G8 failing in pledge to aid Africa
- Source: Global Times
- [00:03 June 12 2009]
- Comments
The G8 nations are collectively failing to meet their commitments on a 2005 pact to more than double aid to Africa through 2010, according to a report released yesterday.
By the end of 2008 the G8 had only made one-third of its aid commitments and by the end of this year they are expected to meet just half of the target, a report by the ONE anti-poverty campaign shows.
About 80 percent of the shortfall is caused by Italy and France’s decline in aid to Africa, the report said.
“Certain members of the G8 are meeting and even beating the targets. Others, most notably Italy and France, have made exceptionally poor progress and are damaging the G8’s collective credibility,” the report said.
Many of the G8 countries have spent billions of dollars on fiscal stimulus to stimulate global recovery, affecting their foreign aid ability.
The report comes as G8 finance ministers prepare to meet in Italy this weekend to discuss the state of the world economy.
African countries are being hit hard by the global financial crisis that threatens to undo the modest progress made in reducing poverty.
Canada, the United States and Japan have exceeded their 2005 commitments, the ONE campaign said.
But the report said France’s development assistance to Africa fell from 2007 to 2008 and it has delivered only 7 percent of what it promised in 2005.
Meanwhile, Italy has so far delivered only 3 percent of what it promised.
“Italy must urgently reverse its course if it is not to be embarrassed at the forthcoming G8 summit,” the report added.
To get back on course, the seven largest G8 members – the United States, Britain, Japan, Germany, Italy, France and Canada excluding Russia – will need to deliver on average an additional $7.2 billion each year in 2009 and 2010, the report said.
(Reuters)