by Betha Madhomu, Zimbabwe Newspaper, Bulawayo/Zimbabwe

The annual G8 summit, which kicked off in German’s Heiligendamm city today was marked by demonstrations from various civic groups who questioned the legitimacy of the convention.

There was tight security in the whole region. Heavily amoured police officers worked tirelessly to prevent any form of violence.

In an interview, one of the civic groups leaders, Jutta Sundermann said her group, attac, had sent in more that 4000 protestors to voice their grievances against the summit.

“We are mainly concerned about the globalization stance that the G8 countries claim to have adopted with a view to solve various problems affecting poor countries. The problem is that they seem to have only focused much on economic issues and neglected other important areas like human and social rights,” said Sundermann.

Jens Martens, a director for another civic group, Global Policy Forum agreed. He finds it worrying that the G8 countries are discussing issues concerning poor countries, which are not represented at the summit. “It’s just not enough to have only five African representatives invited to take part in this summit. We feel the summit has to be open to all states around the world.”

According to Martens, it doesn’t make sense to have an exclusive group of the so called wealthiest of countries: “They don’t have the mandate to discuss the policies of other countries.” In his view, the G8 has is no concrete commitment to doing something worthwhile.

Demonstrations against the G8 summit for this year started last weekend. Almost 150 police were injured, 25 of them seriously, when masked protesters showered the officers with rocks and beer bottles during a rally ahead of the summit on Saturday. Police said they made 17 arrests. Heavily armoured officers eventually drove the protesters back with water cannons and tear gas. Violent clashes involved hundreds of anti-globalisation demonstrators.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is hosting the leaders of Britain, France, Japan, Italy, Russia, Canada and the US for discussions on global warming, aid to Africa and the global economy.

The summit, like past ones, is attracting protesters opposed to capitalism, globalisation, the war in Iraq and the G8 itself.

Police have surrounded the summit site with a fence topped with barbed wire, and closed the surrounding waters and airspace, fearing terrorism or disorderly protests like the ones that marred the 2001 summit in Genoa, Italy. At the time, police and protesters clashed for days, and one demonstrator was killed. At Heiligendamm, protests near the fence have been banned by the courts, but demonstrators are going there nonetheless. .

History of the G8

The G8 is one of the most important international forums for dealing with global issues. The G8 presidency plays a very important role due to the organisation’s informal structure. Heads of state and government of the leading industrial nations met for the first time in Rambouillet, France in 1975 to discuss developments in the global economy. At that time, the world’s six or seven largest powers were represented.

This was the founding moment of the world economic summit. Today, G8 summits are still the climax of the annual presidency of each state. The range of issues under discussion now covers the whole spectrum of global politics. Foreign and security policy and development issues are discussed in addition to economic matters.

The organisation of the G8

The G8 is an informal forum of Heads of States and Government. The group is not an international organisation. It does not have its own administrative structure with a permanent secretariat or office for its individual members. 

The organisation and agenda for the annual G8 summits is traditionally a matter for the relevant presidency. The necessary prepartations – including negotiating drafts of resolutions – are taken care of by the so called G8 Sherpas, personal representatives of the heads of state and government.

By Thelma Chikwanha, The Federation of African Media Women, Harare/Zimbabwe

 Social Watch, an advocacy network, demands that  G8 leaders do more and faster to win the fight against poverty, the number one Millennium Development Goal (MDG).

In a statement today, Social Watch, an international network of more than 400 civil society organizations, pointed out that the legitimacy of the G8 was dubious. The organizations’ director, Jens Martens questioned their discussions of development of countries that are not adequately represented: “They do not have the legitimacy to discuss good governance in Africa without enough African representation.”

He also pointed out that the world’s economic giants need to fulfill their earlier commitments to fund developing nations. These commitments go back decades, and were reaffirmed in 2002. The developed nations pledged to allocate 0.7 percent of their gross national income (GNI) to Official Development aid (ODA). As current ODA spending falls far short of this mark, Social Watch urges the G8 to up the stakes.

According to Social Watch, the US government currently contributes 0.17% of GNI to   aid, the United Kingdom 0.52% and France 0,47%. The respective figures for Italy, Japan and Canada are 0,2 to 0,3 %. Host government Germany is affording 0,36%.

The countries the G8 governments represent make up two thirds of global income. Agricultural sugbsidies for farmers in these nations make competition tough for those in poor countries, argues Social Watch. The network also demands further debt relief for the poorer African nations.

If lived up to, G8 pledges on these issues would speed up progress in developing nations, according to Social Watch. However, the organization worries that most of South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and other regions will not have made much progress by 2015. According to the organization’s Basic Capacities Index, at the current rate of progress, universal access to minimum social services will only be achieved by 2108 in Sub-Saharan Africa, a delay of roughly a century of the MDGs.

“The world’s wealthiest countries have made very little progress in fulfilling their side of the agreement and allowing a majority of the world population to work their way out of poverty,” reads part of the press statement.

On the other hand, Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel has reaffirmed the G8 summit’s commitment towards strengthening Africa’s economies. In a statement before the summit she said the meeting would deliver on G8 pledges made in 2005.

However, Social Watch is not the only organization questioning the legitimacy and effectiveness of the G8. The “Group of Eight” is exclusive in its composition, and has over the years come under constant attack for their policies, mainly that of globalization.

Scores of protestors against globalization formed a barricade on the streets blocking delegates’ entry.  Some of them have made body walls around the fence outside the venue of the summit. Others have blocked the railway line from Rockstock which leads to Heiligendamm which is the venue of the summit.

By Charles Luganya Ronyo, The Juba Post, Khartoum/Sudan

The United States of America on Wednesday has reiterated that it will not agree to climate change targets to be discussed during the three days that G8 summit that kick off today in the German city of Heiligendamm on the Baltic coast.

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, the host of the summit, has set what is seen as an ambitious personal goal of persuading the leading industrialised countries to commit to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050. She also wants them to increase fuel efficiency by 20% and limit the world's temperature rise to 2C.

 

However, President George W Bush's senior climate adviser James Connaughton said on Wednesday that a number of countries - including the US - would not sign up to those commitments. James Connaughton argued that there had been significant progress and consensus on the issue of climate change. But he made clear the US did not believe the G8 should be the forum for setting targets. "Efficiency goals should be decided and developed on a national basis," he said. "The only area of disagreement is that the G8 should not dictate the national policies of its members."

At the G8 Summit in Heiligendamm, Germany’s government is facing serious opposition from civil organizations. Many hundred protesters are blocking roads and railroad tracks to Heiligendamm. They critisize the G8 for their role in global warming. Moreover, they demand that the “Group of Eight” richest nations should finally fulfill old promises of granting an additional $ 50bn for the development of the poorer countries. The pledges of the 2005 in the Gleneagles have not been lived up to.

