May 23, 2017 — Ahead of the G7 Summit in Taormina, ONE calls on the G7 to partner with Africa as both a continent full of opportunities and a continent facing multiple challenges, from famines, displacement crises, extreme poverty, conflicts, and climate change.

Friederike Röder, director at ONE and G7 spokesperson for the organisation, said:

“As G7 leaders meet in Taormina, they have never been closer to Africa – and yet it seems Africa has never been further from their minds.  To ignore Africa would be a terrible mistake. The G7 must either seize the opportunity of this rising young continent or become bystanders while its challenges grow.

“These challenges won’t be solved unless leaders deliver on commitments to the poorest countries under the 2030 sustainable development goals, and respond to the famines some countries are facing. While the Italian presidency intended to address some of these issues with an ambitious agenda, the White House’s attempt to torpedo it has put the outcomes of the Taormina summit in dire jeopardy.

“One leader’s lack of vision must not make the rest of the G7 blind to Africa’s vast opportunities and urgent challenges.  Now is the time to establish a new partnership with Africa. Choosing splendid isolation would be an error that world leaders could regret for a generation. ”

###

Notes to editors:

What is ONE asking the G7 for?

On food security, we are asking the G7 to reaffirm their commitment made at Schloss Elmau in 2015 to lift 500 million people out of hunger and malnutrition by 2030, in line with efforts of reaching the Sustainable Development Goal number 2. G7 leaders should also make financial commitments, both for long-term support for agricultural development, food security, and nutrition and for humanitarian aid to fight the current food security emergencies, especially the famine in South Sudan, and the dire situations in Somalia, North-East Nigeria, and Yemen.

On human mobility, we want the G7 to recognize that migration is a phenomenon that mostly affects developing countries where 95% of refugees and internally displaced persons are. The G7 has the responsibility to support Africa by investing in countries of origin, transit and destination to address basic social needs, advance inclusive growth and foster economic opportunities and stability. In the same vein, leaders must reaffirm their commitment of allocating 0.7% of their GNI to ODA, especially for the least developed countries.

ONE is a campaigning and advocacy organization of nearly 8 million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Not politically partisan, we raise public awareness and press political leaders to combat AIDS and preventable diseases, increase investments in agriculture and nutrition, and demand greater transparency in poverty-fighting programmes. Read more at www.one.org.

###

Contacts

ONE will be present at Taormina, and Friederike Röder will be available for briefings and interviews.

At the Summit from Wednesday  : Annabel Hervieu – [email protected] – + 33 6 31 22 89 68