Truemors
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
Canada a laggard on African aid: groups
Share:
by Rachel Nixon | July 7, 2008 at 09:34 am
348 views | 10 Recommendations | 2 comments
Photos
International aid groups have been stating their case as the G8 leaders began their summit in Japan, accusing Canada of being behind on development aid for Africa. They also said Stephen Harper's government was trying to water down a G8 statement on healthcare for the continent.
Are rich countries doing enough to help Africa? Vote here
As the G8 summit opened in Toyako, Japan on Monday, aid groups Oxfam and One said that Canada's own 2005 promise to double aid to Africa was small compared to other countries in the Group of Eight, placing them in a group of laggards with Italy, France and Japan.
They also said Canada is trying to water down a draft communiqué on supporting health measures, backed by U.S. President George W. Bush – so that instead of G8 leaders saying they will “commit” to the measures, they would only acknowledge that health experts recommend them.
“We must see strong language and commitments in that health communiqué, too. We know that a number of countries are trying to water down that language. We're very concerned about the Canadians, in particular,” said Oxfam spokesman Max Lawson.
The Canadian government - not surprisingly - doesn't agree with the claims.
The Canadian minister responsible for aid, International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda, refused to confirm or deny the accusation that Canada is trying to water down the G8's statement on health measures for Africa.
But she said Canada is already spending sizable sums on health in Africa and suggested Canada doesn't want to make an easy commitment that might not be kept.
“Many, many developing countries have heard countries make big pledges and big commitments, and yet they're still waiting for those services, they're still waiting for the delivery of those dollars, and medications and vaccinations et cetera,” Ms. Oda said.
“What we're doing, what our government is doing, is making sure that when we commit dollars, that it's actually going to translate into a service for a people, for a community, for a family, when we say.”
The plight of the continent is firmly on the agenda at the summit, with eight African leaders joining the first day of discussions.
Three years ago at the Gleneagles summit, world powers famously pledged $25 billion to Africa by 2010. But Oxfam Asia and Europe director Oliver Buston claims that so far the continent has seen only $3 billion in aid.
"It's fair to say the progress so far has been desperately slow," he said.
While Germany was stepping up aid to Africa and Britain and the US were making some progress, France slashed its aid to Africa in 2007, he noted.
"At a time when Germany, the UK and the US are really making an effort to increase their aid, you can't have France free-riding on their efforts."
Oxfam urged Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda -- who pledged ahead of the G8 summit to double Japan's aid to Africa in five years -- to show stronger leadership as current G8 host.
"We hope that Japan will come up with more in the next couple of days," particularly in health and agriculture, Buston said.
Advertisement
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (2)
at 04:02 on July 11th, 2008
Rachel Nixon, I like this story. It's good stuff - a story that I'd totally missed!
With all the mud-slinging that's going on in the British press aver the G8 summit, this story had completely passed me by.
at 03:49 on October 8th, 2008
Rachel Nixon, I like this story. It's good stuff. On the other hand are African countries doing enough to be self sufficient or just sucking on the Teats of World Welfare? Case in point massive corruption, political fighting , swiss bank accounts, politicians sending their kids to private schools everywhere but in their own country. It is a well known fact, a percentage of aid never reaches those who truly need it, it lines the pockets of those who use intimidation in order to piece meal aid to the favoured areas. Harper knows, media knows, the public who read current events know it. Time to start closing the tap on a continent that for close to 50 years has been sucking us dry, Majority of these African countries fought and whined for independence, and once they got it, they went from relatively prosperous to Welfare almost immediately.