Right now, several hundred anti-globalization protesters have gathered outside the fence protecting the building where the leaders of the eight richest industrialized nations are meeting. Early on Wednesday, many protesters were trying to block the roads from the airport, where several delegations have yet to land. They were repulsed by the German police. About 16, 000 police are deployed to the two cities of Rostock 16 kilometers to Heiligendamm where the summit is taking place and in Heiligendamm iteself. Police are observing the situation from helicopters, and water cannon are on standby.

Mrs Merkel is due to meet Mr Bush and every other leader of the Group of Eight club individually before the summit opens. BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins says meetings of the world's most powerful leaders are always difficult, but this one looks especially tough. Mrs Merkel is going to have to decide how far the most contentious issues can be pushed.

Quarreling partners

She is operating against a backdrop of increasingly fractious relations between some of the G8 members. President Bush and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, have been trading threats and accusations ahead of the meeting, sparked by Washington's plans to build a missile defence shield.

The Czech Republic is the planned site for a radar base, while interceptor missiles are due to be deployed in Poland. Mr Bush, who is expected to meet Mr Putin on the sidelines of the summit, said the new system was a "purely defensive measure, aimed not at Russia but at true threats". Speaking in the Czech Republic on Tuesday, the American president said the Cold War was over and Russia was not an enemy of the US.

But he went on to accuse Russia of sliding backwards on democracy. "Reforms that once promised to empower citizens have been derailed, with troubling implications for democratic development," he said. For his part Mr Putin has scoffed at US claims that the shield is designed to counter threats from states such as North Korea and Iran, indicating that the real target was Russia.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair entered the debate in a BBC interview on Wednesday, saying it was not in Russia's interest to have a "scratchy" relationship with Western countries. London currently has its own issues with Moscow over the murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko. Mr Putin has dismissed a UK extradition request for a Russian suspect as "pure foolishness"

By Abdelshafie Abdallla, Sudan News Agency, Khartoum/Sudan

The climate change risk has recently become a top item on the political agenda globally. Civil society organizations, such as the WWF (formerly Word Wide Fund for Nature) demand from Governments in power to do some thing for the future of the plant.

Global warming could have various consequences, including rising sea levels, reduction of biodiversity, changing crops patterns, renewed spread of tropical diseases or the reduced availability of water.

The first collective response to mitigate climate change was the Kyoto protocol, signed in 1997. Extensive public awareness now makes is very likely that a successor to his international agreement, involving a large number of countries, will be agreed on in the coming years.

The leaders assembling for G8 summit are confronted by an ever-growing mountain of scientific evidence about the danger about global warming.

As summit host Chancellor Merkel declared in the German parliament lately, she emphasizes energy efficiency and technological cooperation with emerging economies: ‘Our goal is to identify solutions to the greatest challenges facing the whole of humanity more than ever before.’

In the field of climate protection, Merkel is convinced that the industrialized countries must act as trailblazers. Only then will the less developed economics follow: ‘Otherwise we have no chance to combat climate change.’

US President George W. Bush opposes limiting global warming to two degrees. During his speech at the White House recently, he rejected a German proposal regarding global warming targeting to prevent an increase in global temperature of more than 2 degrees Celsius.

Instead, Bush called on countries to hold a series of meetings to set a global emissions goal. Each country then would have to decide how to achieve the goal.

In an interview with Britain's Guardian newspaper on the eve of the summit, Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was convinced that he could persuade Bush to sign up to a "substantial cut" in greenhouse gas emissions, in line with U.N.-backed targets.

International agency Oxfam today warned that failure among G8 countries to provide clear leadership on climate change would cause confusion and unacceptable delays as poor countries would bear the greatest burden of global warming.

However, the G8 works by consensus, not majority voting. So far, all the evidence suggests that once again the United States has been working at weakening all drafts of the summit declaration.

par Maarouf Ould Oudaa, Agence Mauritanienne d'Information, Nouakchott/Mauritanie

Le sommet des huit pays les plus industrialises du monde(G8)qui se tient aujourd’hui mercredi a Heiligendamm en Allemagne affiche dans son programme un interet particulier a l’Afrique. L'attention sera notamment focalisee sur des problemes urgents dans le continent lies au developpement economique, a la reduction de la pauvrete et a la lutte contre le VIH/SIDA, selon une note officielle sur le sommet.

Mais les Africains ont eu l’habitude ces dernieres annees d’entendre de telles promesses de la bouche de dirigeants du G8 sans toutefois voir ce qui s’en suit sur le terrain. Cela a fait naitre davantage de scepticisme aupres des experts en developpement et des organisations non gouvernementales.

Ceux-ci notent en effet l'absence de progres de la part des pays du G8 par rapport aux objectifs de l'aide au developpement qu’ils se sont fixes au sommet du G8 a Gleneagles, en Ecosse, en 2005. Cette absence de progres est plus visible sur le plan de l'aide publique au developpement (APD) tombee de 5,1 pour cent en 2006, indique un rapport de l'Organisation de cooperation et de developpement economiques (OCDE), un groupe comprenant les 30 nations les plus riches du monde.

Selon ce rapport, l'aide a l'Afrique subsaharienne a augmente seulement de 2% si l’on passe outre l'allegement de la dette pour le Nigeria, ce qui contraste avec les grandes promesses de doublement de l'aide à l'Afrique d'ici à 2010, faites par les chefs d'Etat du G8 au cours de leur sommet ecossais.

Aussi, il est aujourd’hui fortement demande au G8 de s'engager une fois encore a atteindre l'objectif de 0,7 pour cent du produit interieur brut (PIB) pour l'aide au developpement d'ici à 2015 qui est d’ailleurs l'un des indicateurs fixes par les Nations Unies pour parvenir aux Objectifs du millenaire pour le developpement. Ces objectifs qui sont essentiellement destines a réduire la pauvrete et a promouvoir la sante et l'education avaient ete convenus en l’an 2000 par tous les dirigeants de la planete.

En plus de ces sujets qui sont officiellement pris en consideration par le Groupe des 8 dans sa presente reunion, les autorites allemandes, hotes des assises, ne cachent pas leur envie de voir l'interet du G8 en Afrique se focaliser egalement sur les ressources naturelles abondantes sur le continent. Les avancees des pays en developpement emergents comme l'Inde et la Chine dans l'exploitation de ces resources sont notamment montres du doigt.

A Berlin, on rappelle volontiers que les echanges commerciaux africano-chinois se sont multiplies par cinq depuis 2000 pour atteindre 50 milliards de dollars en 2006 et que l'investissement chinois est passe depuis 2000 a plus de 5,5 milliards de dollars dans 43 pays africains, faisant de Beijing le troisieme plus grand partenaire economique de ce continent apres les Etats-Unis et la France.

Dans le meme ordre d’idees, la chancelière allemande Angela Merkel avait declare il y a quelques mois que l'Europe ''ne devrait pas abandonner a la Republique populaire de Chine l’engagement a l’egard de l'Afrique''.

