G8: Time to Deliver

03 July 2009

Next week is a crucial moment for Africa, as the G8 prepares to meet at L’Aquila in Italy. International meetings come and go but, for development, the G8 Summit every year is one of the most important events in the political calendar. G8 countries collectively contribute more than two thirds of global aid. The annual meeting of the leaders of G8 countries helps set the agenda for global action on key development issues such as hunger, education and health for the following year.

This year’s G8 Summit – more than any other in recent history – will be particularly challenging. During times of domestic hardship, it is all too easy for the citizens and leaders of the rich world to turn inwards and focus exclusively on problems at home, at the expense of those millions around the world – but predominantly in Africa – facing difficulties few of us could ever fathom. We cannot afford to make this mistake. The economic crisis is not an excuse for us to go back on our promise to fight global poverty. Rather, it lends an added urgency to our efforts. The global downturn has affected everyone, but Africa, which played no role in the crisis, will feel its most devastating effects. We need the G8 leaders to take decisive and coordinated action to get help to those who need it the most.

In many poor countries, it is women and children who have born the brunt of the crisis. For this reason, the UK is calling on other G8 members to prioritise the health of mothers and children at this year’s Summit. We want the G8 to sign up to an initiative that will result in 120 million more births attended in low income countries by 2012, and 240 million by 2015, altogether saving the lives of 6 million mothers and babies. Global health is a critical issue: the Prime Minister recently chaired a global task force, which examined innovative ways to finance health investment in developing countries; we want the G8 to endorse and to make financial contributions to some of these recommendations. With almost one in six people around the world now suffering from hunger, the G8 must also propose a rapid and effective plan to get food to the hungry.

We need urgent action in each of these critical areas.  That is why we are keen that the G8 leaders demonstrate that they are prepared to be held accountable for their past promises. We want to introduce a framework for the G8 to keep track of past pledges and each country’s progress towards achieving them.
At the Gleneagles G8 Summit in 2005 under the UK’s Presidency, the G8 agreed to help provide an additional $50 billion of aid every year by 2010, including $25bn for Africa.

The UK is on track to deliver our share of the aid commitments agreed at Gleneagles. At the current rate of progress, we will be the first G8 country to meet the UN recommended target of allocating 0.7% of our Gross National Income to aid. We call on the other G8 countries to reaffirm their past promises and look to the needs of the most vulnerable during the global economic crisis.

Gareth Thomas, Minister of State for International Development