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Hokkaido G8 posts small gains for poorest - but little that's new
Tuesday 8 July 2008, Toyako, Hokkaido The G8 summit has yielded small gains for the poorest after difficult negotiations in Hokkaido despite domestic economic woes. The US, UK and Germany, which have significantly increased their funding for Africa in recent years, were not matched in ambition or political will by their other G8 partners. Collectively the G8 have only delivered $3 billion of their 2005 Gleneagles promise to increase aid to Africa by $25 billion by 2010. The bulk of the G8 agreements released today on Development and Africa, and on Food Security reiterate previous pledges, rather than promising major new initiatives to get the group on track to meet their promises. There is a new effort to tackle the global food crisis, although the $10 billion pledged since January for agricultural development has no delivery date. The commitment to create a global partnership on agriculture includes some elements that could become good but needs a lot of work to be done if it is to be turned into a meaningful response to the food crisis. Agreement to provide $60 billion over five years to fight disease globally, although a large sum, does not reflect a substantial increase in real terms. This is the same $60 billion announced at the last G8 in 2007 without a time line attached. Nevertheless, agreement to increase the number of health workers in developing countries to a WHO recommended minimum of 2.3/1000 people is welcome. Progress reports for the next G8 on education spending and on water are signs of a new G8 awareness that their credibility is at risk in Africa and represents welcome developments on accountability to be followed up by Italy as the G8 chair in 2009. Bob Geldof said: "The world economic situation has limited the ambitions of this G8 but the plain fact remains that there was a political contract in 2005 of deep seriousness. This summit meeting has recognised that, with some sense of accountability, even though some of us might feel it's a little late. The fact remains that the numbers are so small that the eight wealthiest economies in the planet can easily, without argument, meet their commitments if they choose to. How else are banks bailed out overnight or military expeditions funded, amongst other examples? It's not the money, it's the will." The weak overall performance of the G8 masks very varied levels of commitment and accountability among the group's members. BONO, co-founder of ONE said: "Based on how well they are keeping their Africa promises, some G8 nations have been really dragging down the G8 as a whole, questioning the efficacy and relevance of this group. The irony of their collective increasing impotence is that we have never more needed bold leadership on the big issues of our time. |