''Nous devons prendre place en Afrique'', avait ajoute Merkel lors d’une conference sur le developpement urbain a Berlin en novembre, moins d'une semaine apres un sommet Afrique-Chine a Beijing.

Les chefs d’Etats et de gouvernements de sept pays africains (Afrique du Sud, Senegal, Algerie, Egypte, Ghana, Ethiopie et Nigeria) sont invites aux travaux de ce sommet, une autre note de regain d’interet du G8 envers ce continent.

                                          

By Abdul Mohammed Abdallah, Habari Corporation, Dar Es Salaam/Tanzania 

OVER 333, 333 people from 193 countries have signed a petition demanding that world leaders commit to binding reductions in green house emissions at the ongoing G8 Summit in Heiligendamm, Germany. The global online advocacy group, Avaaz Org, confirmed that the petition supports the start of negotiations on a new global treaty this year, in spite of a last minute proposal by the US administration which would only involve the most important polluters.

The USA is a G8 member and the number one green house gas emitter. Its government has proposed negotiating a new accord on climate change by the end of 2008.

Nonetheless, Avaaz is running a campaign with television advertising in the main polluting countries, the so called G8 (USA, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, France, Canada and Russia) and five other nations (China, Brazil, India, South Africa and Mexico). According to Avaaz, the G8 + 5 countries, who are all attending the Summit in Heiligendamm in Germany, produce over 70% of global warming emissions.

“The World’s people are demanding action on climate change, its time for leaders to deliver,’’ said Ricken Patel from Avaaz.

Receiving the Avaaz petition, on behalf of German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, senior official Bern Pfaffenbach, who is Merkel’s chief negotiator for the G8, welcomed it and said it would help. According to him, Germany is moving in the same direction, but would have to negotiate with the USA.

Germany is striving for a strong resolution on fighting climate change. However, it risks worsening a row with the USA who have been undermining the United Nation’s Kyoto Protocol of 1997. The Protocol defined emission caps for industrialized countries, but the USA never signed it.  US had neither ratified nor withdrawn from the Protocol and in  2005 was the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from burning of fossil fuels. China is projected to top the table by the end of 2007.

The harmful effects of climate change will however affect many people from poor countries, especially in Subsaharan Africa and South Asia. These people will experience severe shortages of water and lower food production if rich countries do not take action on climate change fast.

Campaigners call for G8 to cancel Liberia’s debt

By Souksakhone Vaenkeo, Vientiane Times, Vientiane/Laos 

International advocacy groups called on the world’s most powerful countries, the G8, to immediately cancel Liberia’s debt. Yesterday, they stated that a debt deal G8 leaders negotiated two years ago did not solve Liberia’s debt crisis.

“While the international community is moving to bring Liberian dictator Charles Taylor to justice for his crimes against humanity, the G8 is delaying the debt relief that Taylor’s victims urgently need to rebuild their war torn country,” said Lancedell Mathews of the New African Research and Development Agency, a representative of the country’s platform of Development NGOs. “The G8 must cancel Liberia’s debt now,” he added.

The National Coordinator at Jubilee USA network, Neil Watkins, said that the G8 committed to deliver extra debt relief for heavily indebted poor countries two years ago. At the time, the G8 were aware they had to set aside resource for countries like Liberia, that were yet to enter the tortuous course of debt relief procedures.

In 2004, Liberia emerged from civil war. Today, the country is still servicing external debts, though President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson and Finance Minister Antoinette Sayeh only have a national budget of US$ 130 million at their disposal.

Over the past two decades, Liberia accumulated an incredible foreign debt of US$3.7 billion. US$1.3 billion was provided by the World Bank and the African Development Fund. The remaining US$2.4 billion is owned to various creditor countries, including Germany, US and South Africa.

“With only US$130 million, the Liberian government continues to pay at least US$100,000 each month to multilateral institutes. This is totally unacceptable,” said Vitalice Meija of the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development.

“These debts are clearly unsustainable and must be written off. The Liberian people are responsible for this debt as they did not profit from it and they can not repay it,” said Gail Hurley of European Network on Debt and Development.

These loans were used to finance the extraction of the country’s resources like iron ores and diamonds. The benefits went to investors, creditors and Liberia’s brutal regimes rather than to the  people. The Liberian people suffered countless human right violations like torture, forceful displacements, and physical mutilations, according to Lidy Nacpil of the Jubilee South network.

The G8 and development aid for Africa

By Maarouf Ould Oudaa, Agence Mauritanienne d'Information, Nouakchott/Mauretania

 

The agenda of the G8 summit held Wednesday in Helilgendamm, Germany, shows a particular interest in Africa. The talks will emphasize urgent economic development problems in the continent, such as  reducing poverty and fighting HIV/AIDS, according to an official press release.

However, Africans are used G8 leaders making that kind of promises, but not to seeing the pledges materialise. Therefore, skepticism has grown among development experts and non government organizations. Indeed, they recall that the G8 did not achieve the targets for raising development aid as they had agreed during the G8 summit at Gleneagles, Scotland, in 2005.

According to a report issued by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a group including the thirty richest nations of the world, this lack of progress is obvious for Official Development Assistance, which has fallen by 5,1 % last year.

The OECD report also states that aid to sub-Saharan Africa – excluding debt relief for Nigeria – has increased only by two percent, in sharp contrasting to the big promises of doubling aid for the black continent made by the heads of states and governments at their Scotland summit.

Therefore, the big question now is whether G8 leaders will commit themselves once again to the goal of spending 0,7 per cent of national incomes on development aid before 2015. This rate is among the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), approved by the leaders of the international community. The MDGs are about reducing poverty as well as promoting health and education.

Besides putting these topics on to the G8 agenda, the German government, which hosts the summit, does not hide its wish to see the involvement of G8 countries in Africa focus on the continents’ abundant natural resources. Berlin seems especially worried by the progres achieved by some emerging ecomomies, such as India and China, in terms of exploiting these resources.

In the German capital, it is recalled that African-Chinese trade has quintupled since 2000, reaching 50 billions dollars in 2006. It is also known that Chinese investment have risen to 5,5 billions dollars in 43 African countries. This makes Beijing the third biggest economic partner for Africa, behind only the USA and France.

With the same logic, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had declared some month ago that Europe “has not left Africa to the engagement of the People’s Republic of China”. At a conference on urbanization issues in Berlin in November, shortly after the Africa-China Summit in Beijing, Merkel had stated, “We have to take place in Africa”.

 

The presidents of seven African countries (South Africa, Algeria, Senegal, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt and Ghana) are invited to attend some meetings of this summit. That, in itself, is another proof of growing G8 interest in Africa.

Chancellor Merkel Expects G8 Agreement on Climate Change

By Boua Ninh Luang Pinith, Laos News Agency, Vientiane/Laos 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the leaders of the world's eight most industrialized nations "stand a good chance" of finding a joint position on climate protection issues. After bilateral meetings with U.S. President George W. Bush and other heads of state and government, she said the atmosphere was "very constructive."

