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G-8 Focus on Poverty Urged
By Moni
Basu
Atlanta Journal And Constitution
More than 1,500 international
humanitarian agencies voiced unprecedented unity today in castigating
G-8 nations for failing to keep commitments to aid the poorest of the
poor. The private relief and development agencies based in seven of the
Group of Eight countries sent letters to their respective leaders urging
them to put global poverty center stage at the upcoming summit in Sea
Island. "Members of the G-8 have repeatedly given at least rhetorical
support to ending extreme poverty but they have failed to follow through
on their professed commitment," said Peter Bell, president of Atlanta-based
CARE USA, which belongs to Interaction, a coalition of U.S.-based organizations.
Bell said the establishment of the United Nations "Millennium Development
Goals" constituted a step forward in the effort to eradicate poverty,
but now G-8 leaders must assume the leadership required to deliver on
the goals.
The aid agencies urged the
leaders to develop a blueprint to meet the millennium goals agreed upon
by 181 countries in 2000. The goals focused on halving the number of people
living on $1 a day or less by 2015. "They haven't lived up to their
promises with regards to financial resources," said Reinhard Hermle,
head of Germany's coalition. White House gets letter| The World Bank estimates
the incremental costs of meeting the millennium goals at $35-65 billion
every year. Aid agencies point out that is a fraction of what budget experts
think the war in Iraq could cost over the next fiscal year - $150 billion.
A statement signed by Interaction
and its partners in seven of the G-8 nations was sent to the White House
on today, said Mary McClymont, CEO of Interaction. Russia - the newest
member of the elite club of industrialized democracies - does not yet
have a thriving private aid community and was not included in the statement.
"It is difficult not to question the balance between the allocation
of funds for national security and for international development, neither
of which is likely to be achieved if the other fails, " the statement
says.
It urges the leaders to "bring
to bear all the tools necessary" to reduce poverty including development
aid, trade policies, debt relief, technology transfer and private investment."
"We have come together
out of concern for those who will be so greatly affected by the decisions
you make this year in the United States, and next year in the United Kingdom,
but who cannot be there to address you directly," the statement
says.
Development issues are expected
to be a focal point at next year's G-8 summit, hosted by Britain. Leaders
of international aid agencies are hoping some issues pertaining to the
developing world will surface at the Sea Island summit June 8-10 to set
the stage for the 2005 meeting.
The G-8 countries are the United
States, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia. Interaction
includes CARE, American Red Cross, Save the Children, World Vision, YMCA
and Oxfam.
"The promises have been
made. Now we need action," McClymont said. "The goals have been
agreed to. Now we need a blueprint"' Urgent' for G-8 to hear| The
Millennium Development goals also target basic education, equality for
women, mortality rates, water and sanitation and the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Next year, U.N. Secretary General
Kofi Annan is slated to deliver a five-year report card on the goals.
Mark Malloch Brown, who heads the United Nations Development Program,
said unless global leaders take action now, the world will fall far short
of meeting the objectives by 2015.
"In the larger scale of
things, relatively modest model policy changes and increases in financing
could dramatically move the needle," Brown said. "It's absolutely
urgent that the G-8 listen. We very much hope the U.S. will pick up [development]
this year so we really have a year of high-level attention."
At past G-8 summits, aid agencies
have participated in simultaneous sessions to discuss their agendas. In
2002 and 2003, sessions organized by the Montreal International Forum
brought together aid agencies with some of the leaders themselves. In
Evian, France, last year, French groups were able to meet with President
Jacques Chirac in a half-day session.
But this year, such sessions
will likely be few and far between. Part of the reason was that the Bush
administration has not shown the same level of interest as its G-8 counterparts
in interacting with civil society groups, said Nigel Martin, head of the
Montreal forum.
CARE's Bell said the heightened
security and a far-flung location made it difficult to organize around
the summit.
"Sea Island seems isolated
and was meant to be isolated." Though the summit is in CARE's back
yard, the agency is participating in only one event. On the summit's eve,
CARE plans to co-host the event with Net-Aid, a U.S. group that promotes
better access to education.
Bell said he hopes today's
statement will underscore the need for more attention to the world's poor.
But getting global poverty on the agenda at the hush-hush, closed door
meetings will be difficult, Bell admitted.
"Our task is to keep elevating
its importance," Bell said. "Ending extreme poverty is important
not only as a moral issue but necessary for a more stable and secure world."
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