Gordon Brown’s tub-thumping wake-up call to action over ‘development emergency’ revives G8’s flagging commitment to fighting poverty

07.31.07

The Africa advocacy group DATA welcomes British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s plan for robust international action to help the poorest countries in the world meet the Millennium Development Goals.

It is extremely significant that this initiative, announced at the UN in New York, has already received the support of 12 world leaders, including the current G8 host, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as well as next year’s host, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

“Prime Minister Brown has issued a much needed tub-thumping wake-up call to the international community. His call for a ‘global coalition for justice’ spanning business, government and civil society is just what's needed to fight both extreme poverty and create the conditions for stability in the most vulnerable parts of our planet. This isn’t just soft power - this is smart power. We look forward to working with new partners and old on the details of this campaign. It is also very encouraging that business leaders recognise that we face a development emergency,” said Jamie Drummond, DATA’s Executive Director.

“This recognition must result in action. When effective aid does get through, it often gets real results. In sub-Saharan Africa, aid, debt cancellation and microfinance have helped millions of people to educate their children, fight AIDS and malaria and start businesses to lift themselves out of poverty.”

Yet, on current indicators, Africa is the only continent that will fail to meet any of the Millennium Development Goals.

In 2005 the G8, led by the British government, signed the historic Gleneagles Agreement promising to help fund the MDGs by providing an extra $50 billion annually in aid to poor countries by 2010, with half of the increase for Africa. The G8 also promised education for all, fairer trade rules, AIDS treatment for all who need it and greater effort to prevent and treat malaria. So far the majority of G8 countries are not keeping those promises.

“Gordon Brown is once again demonstrating global political leadership in the fight against poverty in Africa and around the world”, said Drummond. “We hope that his government will also demonstrate financial leadership by ensuring that promised development assistance is increased in the Comprehensive Spending Review in the autumn in line with the Gleneagles promises.”

For more information about DATA please go to www.data.org
For detailed information about the G8’s progress on keeping the promises to Africa please go to www.thedatareport.org