The fact that none of those taking part in the G8 could avoid the issue of climate change already amounted to a success, Merkel told journalists late Wednesday at the Kempinski Grand Hotel in Heiligendamm. Nnobody disputed the need for a process, she said, although it would have to lead into a United Nations process.

The Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change expires in 2012. All of the G8 members except for the United States are legally bound by the protocol to reduce their emissions of six greenhouse gases by an average of 5.2 percent by the end of 2012.

The international focus now is on drafting an agreement to limit these gases after 2012, and extends to the largest emitters of greenhouse gases that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, including the United States and rapidly industrializing countries such as China and India.

President Bush thanked the Chancellor for her leadership and promised his co-operation in the post-Kyoto process. "I come with a strong desire to work with you on a post-Kyoto agreement about how we can achieve major objectives," Bush said. "One, of course, is the reduction of greenhouse gases. Another is to become more energy independent - in our case, from crude oil from parts of the world where we've got some friends, and sometimes we don't have friends."

"We have a good chance to share our technologies with the developing world to make sure that we're good stewards of the environment," said the President.

Chancellor Merkel held bilateral meetings Wednesday with Italy's Prime Minister Romano Prodi, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

This continues a series of one-to-one meetings Merkel has held with each of her seven guests. Over the course of the past few days in Berlin, Merkel has met British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper and her Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe.

Abe is seeking to demonstrate leadership in forging a consensus over discussions for a new emissions reduction framework beyond the current Kyoto Protocol. Bush, too, has said he seeks to lead on climate issues at the G8 summit. Speaking with reporters following his meeting with Abe Wednesday, the U.S. President sounded confused about who would, in fact, lead whom.

"We had an extensive discussion about energy and climate change," Bush said. "I reminded the Prime Minister that his great country and great economy is going to lead the way when it comes - along with the United States, in leading the way coming to develop technologies that will enable us to be - change our energy habits, and at the same time be good stewards of the environment."

Germany had called for setting a long-term goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions worldwide by 2050, but due to opposition by the United States, the numerical target may not be included in the chair's summary Merkel will issue on Friday at the close of the summit.

By Betha Madhomu, Zimbabwe Newspaper, Bulawayo/Zimbabwe

 

The Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) has called on the Group of Eight (G8) leading industrial nations to deliver on the promises made to developing countries two years ago at their summit in Gleneagles.

 

GCAP is a global alliance of trade unions, community groups, faith groups and campaigners working together across more than 100 national platforms. While this year’s summit was going on at Heiligendamm , Germany , representatives of this alliance addressed journalists on the key issues of aid, HIV/AIDS, climate change, health and education. Earlier this week, they presented a million-voice petition to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, lobbying for action at the G8 summit. 

 

Speaking on aid, Charles Abani, director for Oxfam in Southern Africa , said the G8 summit must stop stalling and start acting to prevent millions of deaths in poor countries: “The G8 must prove its promises were more than empty rhetoric and say when and how they will increase aid. There are no excuses. The cost of inaction is too high.” Abani appealed to Chancellor Merkel to lead the others in announcing how to meet their promises to increase aid.

 

Statistics reveal that despite promises made in Gleneagles in 2005 to increase aid by $50 billion a year by 2010 – half of which for Africa – aid to Africa has barely changed and remains at $21.4 billion. Overall, global aid has fallen. Indications are that the G8 could miss its 2010 target by a massive $30 billion.

 

“This is a deplorable failure for which millions of women, children and men are paying with their lives. These promises are not inconsequential numbers on a balance sheet but about life and death for real people – the 50 000 people who die everyday from preventable diseases and the 80 million children that will not see the inside of a classroom,” said Abani.

 

He said at $103 billion, global aid remains just one tenth of global military spending and less than the world spent on bottled water in 2006. He added that G8 governments need to provide less than $1 per citizen per week extra to meet their promise of increasing aid by $50 billion by 2010.

 

GCAP is calling for action from the world’s leaders to meet their promises to end poverty and inequality. In particular, they demand solutions that address the issues of public accountability, justice and the fulfillments of human rights. They also call for trade justice, a major increase in the quantity and quality of aid and financing for development. Debt cancellation and gender equality are also among their demands.

 

Collins Magalasi, a spokesperson for Action Aid Southern Africa, which is also a member of GCAP, said although a country like Malawi appreciates what the G8 has done to enhance the level of education, there is still more to be done.

“Millions and millions of children in Malawi have had access to free education, but it is the quality of education that we are now worried about. This is as a result of the lack of commitment from other members of the G8 countries,” he said.

 

Magalasi said Italy , German and France have not released the promised close to $12 billion towards aid. This, he said is an indication that these countries are not seriously committed.

 

“Of course things are moving with the little that they have given but at the same time they are missing the important point that they indeed commit themselves to solve the problems of the poor countries,” said Magalasi.

 

He also lamented the health situation in poor countries, especially Africa , which has been heavily hit by a massive exodus of health practitioners. “This is the time to act. The health system in Africa is very bad. Africa doctors and nurses are working in the G8 countries. We have added up nurses and doctors that we are unable to keep and this is a continued frustration of the needs of the poor,” said Magalasi. 

 

Commenting on what the G8 countries have done to solve HIV/AIDS related issues, Dr Francoise Ndayishimiye of the Global Funds said the promise has been kept but a lot more needs to be done to boost the fight against the scourge and other related diseases.

 

“The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is a G8 promise that was kept. I’m one of those who have been saved in Burundi . G8 has saved lives because six years ago it decided to build the global fund and universal access to drugs for everybody. However, we don’t see the plan of how they are going to finance these promises, especially now that there are so many people on the waiting list,” she said.

 

The Global Fund is seeking $6 billion a year by 2010 or $8 billion if demand can be demonstrated, to help developing countries reach the goals. The fund’s board has representatives from all the G8 countries and along with new donors, they need to play a leading role.

By Abdul Mohammed Abdallah, Habari Corporation, Dar Es Salaam/Tanzania

At their Heiligendamm summit, the leaders of the economically most powerful countries have reitterated old pledges on debt relief and aid, but they have not started any new initiative. Campaigners from civil society believe that this is not enough. After all, many poor countries in Africa will continue losing billions of dollars for servicing their external debt which means many of the funds sent as aid end up going back to the donor countries as debt payments.

According to figures from an International Network, Social Work, half of the world’s countries score low in the Basic Capabilities Index (BCI), a measure of social and infrastructure development. These countries  are unable to ensure access for all to minimum services, for instance in terms of health and education. Servicing debt is another burden on their budgets.

The BCI is used to evaluate and compare situations of poverty at national, provincial and local levels. It is based on three basic indicators, the percentage of children who successfully complete primary education, child mortality rate under five years of age and the percentage of births attended by skilled health personell. The BCI is compiled by Social Watch.

