Micah Challenge, a movement launched in 2004, said that despite "some progress" on climate change and issues related to the AIDS virus HIV, the G-8 leaders’ decisions "still fall desperately short of fulfilling promises," to alleviate world poverty by 2015.
The G-8, which comprise governments of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, represent about 65 percent of the world economy, but little has been achieved to help the poor, including millions of Christians, the movement suggested.
Micah Challenge said it was particularly concerned about issues relating to the world’s poorest people, including water and sanitation, HIV-AIDS, trade justice, climate change, and education.
"These unfulfilled Gleneagles G-8 promises will cost millions of lives. Two years after the grand promises of Gleneagles, the true ambivalence of the G-8’s concern for Africa is becoming apparent," said Advocacy Director Andy Atkins of Tearfund, a Christian aid group and Micah member. "The early success of Gleneagles is being squandered by paltry responses on AIDS, trade and aid," Atkins told BosNewsLife in a statement.
TONY BLAIR
However British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Friday, June 8, that the G-8 leaders’ pledge to help the developing world, including a pledge of $60 billion to fight killer diseases such as AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis in Africa, "represent progress". Half of that amount was to come from the United States.
"There’s a $60 billion commitment on help for HIV-AIDS, there’s a major initiative on education and additional funding for that, there’s support for Africa peacekeeping, support, specifically for Africa’s ability to trade its goods and support also for proper governance because this is a partnership, it’s a deal between Africa and the developed world," Blair said.
Yet, Micah Challenge said that while it was pleased that the world leaders "acknowledged the needs of mothers and children within the HIV and AIDS pandemic" to have access to drugs and treatment, "the pledge of $60 billion has no deadline for delivery and will not go nearly far enough to bring them on track."
It warned that "less than half of people that need treatment will receive it and at least five million people will lose their lives," in the near future. Micah Challenge also complained that it was "a shocking omission that water and sanitation are simply not mentioned at all," in the final declaration of the G8 summit. The leaders, it said, "ignored the United Nations Development Program, which last November called for the G-8 to announce a global plan on this issue."
BAD TRADE
Poverty was also not expected to decrease rapidly because of weak trade agreements, the movement warned. "While the G-8 are saying they are committed to working together on support of regional integration and trade in Africa, the European members of the G-8 are pushing trade deals on Africa that will do the opposite."
In addition, Micah Challenge said it was "disappointed" that not enough had been done on climate change, including "to agree a target to keep temperature rise below two degrees above historic levels," and about the alleged lack of commitment to improve education in impoverished regions.
Micah Challenge UK Executive Director Andy Clasper noted that, "The Millennium Development Goals agreed by 192 world leaders in 2000 and the agreements reached in Gleneagles in 2005 provided the world with a unique opportunity to eradicate poverty during the third millennium."
He said, "World leaders should not pass up this opportunity, but should be bolder in committing whatever resources and actions are needed to grasp it. Micah Challenge will continue to hold our leaders to account to deliver on the promises they made in 2000."
AFRICAN LEADERS
Those sentiments were echoed by Ghanaian President John Kufuor, who spoke on behalf of the group of African nations. "Africa expects the G-8 to deliver and promises, on Africa’s part, we are committed to also delivering," he said. Africa’s commitment in this is to fight corruption and work for proper governance and democracy, the leader suggested.
Micah Challenge UK supporters prayed and took action in the run up to the G-8, including taking to the streets of London on June 2.
Speaking at the Heiligendamm summit, after meeting with visiting African leaders, host German Chancellor Angela Merkel suggested she realized the group was under pressure to do more regarding poverty. However Merkel reaffirmed the G-8’s commitment to help, saying that the "G-8 is aware of the commitments made and we will live up to them." (With BosNewsLife’s Stefan J. Bos reporting).
