within ten years.

Over the past few years, Canada has worked hard to strengthen the G8’s relationship with Africa. It was instrumental in launching the historic 2005 Gleneagles commitment, and in 2009, it hosted the Kananaksis summit (where the G8 announced its support for the newly-formed NEPAD). To build upon this leadership, Prime Minister Stephen Harper should announce that when Canada hosts the G8 Summit in 2010, Africa and the Millennium Development Goals will be at the heart of their agenda. What better way to demonstrate Canada’s clear commitment to Africa’s future.

-Nora Coghlan