CAMBRIDGE
CAMBRIDGE
The 2005 meeting of the G8 leaders at Gleneagles, Perthshire from 6th to 8th July faced unpresidented pressure to make chances to global trade, debt and aid policies as a direct result of the campaigning of millions of people across the world led by MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY and Global Call to Action Against Poverty, combined with Tony Blair’s stated desire to focus on Africa and climate change.
But did the G8 deliver?
Previous to the summit, all 15 ‘old’ EU countries (including Germany and Italy) promised to increase development aid to 0.51% of national income by 2010, and hopefully 0.7% by 2015 (45 years after the 0.7% target was first promised); France had pledged to reach 0.5% by 2007 and 0.7% by 2012; and the UK to reach 0.7% by 2013. Canada, Japan, and even the USA had announced increases in aid over the next few years, but do not have targets for when they intend to reach 0.7%. The US has no intention to reach 0.7%. Based on these and other commitments, pledges, and hopes, the OECD estimates that by 2010 aid will increase by around $48 billion from all donors ($25 billion of which will go to Africa) – almost as much as the minimum $50 billion increase we were asking for (though it is required now, not in five years’ time) – as long as it all materializes and is directed to priority areas. These announcements have all come this year or last year as a result of public pressure and the expectation of the G8 Summit, but the Summit itself did not lead to any further progress on the amount or speed of aid delivery from any of the countries.
The countries continue to make statements in favour of ‘better’ aid (less ‘tied’ aid and more aid allocated to priority areas) but these promises need to be backed up with policy change and action.
The G8 Summit reaffirmed the June 11th G8 Finance Ministers decision on debt relief for 18 countries initially. No progress was made at Gleneagles on up to 40 other countries that need debt relief.
Jubilee Debt Campaign: comment.
The UK was pushing for a statement that agricultural subsidies should be ended by 2010, but other countries urged that decision be postponed until the WTO meeting in Hong Kong in December. In the end absolutely no progress at all was made on trade reform at Gleneagles. This raises the pressure even further onto the WTO ‘Doha Development Round’ negotiations.
The G8 communiqué ends by saying:
“We call on other world leaders to join us in ensuring a successful WTO Ministerial in Hong Kong in December, leading to the conclusion in 2006 of the Doha Development Round with an agreement to a trade package that has the potential to help lift millions out of poverty. It is in all our interests that we succeed.”
We hope they really mean that. The world will be watching.
Trade Justice Movement: What the G8 should have done.
There was some good news out of the summit. The communiqué included various specific plans on how to encourage and enable Africa’s development (it had to say something in 16 pages on Africa), much of which was clearly inspired by the Commission for Africa report, mainly in the less controversial areas of conflict and peace, and good governance. The G8 did however reiterate their support of the Millennium Development Goals and specifically of universal free primary education and universal access to basic health care. If they are serious about these then they will have to contribute some of their own money to make them happen. We will see the result at the UN conference in September
The G8 also pledged to provide “as close as possible to universal access to treatment” for everyone suffering from AIDS across the world (currently around 40 million) by 2010. This was an entirely new statement and extremely welcome. It is a great success for all those campaigning for universal access to AIDS treatment. In addition, the G8 committed to increased action against malaria and funding for polio eradication.
Stop AIDS Campaign: comment (Word).
Some progress has been made, mainly before the Summit rather than actually at Gleneagles itself, but an awful lot more remains to be done. The pressure is now on for the UN Millennium Goals summit and the WTO Hong Kong meeting as they are where decisions now need to be taken to make a real lasting difference if extreme global poverty really is to be made history.
The campaign continues...
Official UK government G8 Gleneagles site - G8 Communiqué in full (PDF, 328K, 32 pages).
MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY official response.
BBC G8 Gleneagles coverage.