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G8: The language of procrastination

Cooking up a storm over climate change at the G8 in Italy, 2009 [Oxfam International]

The G8 proves it’s long on fine words and short on measurables

Yesterday’s communiqué on global economy, climate change and aid contained a lot of good intentions and insufficient concrete statements.

CAFOD has broken down the negotiating language to see just how solid the rich nations’ announcements are.

The final communiqué contains:

85 “commitments” entered into, renewed or reaffirmed
70 affirmations of “support”
25 commitments/promises to “strengthen” or to “strengthening” existing processes or institutions
21 statements that we “continue” or “will continue” to support efforts etc
19 “reaffirmations” previous commitments, promises etc
7 statements beginning “we are determined”
6 promises to “accelerate” processes
4 promises to “reinforce” efforts or programmes
4 statements beginning “we will intensify”
3 statements saying that “our efforts” are being intensified, reinforced, strengthened
3 statements beginning “we reconfirm”

Joanne Green, CAFOD head of policy, says: “The G8 has reaffirmed its aid promises to the world’s poorest, but let’s not forget that that’s just saying 'we’ll actually do what we said we’d do four years ago'.

"And crucially there’s nothing to confirm how that will be achieved. When the language of the communiqué is so heavily infused with enthusiasm rather than solid action, we have to be sceptical.

"The accountability framework gives some hope and CAFOD welcomes it as a step in the right direction. Although we had a breakthrough on 2 degrees, the emissions targets are not strong enough and not backed up with commitment on funding developing countries’ strategy for coping with climate change.”

COMMUNIQUE ANALYSIS

Aid

On aid the G8 has reaffirmed their commitment to the 2005 promise to double aid to Africa by 2010, but considering the failure of Italy and France to deliver on the previous promise, we are sceptical about the meaningfulness of this one.

In a bid to improve delivery, the UK has managed to get an accountability framework agreed which would publish each year how G8 countries are doing on each of their previous promises. We hope this will mean the G8 is no longer able to sidestep responsibilities or break promises.

Climate change

Yesterday’s climate change communiqué showed signs of progress from previous statements but it’s painfully slow. For the first time the world’s richest agreed that it would be a good thing if average global temperatures did not rise above 2 degrees. This is the level scientists say we shouldn’t go over if we are to avert dangerous climate change.

They also agreed that rich countries should try to cut their own emissions by 80% by 2050 in order to meet that target. However, they crucially faltered over the 1990 baseline for these cuts which is critical to make them meaningful.

Most disappointing was the abject failure of the G8 to provide any leadership on the financing or access to technology that will be needed to be provided by them if these targets are to be reached.

Developing countries are currently unwilling to come to the UN negotiating table because they feel it is unfair to expect them to bear the financial burden for adapting to climate change and shifting their economies onto a greener footing.

It is critical that President Obama, in his role of chair or the Major Economies Forum, is able to increase the pace of progress, time is running out.

Economy and private sector

There were lots of warm words on reforming the economy: who doesn't want "more robust, green, inclusive and sustainable" growth?

And they listed all the essential areas to achieve this: regulation, anti-corruption, taxation, trade, investment, innovation, and again said a lot of the right things. However, there is no detail on how they will put these good intentions into practice. And there are big assumptions about the way they will be delivered.

For example, the idea that foreign investment brings technology transfer and that it is appropriate and affordable is a huge assumption. In addition, a lot of the tools governments used to encourage technology transfer are undermined in free trade agreements and other international agreements, often with these same G8 countries.

It’s great that the G8 has agreed the principle of sound macroeconomic and regulatory frameworks for the private sector and we were pleased to see the references to the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Decent Work agenda which outlines a set of standards for sustainable employment which protects human rights. But how are these things going to be followed up? Reliance on CSR and voluntary standards is not going to be enough to ensure responsible business practices.

The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is a case in point. Every year the G8 gives their support to it and calls on candidate countries to complete validation in the agreed time frame but from the experience of the last six years it's clear that EITI which is a voluntary approach is not going to be enough.

In order to meet their stated objective of 'increasing public revenues, reducing corruption, conflict and violence fuelled by revenues from natural resources' CAFOD would argue that G8 governments now need to be taking this agenda forward e.g. with actions requiring this level of disclosure from all extractives companies and including transparency of contracts as well as revenues within the EITI model.

Corruption

The G8 has shown that they recognise that developed countries have a role to play in combating corruption and it’s not just something that takes place in developing countries. More specifically, it is good that they call for ratification of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and importantly emphasise the need for an effective, transparent and inclusive review mechanism. Also good is the commitment to deny safe haven to corrupt individuals.

Food security

The G8's announcement of $20bn for food security and food aid is weak. Not only is there very little new money on the table - the package is being offered over three years. In the last 18 months alone the G8 spent $13bn to shore up the food systems developing countries.

Tonight one billion people will go to bed hungry because the established economic model isn't working. And climate change will only increase the vulnerability of the poorest people as land and soil are degraded.

The richest nations need to seriously address the root causes of hunger. Initiatives such as those to support small-scale farmers to become less reliant on the peaks and troughs of the global food market are vital. And even more essential is the G8's need to ensure their promises are carried out in full.

CAFOD is concerned the good intentions of the G8's seven principles announced today are not mirrored by their own national policies on food and trade. The G8 must look to their own policies to ensure the poorest are not subject to market-distorting subsidies and product dumping.

Every nation, whether rich or poor, should have the right to make its own decisions. The Right to Food is universal and anything that threatens that right kills people. Food production and food markets must have at their centre the beating heart of human beings, not the cold flow of cash."

For more information & interviews from the G8: Pascale Palmer ppalmer@cafod.org.uk +44 7823 555 642

Listen to Joanne on BBC Radio 4 Today programme

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(Left to right) Richard Cockle, John Corney, Lizzie Cranfield, and Gavin Baxter celebrate together after finishing the Great North Run 2005 [CAFOD]

CAFOD is the official Catholic aid agency for England and Wales

G8: The language of procrastination