Pre-G8 talks go down to wire; Oxfam urges leaders to remember promises to Africa

Berlin (ots) - 31.05.2007 - With just days to go before the G8
summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, G8 leaders remain divided not just
over commitments on climate change but also on whether to reiterate
earlier promises made to Africa.

Tense negotiations over the last few weeks have exposed
disagreement amongst governments, with some countries, including
Italy and Canada, reluctant even to reiterate promises made two years
ago in Gleneagles to increase aid to poor countries, and others, led
by the US, blocking progress on climate change.

Negotiations on the Africa communiqué were not concluded last week
as planned, and emergency discussions between G8 officials are being
hastily scheduled for early next week.

Max Lawson, Senior Policy Advisor at Oxfam said: "Talks are going
down to the wire and it is astounding that the G8 may not even be
willing to reiterate the pledges they made in 2005 to increase aid
for Africa. They are failing to live up to what they promised, and
now they are trying to hide from their responsibility."

In 2005 the G8 promised to increase overall annual aid levels by
$50 billion by 2010, and said that half of this increase - $25
billion - would go to Africa. Oxfam has shown that on current trends,
the G8 are likely to miss the target by $30 billion, with the main
culprits being Italy, where aid is falling, France, where aid is
stagnant, and Germany, whose aid increases are far from enough to
meet the promises made in Gleneagles.

Specific financial commitments on HIV/AIDS and education are also
being resisted in favour of noncommittal platitudes. Proposals for
annual monitoring of aid increases linked to the regular meeting of
G8 finance ministers have been quietly ditched. Reports suggest that
the G8 chair, Germany, is not pushing this issue as much as it could,
in contrast to the strong leadership being shown on the climate
issue.

Lawson: "Climate change is a massive challenge, to which all
rich-country governments must respond with more money for adaptation
and measures to reduce emissions and limit warming to as far below 2
degrees as possible. However, the drive to get agreement on climate
must not detract from vital debates on aid. G8 summits must not be
simply about making promises, but also about keeping them."

Oxfam said the failure of some G8 countries to increase aid stands
in contrast to the welcome announcement yesterday from the US of an
extra $30 billion over 5 years to fight HIV-AIDS.

Lawson: "There is still time for the G8 to get this right. Out of
this meeting we need to see clear annual timetables for the promised
aid increases, which will be publicly monitored by finance ministers.
The money is desperately needed to help save lives and boost
development in Africa and around the world. The G8's credibility
rests on their ability to follow through."

Originaltext: Oxfam Deutschland e.V.
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