OECD head calls on G8 to triple aid to Africa

PARIS – The head of the OECD yesterday called on rich countries in the Group of Eight to triple aid to Africa between now and 2010 to make up for delays in fulfilling pledges given at a G8 summit two years ago.

“To Africa it’s not going fast enough,” Angel Gurria, general secretary of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, told AFP. “We need to triple the speed of growth in the next three years in order to make it in 2010.”He recalled that at a summit in Gleneagles, Scotland in July 2005, the G8 agreed to increase aid to developing nations by 50 billion dollars a year by 2010, of which 25 billion dollars would be earmarked for Africa.Gurra’s comments yesterday came as leaders of the Group of Eight, representing Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States, were gathering for their 2007 summit in Heilegendamm, northern Germany.Gurra said the OECD was “worried” because the G8 countries “may not be able to deliver” on their Gleneagles promises.”But we should get as close to it as possible,” he said.He recalled that aid to Africa from the developed world had decreased last year.He added that while “there was a perception aid had increased very much, …it’s the arithmetic effect of debt forgiveness.If you take away debt forgiveness, actually there’s a little drop.”The activist group Action Aid recently released a report in London sharply critical of G8 compliance with commitments made at Gleneagles, which had been backed by mass pop concerts in cities worldwide calling for an end to poverty in Africa.”In 2005 there was a massive public mandate worldwide calling for an end to poverty but the G8 are just defrauding the public and failing Africa,” said Collins Magalasi, Head of Action Aid’s South Africa Country Programme.”Aid to Africa fell short by eight billion dollars in 2006 despite the G8’s pledge at Gleneagles to increase aid,” he said, noting that Germany, France and Italy were each responsible for around two billion dollars of that shortfall.Nampa-AFP”We need to triple the speed of growth in the next three years in order to make it in 2010.”He recalled that at a summit in Gleneagles, Scotland in July 2005, the G8 agreed to increase aid to developing nations by 50 billion dollars a year by 2010, of which 25 billion dollars would be earmarked for Africa.Gurra’s comments yesterday came as leaders of the Group of Eight, representing Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States, were gathering for their 2007 summit in Heilegendamm, northern Germany.Gurra said the OECD was “worried” because the G8 countries “may not be able to deliver” on their Gleneagles promises.”But we should get as close to it as possible,” he said.He recalled that aid to Africa from the developed world had decreased last year.He added that while “there was a perception aid had increased very much, …it’s the arithmetic effect of debt forgiveness.If you take away debt forgiveness, actually there’s a little drop.”The activist group Action Aid recently released a report in London sharply critical of G8 compliance with commitments made at Gleneagles, which had been backed by mass pop concerts in cities worldwide calling for an end to poverty in Africa.”In 2005 there was a massive public mandate worldwide calling for an end to poverty but the G8 are just defrauding the public and failing Africa,” said Collins Magalasi, Head of Action Aid’s South Africa Country Programme.”Aid to Africa fell short by eight billion dollars in 2006 despite the G8’s pledge at Gleneagles to increase aid,” he said, noting that Germany, France and Italy were each responsible for around two billion dollars of that shortfall.Nampa-AFP