The ONE Campaign opening statement for G7 summit:

Speaking ahead of the first day of the G7 summit in Brussels with a warning not to forget the world’s poorest people in the face of international crises, Diane Sheard, UK Director for The ONE Campaign, said:

“International crises are likely to grab the lion’s share of attention when G7 leaders meet in Brussels on Wednesday.  As they grapple with foreign policy, they must remember that extreme poverty contributes directly to global conflict and instability.  In the tradition of past summits, the G7 must set clear objectives for helping the world’s poorest and those suffering at the hands of the corrupt and the tyrannical.

“Building on the outcomes at Gleneagles in 2005 and Lough Erne in 2013, world leaders must reaffirm the importance of global development.  Millions of lives can be transformed through smart investments in agriculture, delivering vaccines and combatting corruption by strengthening commitments to company and financial trust transparency.

“Extreme poverty has been halved since 1990 and can be eliminated by 2030, but only if G7 leaders commit to an ambitious agenda and keep sustainable development and transparency on the table.”

ENDS

For more information about ONE please contact Chris Mitchell on T: 020 7434 6935 or M: 07901 006 799 or email:  [email protected]

About ONE

ONE is a campaigning and advocacy organization of more than 4 million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Not politically partisan, we raise public awareness and press political leaders to combat AIDS and preventable diseases, increase investments in agriculture and nutrition, and demand greater transparency in poverty-fighting programmes. ONE is not a grant-making organisation and does not solicit funding from the public or receive government funding. ONE is funded almost entirely by foundations, individual philanthropists and corporations. We achieve change through advocacy. Our teams in London, Washington, , New York, Johannesburg, Brussels, Berlin and Paris educate and lobby governments to shape policy solutions that save and improve millions of lives. To learn more, go to ONE.org.