The 2007 BCI reveals that,  in most countries, universal access to basic social services will not be achieved by 2015, the target set by the leaders of the world in 2000 as part of the Millennium Development Goals. According to another NGO, Africa Action, debt is  the biggest obstacle to the continent’s development and the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Africa Action states that over 200 billion Dollars that African owe to foreign creditors represent a burden that undermines economic and social progress. Africa Action emphasises that the All Africa Conference of Churches nicknamed debt as a new form of slavery, as it is considered to be as vicious as the slave trade.

Africa Action’s report adds that African countries are forced to spend almost 14 billion each year for servicing old illegitimate debts to rich country governments and their institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The report further explains that, over the past two decades, African countries have paid out more in debt service to foreign creditors than they have received in development assistance or in new loans. The Executive director of Africa Action, Nii Akuetteh said that G8 countries must become serious towards Africa. In order to assist the continent to rise to the daunting challenges, they must go further by canceling their debt and increasing aid.

Akuetteh also added that the G8 needed to rescue their own credibility by keeping the promises they made in 2005 at the Gleneeagles Summit in debt cancellation and HIV assistance.

 

By Elizabeth Lisuntha, Nation Publication, Blantyre/Malawi

 

Oxfam International says poor people will continue to face grave risks associated with catastrophic climate change such as severe droughts, floods and famines. This follows failure by the G8 to define binding targets for halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to address the problem of climate change at their on-going summit in Heiligendamm, Germany .

 

“The eight most powerful countries in the world had an unprecedented opportunity to boost global efforts to respond to the threat of global warming and sharply reduce the risks that poor people face,|” says Antonio Hill, Oxfam’s Senior Policy Advisor. “They have taken one step forward, but they should be running by now.”

The official summit declaration states that the G8 leaders agreed to pursue "substantial" but unspecified cuts in greenhouse gases. The leaders also agreed to negotiate a post-2012 framework on climate change within the UN forum. They pledged to reach a UN deal by 2009 on long-term measures to fight global warming.

 

Oxfam has condemned the world’s leading polluter, the USA, for refusing to sign up to specific targets and an indicative global stabilization goal. “It is profoundly disappointing….This means the world is still on track for global warming above 2öC--dangerous climate change that will devastate poor countries and massively undermine the fight against poverty,” said Hill.

 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel had been pushing for a 50% cut in emissions by 2050. She has also proposed a declaration to prevent an increase in global temperature of more than 2oC. The US resisted calls for targets to be fixed. However, the G8 declaration states that all members will ”seriously consider” the 50 percent goal. “It is also welcome that the EU, Canada and Japan have reiterated their individual commitments to halving carbon emission by 2050,” said Hill.

 

However, Oxfam is pressing the G8 to do more. The organisation wants these countries, who are the major culprits of global warming, to commit themselves to provide 80 percent of an estimated  $50 billion needed for poor countries to adapt to climate change and its impacts. “Poor countries, particularly those in Africa, will not be able to bear the burden that climate change brings,” said Hill. He also applauded the endorsement of a UN process to tackle climate change, saying this will help poor countries, who are the most affected by the problem, to “have a seat at the table where solutions are discussed”.

By Thelma Chikwanha, The Federation of African Media Women, Harare/Zimbabwe

Civil society leaders have urged G8 leaders at Heiligendamm, Germany, to make a financial commitment to increase HIV and Aids funding and save the lives of 6000 people who perish daily owing to the pandemic.

“The G8 must prove its promises were more than mere empty rhetoric and say when and how they will increase aid,” said Charles Abani, director of Oxfam in Southern Africa.

Abani was referring to the promises made at the Gleneagles summit of the G8 in 2005. Then, the leaders of the eight richest countries agreed to increase aid by $ 50 billion a year by 2010, with half of this amount earmarked for Africa. Two years later, the total is still stagnant at $ 21.4billon.

According to Oxfam, the G8 could miss its 2010 target by a whooping $30 billion if they do not move fast. The organization which advocates for the end of poverty also stated  disappointment in Italy, which has so far shied away from financial commitment.

“Chancellor Merkel must lead the others today in announcing how they will meet their promises to increase aid,” Abani told journalists at a press conference held in Rostock on the second day of the summit.

Abani went on to say that delay in providing the funds would be a deplorable failure for millions of men and women who would have to pay with their lives. “These promises are not inconsequential numbers on a balance sheet but about life and death for real people, ” he said.

The Oxfam director also stressed that total official development assistance amounts to only $103 billon – a tenth of global military spending and less than what the world spends on bottled water.

Global Fund

HIV/Aids remains Africa’s biggest problem, causing at least 6000 deaths everyday.

The Global Fund, which finances program to stem AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, applauds the G8 for contributing 80% of its funds. According to the Fund, 3000 lives are thus saved everyday. Twice as many people, however, die of the disease. While $10.4 billion have been pledged to the Fund, only $3.5 billion have been disbursed.

Director of the Burundi AIDS program, Dr Francoise Ndayishimiye told journalists that the G8 had saved her life, as their funding had made antiretroviral drugs available to her. The medical doctor applauded G8 effort, but insisted more could be done if the leaders were to meet their 2010 target.

Dr Ndayishimiye pointed out the successes of the G8 summit in Genoa 2001. She said that the number of people accessing antiretroviral treatment had risen from 600 in 2002 to 8000. However, 16 000 are still on the waiting list.

The Doctor who is HIV positive was optimistic that leaders many lives would be saved, if the G8 kept their aid promises of 2005. “We can reach and save many lives, my life and my husband’s life will be saved,” she pointed out.

Global Action against Poverty, a global alliance of trade unions, community groups and campaigners against poverty said their response to the G8’S failure to fulfill their promises was, “The people roared and the G8 whispered.”

The alliance representative Kumi Naidoo said the 6000 people that died of HIV/Aids everyday where equivalent of the vicitims of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, when the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center were crushed.“Why is the response not the same?” He suggested the response might if different if the victims’ color was predominantly white.

Collin Magalasi, the head of Actionaid’s South Africa Country Program, said the G8’s failure to fulfill their promises to the poor was immoral. He said the leaders’ actions were not only defrauding the poor but their own public which they represent. Magalasi expressed his organisation’s displeasure at the slow pace the leaders were taking.

He went on to say that the leaders snail pace was frustrating the needs of the poor in Africa and that their actions had resulted in braindrain. “In Malawi for instance 71%of the trained doctors have all left the country while 414 trained nurses have all left for United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States.”

By Charles Luganya Ronyo, The Juba Post, Khartoum/Sudan

The deterioration of health system in Africa is due to neglect of health expenditure, Charles Abani, Oxfam’s regional director in South Africa, has said during the group of eight summit help in Heiligendamm, Germany between 2007-06-08.

Abani reiterated that there is no mechanism to deliver health services especially in the rural areas. Moreover, he speaks of a huge brain-drain of doctors, too, because most of  Africa’s experienced doctors are working in rich countries, for instance the G8, rather than at home.  "This is related to the problem of wage caps in Africa. Most of the African countries keep the wages of the health workers low, and thus cause migration of the doctors from Africa."

