A "reality check" on greed

New wells and latrines have reduced infant mortality in the village of Maigiginya, Nigeria [Jon Spaull]

CAFOD urges world leaders to make a "long overdue shift" from pursuing the greed of the few to the well-being of the many, following the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Summit

World leaders meeting at the MDGs Summit at the UN in New York have made new contributions and pledges to achieving global poverty targets.

Despite the last decade of unprecedented economic growth in developed countries and commitments to increase aid in 2005, aid has declined - and it is the vulnerable that lose out.

Targets off course

For example, gender equality, maternal and child mortality goals aim to improve the lives of the poorest and most marginalised people – women and children, will not be currently met.

Joanne Green, CAFOD head of public policy says: "Aid plays an important role but it won't solve world poverty and the MDGs themselves are the absolute minimum we should achieve by 2015.

"CAFOD is heartened that at the Summit many governments sent signals about the need for change.

"Now is the time to make a long overdue shift from pursuing the greed of the few to the well-being of the many."

The UN meeting received an additional $16 billion in pledges, which it is hoped will translate into multilateral action at the Doha Financing for Development Event and climate change meetings later this year.

Joanne Green says: "Discussions at the MDG Summit signify a reality check on the greed which dominates the global economic system highlighted by the credit crunch, food and oil crisis.

"The current high food prices are expected to push as many as 100 million people into poverty. Meanwhile the profits of global agribusiness companies have soared.

"This triple crunch has exposed the realities of a system which was already diseased.

"While economic growth in China and India has brought many out of poverty, it has followed a western model that is environmentally unsustainable and does not reach the poorest - resulting in greater inequality for those in emerging economies and African countries.

"New money is welcome but is limited unless we tackle the root causes of poverty."

Caritas Internationalis President, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, delivered a speech at the Summit urging leaders to go further on existing pledges and address the impact of climate change on the poor.

He spoke of the devastating effects that climate change is having on the world’s poor who are least responsible for creating it.

For further info, contact Nana Anto-Awuakye on 020 7095-5560 / 07799 477 541 or email nanto-awuakye@cafod.org.uk

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