G8’s Africa Agenda in Crisis

Bono, Bob Geldof and Youssou N’Dour Meet with President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush

Bono, Geldof, N’Dour also met with Merkel, Sarkozy and Prodi today

 

06.06.07

 

June 6, 2007 Heiligendamm -- Anti-poverty activists Bono, Bob Geldof, Youssou N’Dour and DATA Executive Director Jamie Drummond today met President Bush and the First Lady to discuss the United States’ commitments to Africa and the urgent need for the G8 to get back on track to keep the promises it made in 2005 to fight AIDS and poverty through increased aid to the continent.

 

Bono, lead singer of U2 and co-founder of DATA, said: “People need to know this side of America: the side that's leading the world on AIDS. With the President’s $30 billion announcement last week and Congress’ approval of a $2.9 billion increase this week, I find myself not having to harangue the President - but I still did on education and HIV/AIDS. We also discussed the strategic importance of this stuff for America in the next presidential race."

Jamie Drummond, DATA Executive Director said: "We had a positive meeting where we talked about the Education for All Fast Track Initiative and the President and First Lady asked lots of questions about it, and were very interested. We discussed how to get the rest of the G8 to match on malaria, and how PEPFAR and the Global Fund are working well together. We also talked about the presidential elections and the huge issues at stake for Americans on extreme poverty in Africa, and the security, moral and economic factors at play."

 

In addition to President Bush, Bono, Bob Geldof and Youssou N-Dour also met today with Chancellor Merkel, President Sarkozy and Prime Minister Prodi to urge them to keep the commitments their countries made to Africa in 2005.

 

Obstruction by Canadian and Italian sherpas on Tuesday means the draft G8 communiqué is currently high on rhetoric and low on concrete commitments for Africa. Proposals for real targets to get African children into school and to provide basic health care to millions of people are absent or have been scaled down.

 

The G8 sherpas will hold final talks this evening to try to rescue the Africa agenda.

 

“This means, despite the US significant contributions to PEPFAR and the Global Fund, if other countries don't keep their commitments 2.7 million people will not receive life saving AIDS drugs, and 38 million children will not go to school. The great progress that has been made on combating malaria will slow. The promises to provide universal primary education and health care in the Millennium Development Goals will not be met,” said Oliver Buston, DATA’s European Director.

 

In 2005, DATA and campaigners around the world helped persuade the G8 to reach an unprecedented agreement that included $25 billion in additional development assistance for Africa by 2010, broad debt cancellation, universal access to education, near universal access to AIDS and malaria treatment and prevention. DATA is monitoring the G8's progress on keeping these commitments and holding government leaders to public account. If kept, these promises will save millions of lives and mark a turning point in the West's relationship with Africa.

 

About DATA:
Established in 2002 by Bono, Bobby Shriver and activists from the Jubilee 2000 Drop the Debt Campaign, DATA ’s mission is to eradicate extreme poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa. DATA works with the world’s wealthiest nations — the United States, U.K., Germany, France, Canada, Italy and Japan — to adopt new aid and trade policies that will help Africans put themselves on the path to long-term prosperity and stability. DATA also works with African leaders to support strengthened democracy, accountability and transparency in government so that Africa's citizens can ensure this assistance is being effectively deployed. To learn more go to www.data.org .

Editors note: Musician and activist Bob Geldof works closely with DATA. Senegalese musician Youssou N’Dour works with UNICEF.

Media contacts:
Kathy McKiernan DATA + 1-202-445-9566

Taylor Thompson DATA +1 202 215 2003

www.thedatareport.org - detailed analysis of the G8’s promises to Africa by each G8 country, covering aid, trade, health, education, water and sanitation, peace and security, governance promises.

www.data.org – DATA’s website for the latest African development news, press releases and policy papers.