 

The G8 are not taking promises seriously, according to Abani. Up to now, they have not delivered on the pledges made in 2005, at the G8 summit in Gleneagles, UK. Abani says that is the reason why Oxfam has to continue lobbying. The charity hopes that the media will have an impact on leaders’ decisions. At Heiligendamm, at least, the G8 re-affirmed the old promises.

The Oxfam Regional director said that the main focus of aid in Africa is on infrastructures, but infrastructures are worthless without people who know how to use them.  He urges that there should be a huge investment in the health sectors, including funding for health personnel. Moreover, he says: "There is lack of co-ordination with the aid donors. Whenever money is available, it does not come in a coordinated way, and does not fit the plans laid down by the ministries of health in many African countries."

He also blamed the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which imposes a cap on wages, not allowing them to rise by more than nine percent for the sake of fighting inflation.

 

According to Abani, advice given to health planers in Africa is not enough, as the International Monetary Fund controls the money. Although African leaders draft their own policies, they have to adhere to IMF rules, and the IMF is not an African institution.

"Donor institutions should be flexible in their conditionality," was his appeal.

The most vulnerable countries that face serious health problems are Sudan, Congo, Somalia and other countries in conflict or emerging from conflict. Abani reiterated that Africa today pays $ 100 m a day to service debts created by corrupt leaders in the past 20 years, for instance, in the DRC. He called on the G8 to cancel such debts, because some  African countries are not able to pay. Instead of spending huge amounts of money on debt, African countries should be allowed to invest in health infrastructures and staff.

J8 recommend education 

By Truong Huy Cuong, Nhan Dan online, Hanoi/Vietnam

Education is fundamental to the bettering of the economic situation of Africa. It allows individuals to express their ideas, is necessary for the political success of a nation, and fosters creativity, essential to the economic and cultural vitality of a nation. That is what the J8, a youth summit with 74 participants from around the world, agreed on while the G8 leaders were meeting in Heiligendamm.

A delegation of the J8 later told G8 leaders at the Baltic coastal resort in Heiligendamm on Thursday that “in order to support education, we call for allocation of part of the aid pledged at the 2005 G8 summit to be directed to the building and equipping of schools and the training of teachers, as well as supporting programmes which remove the economic burden of education from families.”

The nine juniors, eight from G8 countries and one from Tanzania, made suggestions to the world’s most powerful leaders on how to develop the African economy, prevent HIV/AIDS, cope with new challenges for the global economy and mitigate climate change.

The children believe that poor governance and violence severely impede steady and independent economic development in Africa. Therefore, they said, education also becomes unattainable with conflict and corruption. “In order to best improve security and governance, we strongly recommend increased G8 financing of and interaction with the African Union, as well as its NEPAD programme, and the African Peer Review Mechanism,” said the children.

The J8 summit declared: “Recognizing that serious and imminent challenges confront our world, we, the J8 2007 participants, have come together in Germany, to take part in making the world a better place to live in.” The document expresses the conviction “that the G8 countries have the ability to resolve global issues, especially the four addressed at the 2007 J8 Summit”.

On economic prospects for Africa, the J8 stated that improving infrastructure is critical to expanding access to medication, education and employment. Moreover, better infrastructure would help attract investors. “We urge the G8, to pledge the funding of specific and extensive infrastructure plans. These should be made for and by specific African countries, with the help of the IMF, World Bank and the African Development Bank.”

On HIV/AIDS problems, the children suggested: To successfully fight against AIDS, we believe that a key solution is to provide sufficient financial assistance.  According to UNAIDS the sums of money needed are US $18.1 billion in 2007 and US $22.1 billion in 2008. 

“The G8 must respect the engagements taken at previous summits and their engagements in the Millennium Development Goals, such as the one to give 0.7% of their GDP for international development cooperation,” they said.

By Souksakhone Vaenkeo, Vientiane Times, Vientiane/Laos

The Stop Aids Campaign has warneed that an important G8 pledge may not be met. At stake is the promise of achieving  as close the universal access to AIDS treatment as possible by 2010. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair brokered the G8 agreement on this matter in 2005.

Since, not much has happened, the Stop Aids Campaign complains. “The G8 leaders have just over 24 hours to restore faith in a promise that represents life or death for milloins of people across the world. They have to reach into their pockets and ensure that the US$23 billion needed to fight against AIDS each year is made avialable. The result of the G8 action or inaction will ultimately either be millions of lives saved or millions of lives lost,“ the Stop AIDS Campaign Coordinator, Steve Cockburn. 

The Stop AIDS Campaign warned yesterday that the promise was also set to be missed because of lacking of concrete actions to tackle the critical shortage of health workers and to cope with the high price of the medicines needed. Such barriers mean that 5 million people (or more than 70 percent of those in urgent need) remain without the drugs they need to stay alive.

The Campaign also expressed the fear that the G8 leaders were considering to commit to providing treatment for just five million people over the next few years, instead of the 10 million people promised treatment by 2010 earlier.

The non-governmental organisation calls on the G8 to include the following actions in their final communique:

♦ Agree a long-term comprehensive funding plan to meet the resource needs of universal access. In total, that would amount  to US$ 23 billion annually by 2010.  This year alone, US$18 billion is reguired, but only US$10 billion is provided.

♦ Reduce the high prices of key medicines by promoting generic drugs. Patent barriers need to be tackled to ensure that the drugs, particularly new 2nd line treatments become affordable to all who need them.

♦ Invest in strengthening health systems and tackle the critical shortage of health workers, given that more than four million more health workers are needed worldwide.

♦ Ensure universal access to services preventing mother to children transimissions (PMTCT). The G8 communique commits to concentrate efforts to achieve universal access to the PMTCT services by 2010, but currently allocates no money to do so.

AIDS could kill 31 million people in India, 18 million in China, while the toll could reach 100 million people in Africa by 2025, according to projections by U.N. population researchers. Since June 5, 1981, HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, has killed more than 25 million people, infected 40 million others and left a legacy of unspeakable loss, hardship, fear and despair.

By Abdul Mohammed Abdallah, Habari Corporation, Dar Es Salaam/Tanzania

Isaya Zephania Yunge never expected he would have a chance like this. The 17 year old student attended the Junior G8 Summit (J8), which was held at the same time as the leaders of the worlds’ most powerful industrial nations met at Heiligendamm, Germany. Isaya was chosten to talk the to G8 leaders as one of nine representatives of the youth summit. He personally met US President George Bush and other heads of state and government.

“In my life, I had never dreamt or had the feeling that one day I could meet any of these leaders from the rich nations of the world, and tell them what I believe would help my African brothers solve the social and economical problems we are facing,’’ Isaya said afterwards, with a smile in his face.

