African must have great voice at G20 table

Toronto – Today, the G8 Summit in Muskoka will wrap up and expand to the larger G20 Summit in Toronto, a major forum for international economic cooperation. While the global economic situation must be addressed at both Summits, the issue of development and the promises made to the world’s poorest must not be forgotten.

“The G8’s promise to the world’s poorest mothers and children is an honest promise, but, honestly, it’s also a weak promise. The funding commitment is not robust enough to meet the enormous challenge of maternal and child health. The Muskoka Initiative elevated the issue of maternal and child health, but we still need to know more details on who has contributed what, by when, and how they will each achieve real results,” said ONE U.S. Executive Director Sheila Nix. “The G8 Accountability Report is a welcome step forward but its recommendations must be applied transparently to all promises if the G8 is going to be effective.

“Promises mean nothing unless they are kept and, with the Gleneagles 2010 deadline quickly approaching, countries must still be held accountable for pledges that should not be forgotten. A nation’s word is its bond. Strong leadership is needed to get countries that are off track back on track to address these new and old commitments.”

As the focus shifts from the G8 to the G20, it’s important that a focus on development survives that transition.

“Made up of 900 million potential producers and consumers, Africa has enormous potential to contribute to the global economy through trade and investment, and this should be reflected in the economic policies of the G20,” said ONE U.S. Executive Director Sheila Nix. “We welcome the inclusion of development on the G20’s agenda, but this must be met with formal representation of the world’s poorest in this powerful economic body.”

“In the meantime, the G20 should set its sights on providing a catalyst to the vitally important Millennium Development Goals UN Summit in September. We need all hands on deck to meet our goal of cutting poverty in half by 2015. Following through on action plans to be developed at the UN Summit in September will require stronger, more accountable commitments to be made at the G20 in Seoul in November.”