Next week is an exciting and important week for ONE’s efforts to promote more open, transparent and accountable governance that can accelerate progress on poverty reduction. In Mexico, the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group will meet. ONE will be there making the case (read the letter below) for greater budget transparency and better natural resource governance so that people can hold their governments accountable for the use of public resources.
Last week, you brave souls participated in our quiz on ONE’s agenda for the G8 and G20 summits. It’s tough stuff, but you all did great. One stellar participant, Ashley Cappiello, wins a T-shirt for scoring 100 percent! Check out the answers and explanations below to see how you stood up to the challenge. Answers are in bold, with explanations at the end of each question.
Flags flying at last year’s G8 in France. Photo credit: F. de la Mure/ G8
To help you get ready for the G8 and G20, which are just around the corner, we created this big, bad quiz to test your knowledge of ONE’s goals for the two summits. Although the questions look difficult on the surface, all the answers can be easily found in our blog post and policy pitches in the quiz resources section below. If that all seems very daunting, we have a little incentive: Anyone who gets a 100 percent on the test will be added to a raffle for a cool ONE T-shirt.
The Group of 8 (G8) and Group of 20 (G20) grew out of “fireside chats” held in the early 1970s, when a small set of world leaders met informally in the White House library. Though world leaders have met annually since 1975, participants and their priorities continue to evolve. This year, leaders from the G8 will meet in Chicago, Ill. on May 19 and 20. The following month, the G20 countries will gather in Los Cabos, Mexico on June 18 and 19.
Last weekend, the ball started rolling toward this year’s Summits as foreign ministers from the G20 met in Los Cabos to brainstorm. Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa, host of the meeting, hoped the meetings would lead to progress on issues such as eradicating famine and illiteracy, promoting green growth and sustainable development, and enhancing the rule of law. The meeting of the foreign ministers is an indication that the G20 may take on broader global development issues, as participation is historically limited to finance ministers. And word has it that Secretary of State Hilary Clinton met with Mexican president Felipe Calderón to discuss food security.
Weeks of advocacy work, thousands of petition signatures, an influx to Cannes of the most important heads of state and activists from around the world, press conferences, sleepless nights… and all this against the backdrop of the Greek tragedy: this was this year’s G20 summit. But in the end, what came out of it? Was it another talk shop or will it spell major changes for the poorest in the world?
At the G20 in Cannes, a high level panel of investment and infrastructure experts –- including ONE board member Mo Ibrahim –- submitted its report on increasing infrastructure financing in developing countries.
At a summit dominated by the eurozone crisis G20 leaders failed to recognise that investing in Africa is a big part of the solution to the global economic crisis. Bill Gates’ report on financing development does however provide a new opportunity for leaders to make good on their promises in the years ahead.
ONE co-founder Bono said:
I heard what President Calderon said in France this afternoon about the priorities for his G20 presidency in 2012. It’s great to hear that hunger and food security will be high on the agenda. And I’m glad he wants to retain the services of Bill Gates for a little longer too. Bill has started a quiet revolution with his smart proposals for financing development.
Right now, some of the world's biggest oil companies are fighting to keep some of their deals with foreign governments secret. Let's tell big oil we won't be bullied.
Cuts to poverty-fighting programs won't balance the budget, but they will set back progress on Canada's development priorities and risk jeopardizing existing investments.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