Apart from Bush, the other G8 leaders are Vladimir Putin and Nicolas and Sarkorzy - the presidents of Russia and France respectively – and Tony Blair, Romano Prody, Shinzo Abe. Stephen Harper and Angela Merkel, the heads of government from Britain, Italy, Japan, Canada and Germany. Chancellor Merkel was the host.

Isaya, who was wearing traditional Massai clothes, reports that he talked to Bush. “He asked me if I had done some physical exercises the day before, and I said no, so he told me he normally does exercises.” Bush also asked Isaya about his father. “He was very friendly and also wanted to put his signature in my book.’’ . 

However, Isaya who is a form two student at Ole Njoolay Secondary School in Mwanza, Tanzania is well known for being the pioneer of various issues related to children and environment. To radio listerners in Tanzania, his voice may be familiar due to his frequent participation in a radio programme known as Children and HIV/AIDS, which is aired once a week by Radio Free Africa based in Mwanza. Apart from that, Isaya is also working in various projects with a non-govermental organization known as Kuleana, which is commited to help street children and orphans in Tanzania.

Speaking more about his participation in the Junior G8 Summit, Isaya said apart from his personal commitment on issues related to Environmental and Children, he also mentioned UN Body responsible for Children and Education (UNICEF) for the role they have played.

“Though I have also been working in different projects with UNICEF, I never thought  that one day they will select me to represent Africa in the Junior G8 Summit and have an opportunity to express my feelings about Africa to the leaders of rich nations, I regard it as a unique opportunity,’’  he said. He argues that his commitment to children and the environment has attracted many people in Tanzania, and that is the main reason for him to get an opportunity to be involved in the projects organized by UNICEF in Tanzania.

Once he got invoveld with UNICEF, the organisation began asking him questions through email about various issues, including children, environment, matters related to climate change and other global issues.

Later on. UNICEF give him good news that they selected him to represent Africa at the J8 in Germany. Others who were also selected came from Cameroon, Central Africa, Ethiopia, Algeria and Sierra Leone. He was the only boy.

Isaya believes that their invitation has come out due to the selfless motives among G8 Junior members who thought it was not fair for them to discuss Africa’s problems and tell their leaders without listening from their fellow children from Africa.

Speaking about what he told G8 leaders and thought could help Africa, Isaya said he mentioned various issues which he believe needs the attention of rich nations so as to rescue Africa.

“I told them that Africa needs a system of education which is similar to that of rich nations, but that doesn’t mean they have to take students from Africa to study in their countries.

“I know they have been funding education but money is not enough to solve the problem, to me what we need is equality, Africa needs qualified professionals from different fields like those who are in Europe and all other rich nations, these proffessionals will teach students from secondary schools and universities in Africa,’’ he said.

“We also need training facilities, many schools and colleges are experiencing this problem, teachers find difficulties when it comes to practical teachings as a result they depend on theories which are not enough if we want to have qualified and competent proffessionals,’’ he added.

Isaya said that support for the education system will enhance equality in the system all over the world,  and reduce the current notion that those who studied in rich nations are better compared with poor nations.

On trade, Isaya said Africans  need a sytem that will give them opportunities to sell their products in rich nations. So far, Africans are too often onlz buyers, unable to sell their goods.

He said it is the duty of rich nations to come up with a system that can allow Africa to sell their products in the world market in order to solve the economical crisis these countries are experiencing at the moment.  

On HIV/AIDS, Isaya said rich nations needs to help with antiretroverial drugs that will help improve the health and extend the lives of people who have already been infected.

“We need these people to participate in various economic activities, their manpower is important. But they can do nothing with their poor health status, thats why we need rich nations to help them with anti retrovial drugs.” The bad thing, in Isaya’s view, is that if these people are left to suffer on their own, they will not be able to work and others will have to work for them .

On the harmfull effects of climate change, Isaya said the G8 countries are the main contributors, hence they need to play a major role in helping Africa to overcome the problem. He said, G8 countries need to provide Africa with environmental friendly technologies like solar power, for instance, so as to speed up development and reduce the risk of environmental degradation.

“Our economy depends on agriculture, and harmful effects of climate change will affect this sector. There will be no or little rain, natural vegetations will disappear.”

Isaya also stressed tree planting campaigns and environmental education as a whole. Such measures should focus on the villagers who cut trees for firewood. These people also need to be trained in good agricultural practices that will ensure that the land will not lose its fertility, argues Isaya..

L’Afrique dans les travaux du G8

Par Maarouf Ould Oudaa, Agence Mauritanienne d'Information, Nouakchott/Mauretanie

Le sommet des huit pays les plus industrialises du monde (G8) qui a pris fin vendredi a Heiligendamm en Allemagne a réaffirmé son intérêt pour le continent africain.

“Nous nous considérons comme de solides partenaires de l’Afrique et poursuivrons nos efforts en vue d’honorer nos engagement envers ce continent”, indique un rapport issue du sommet. Le groupe des Huit estime en effet que les reformes en cours dans le continent ne réussiront que si elles sont appuyées par un solide partenariat a l’échelle interafricaine, régionale et nationale. « Nous souhaitons développer davantage ce partenariat », soulignent les membres du G8.   

Le sommet a aussi rappelé son engagement de longue date en faveur du développement en Afrique, assurant que ce continent, encore une fois, a occupé une place prioritaire sur l’agenda de ses réunions.

« Pendant que les gouvernements africains s’appliquent a conduire les réformes nécessaires, les partenaires au développement s’emploient a remplir leurs obligations de façon coordonnée et simultanée », explique le document qui relève cependant que d’énormes efforts restent a mener par tous les acteurs en vue d’atteindre les Objectifs du Millénaire au Développement.      

“Le G8 a beaucoup aidé a l’émergence d’un nouveau paysage institutionnel en Afrique, particulièrement en collaboration avec l’Union Africaine, le NEPAD et les communautées economiques régionales mais aussi en appuyant la Banque Africaine pour le Développement ainsi que de nouveaux piliers de la gouvernance Panafricaine comme le Parlement Africain et la Cour Africaine des Droits de l’Homme et des Peuples.

Le rapport ajoute que des membres du G8 ont appuyé les processus démocratiques dans le continent, y compris a travers l’envoi de missions d’observation électorale.

“Des partenaires du G8 ont également apporté assistance au Programme d’Action sur le Genre lance par la Banque Mondiale avec un accent particulier sur la lutte contre la pauvreté économique des femmes comme étant un outil de promotion de la qualité du genre. Certains membres du groupe des Huit ont aussi aidé des acteurs étatiques et non étatiques dans l’application de la Convention des Nations Unies pour la Lutte contre la Corruption ratifiée par plus de 40 Etats africains. Certains partenaires du G8 ont appuyé l’Initiative pour la Transparence des Industries Extractives (ITIE) regroupant aujourd’hui 18 pays africains pour un financement de 7,5 millions de dollars. D’autres Etats comptent rejoindre le groupe des donateurs de cette initiative”.

