Calling on G8 to back poverty promises

Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez of Tegucigalpa, Honduras meets German Chancellor Angela Merkel as part of an anti-poverty lobbying tour by church leaders from around the world [KNA-Bild/Misereor]

The world's richest nations must heed the warnings of the Africa Progress Panel and deliver on the commitments they made at Gleneagles in 2005, says CAFOD.

Chair of the panel Mr. Kofi Annan said that there was "foot-dragging" by the west on the landmark pledges made two year’s ago at the Gleneagles G8 summit, where a target of $50billion a year increase in aid for Africa was set.

CAFOD believes that if the west continues to back away from those pledges there will be disastrous consequences for developing countries.

Without immediate corrective action to put aid budgets on course, rich countries will fail to meet the targets they set for themselves in 2005.

Aid to sub-Saharan Africa, excluding debt relief, was static in 2006 which puts in jeopardy the Gleneagles G8 summit commitment to double aid to Africa by 2010.

Clock is ticking

There is still time, but the clock is ticking. World leaders can get back on track by putting the cash on the table at the G8 Summit in June that developing countries need to reach the Millennium Development Goal of halving extreme poverty by 2015.

Aid on it’s own won’t solve all Africa’s problems, but without it developing countries won’t be able to provide the essential services and infrastructure – health, education, clean water – that are needed to get on the road out of poverty.

CAFOD’s deputy head of policy Alex Robertson says: "At Gleneagles the G8 made promises to the people of poor and rich nations alike. We are deeply concerned that some countries are failing to meet these commitments.

"Rich country governments now need to deliver by putting the promised cash on the table at the G8 Summit in June."

CAFOD and a coalition of aid groups will be holding a World Can’t wait demonstration on June 2 in central London, calling on rich countries to honour its pledges so that extreme poverty is halved by 2015, as promised by the rich countries at the G8 two years ago.

For further information or interviews please contact Nana Anto-Awuakye on 020 7095 5560 or 07799 477 541 or email nanto-awuakye@cafod.org.uk

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