African Monitor's Response to the G8 Summit Declaration
11 June 2007
Statement By: Archbishop Njongo Ndungane, President and Founder – African Monitor.
Leaders of the G8 countries met in Heiligendamm, Germany between the 6th and 8th June 2007 to deliberate on the worlds’ problems. Chancellor Merkel’s efforts to ensure that Africa is central to the agenda of this summit is appreciated. Furthermore, the efforts to strengthen the partnership with Africa by ensuring that the G8 supports activities that have been targeted and prioritized by the African governments is a progressive step. Despite this however, the outcomes of this summit have been disappointing.
Having put Africa as a key item on the agenda, the G8 has made a number of proclamations about how, they would contribute to Africa’s growth and development.
The G8 leaders once again reconfirmed their commitment to double ODA to Africa by 2010. This same re-affirmation was made in St Petersburg 2006 G8 Summit. However, despite commitments and affirmation, evidence shows that between 2005 and 2006 overall ODA has decreased from 0.33% of GNI to 0.30%. ODA to Africa has remained static, with real growth of 2%.
If G8 leaders can continue to make public pronouncements committing themselves to targets that they are failing to reach, African Monitor is strongly questioning the type of leadership that is content to make empty promises. G8 leaders need to start subjecting themselves to peer-review, where they account for why they are lagging behind in meeting the commitments they have made.
G8 leaders have also committed to increase HIV spending to $60 billion.
What sounds like a new $60 billion commitment for HIV, TB and Malaria is in fact what G8 countries had already committed to in the past, except for the new injection from the USA to increase its spending on HIV from $15 billion to $30 billion. Furthermore, this commitment covers only about $12 billion of the required $15 billion to combat the three deadly diseases. The fact that no time frames have been put forward for the disbursement of this commitment is a significant draw-back to the fight against HIV/AIDS. Without any concrete plan of action, this promise is simply hot air.
On climate change, the G8 leaders agreed to cut green house gas emissions substantially and to ensure that there is a post-2012 climate change framework by 2009 following from the Kyoto Protocol, led by the UN. However, the much desired commitment to ensure that temperatures do not rise above 2°c was not realized, because of strong objections from the United States.
The resistance of the United States to commit to a progressive plan to curb the impact of climate change is puzzling. On the one hand, the USA is prepared to spend billions of money on HIV in Africa, and on the other hand they refuse to deal responsibly with climate change which will also kill hundreds of African man, women and children through drought, floods and accelerated poverty. This shows a lack of consistency in how the developed world is dealing with Africa.
The world and particularly Africa will have to deal with the harsh consequences of managing climate change, which is generated mostly by G8 countries. It is estimated that $50 billion will be needed to deal with climate change in the future. The G8 has failed to map out a clear adaptation support plan for Africa, even though they are the culprits. AM calls for the G8 to take responsibility for financing adaptation programmes for the continent. The G8 has failed to deal with the stalling tactics of the USA in addressing environmental concerns. The USA must take immediate action to ratify the Kyoto protocol, and stop playing with the lives of the global population and Africans in particular by continuing to pollute the earth, and abuse natural resources.
The G8 has once again failed to come up with concrete pro-development commitments towards fair trade and opening markets. They have made no concrete pronouncements on the failed DOHA round, and have not set any concrete targets for eliminating trade barriers. While they agreed to increase investments; strengthen African markets; open up markets for Least Developed Countries; and increase Aid for Trade to $4 billion - this is not enough. The G8 leadership knows that trade is a key to sustainable development in Africa. As long as these issues are not addressed, it casts doubt on our minds about the seriousness of the G8 to contribute to effective to the development agenda in Africa.
Members of the G8 must begin to show forthright leadership by ensuring that commitments are made with a clear road map with targets and clear time frames. Just as Europe needed a strong injection of resources from the international community to recover from World War 1, so does Africa now. The international community, especially the G8 have this responsibility. The time to ACT is NOW.
In the same vein, African governments must continue to strengthen their own strategies for growth and development in Africa. We commend the launch of the first Pan-African Infrastructural Development Fund being financed from by the continent. This fund will focus on energy, transport, telecommunications and water and sanitation. African governments must further develop constructive strategies for intra-regional trade; and must ensure a green revolution in Africa by increasing agricultural spending to 10% of the annual budget as they have committed. Lastly, African governments must begin to map out an exit strategy from donor dependency.