Le document précise aussi que le G8 a apporté son concours a la création de la Force Africaine de Paix dont la mission porte essentiellement sur la définition de la stratégie a suivre dans des domaines tels que la logistique, la communication et l’aspect civil des opérations d’appui a la paix. “Ces opérations d’appui a la paix sont actuellement en cours au Darfour/Soudan et, récemment, en Somalie”, rappelle le texte.

Le G8 s’est par ailleurs formellement engagé a apporter son soutien au développement agricole en Afrique ainsi qu’a la santé dans le continent. Il a rappelé a ce titre les promesses données par la communauté internationale de parvenir a l’Accès Universel a la prévention, au traitement, aux soins et au soutien contre le VIH/SIDA a l’horizon 2006. Le groupe des Huit a souligné la nécessité de renouveler les efforts déployés pour contrer la féminisation de la pandémie y compris la transmission du virus du SIDA par la mère au fœtus. “Le G8 doit appuyer les efforts des Africains pour consolider leurs systèmes sanitaires dans leur globalité, y compris a travers le soutien a des plans d’action de long terme ainsi qu’une meilleure coordination institutionnelle”.

En matière d’éducation, le G8 a promis de renforcer ses efforts pour aider les pays africains a développer leurs capacités de façon permanente et a identifier les ressources nécessaires a la poursuite de leurs stratégies éducationnelles durables.

S’agissant de l’aide au continent, le rapport rappelé que plusieurs pays africains avaient déjà bénéficié de l’effacement de la dette a 100% au titre de l’Initiative en faveur des Pays Pauvres Très Endettes (PPTE) et l’Initiative pour la réduction de la Dette Multilatérale. “Au titre de cette dernière initiative, 18 pays africains ont déjà obtenu une réduction de leur dette a 100% alors que 15 autres recevront la même faveur une fois qu’ils auront rempli les critères requis”. Les membres du G8 ont aussi assuré qu’ils continueront de travailler avec les autres donateurs en vue d’honorer les engagements de Gleneagles consistant a doubler l’aide a l’Afrique, soit une rallonge de 25 milliards de dollars pour atteindre la croissance annuelle estimée a 50 milliards de dollars en 2010.      

Le G8 s’est dit en outre convaincu que la protection sociale est capable de contribuer a la lutte contre le chômage en assurant a ceux qui peuvent travailler un soutien adéquat pour obtenir un emploi et acquérir le savoir faire requis par le marché de travail. Il a estimé que les systèmes de protection sociale contiennent certains éléments universels et devraient être basés sur des valeurs telles que l’équité sociale, le savoir faire et la justice, et ce afin de promouvoir un égal accès aux opportunités et a la participation.

Selon le rapport, les membres du G8 sont conscients du fait que les systèmes de sécurité sociale requièrent davantage de développement et une plus large couverture prenant en compte les capacités variées des nations a offrir une telle couverture. Ils reconnaissent qu’il n’existe pas de modèle de protection sociale applicable a tous les pays.        

Le sommet du G8 a donné son accord pour insérer ces questions dans l’agenda de sa politique de développement, encourageant les organisations internationales actives dans ce domaine a travailler en étroite collaboration sur ces questions.

“En conjuguant une croissance économique et des politiques de marché du travail actives, la sécurité sociale devient un instrument de développement socio-économique durable”, estime le G8.

Africa in the G8 summit talks

By Maarouf Ould Oudaa, Agence Mauritanienne d'Information, Nouakchott/Mauretania

The G8 summit that ended Friday in Heiligendamm, Germany, has reaffirmed the group’s interest in the African continent. “We regard ourselves as strong partners for Africa and will continue to work at fulfilling our commitment towards Africa”, a declaration issued by the summit states.

The Group of Eight believes that African reform will only be successful if backed by solid African ownership, at pan-African, regional and national levels. “We want to develop this partnership further”, the declaration stresses.

    

The summit has recalled its “long standing commitment to Africa’s development”. It ensures that Africa was “again a priority on the agenda” of the present meetings. “As African governments continue the necessary reforms, development partners are working on the timely and coordinated implementation of their commitments”, the declaration t says. However, the document estimates that stronger efforts are required by all actors to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

“The G8 have strongly supported the emergence of a new institutional landscape on the African continent, centering around the African Union, its NEPAD program, the regional economic communities and a strengthened African Development Bank as well as new pillars of pan-African governance like the pan-African Parliament and the

African Court on Human and people’s Rights”.

The document ads that G8 members have supported democratic processes, including through carrying out electoral observation missions. “Some G8 partners have supported the World Bank Gender Action Program focusing on economic empowerment of women as a tool for promoting gender quality. G8 members have supported state and non-state actors in the implementation of the UN Convention Against Corruption ratified by more than 40 African States. Some G8 partners have supported the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), now involving 18 African countries, with US$ 7.5 million, and others intend to join the (EITI) donors group”.  

According to the document, the G8 has supported the creation of the African Standby Force (ASF) and focused on defining strategies and guidelines for the ASF in areas such as logistics, communication and the civilian components of peace support operations. “Currently, AU-led peace support operations are underway in Darfur,Sudan, and, most recently, in Somalia”, it recalles.

As for agricultural development, the G8 commits itself to increase its support for the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP). In the health field, the G8 summit has reaffirmed the promise of the international community to work towards the goal of universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010. The group of eight has underlined the necessity of renewing efforts to address the feminization of the pandemic, including addressing mother to child transmission. “The G8 must support African efforts to strengthen health systems more broadly, including through support for long-term plans and better institutional coordination”.

In the field of education, the G8 summit has promised to reaffirm efforts to help African countries to develop sustainable capacities and identify the resources needed to pursue their sustainable educational strategies.

Relating to aid, the report recalls that many African countries are already benefiting from 100% debt cancellation under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). “Under MDRI, 18 African countries have already received 100% debt relief, and another 15 African countries will receive similar debt cancellation when they reached the required standards”. The G8 members said they will continue to work with other donors at fulfilling the Gleneagles commitment to double aid to Africa – an additional $25 billion as part of an estimated global annual increase of $50 billion by 2010.

The group of eight has expressed its conviction that social protection has the capacity to contribute to individual employability and to ensure that those who can work obtain adequate support to find employment and to obtain skills required by the labor market.

It is argued that social protection systems contain some universal elements and should be based on values such as social equity, fairness and justice in order to promote equal opportunities and participation.

According to the report, the G8 members believe that social security systems require

further development and extension of coverage taking into account nations’ abilities to provide such coverage given their varying states of economic growth and recognizing the fact that there can be no one-size-fits-all model.

The G8 summit announced its agreement to keep this issue on the development policy agenda, encouraging relevant international organizations to work in close cooperation on this issue. “In conjunction with economic growth and active labor market policies, social security is an instrument for sustainable social and economic development”, the leaders of the eight economically most powerfull countries agree.