Brussels, 19/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - As African countries are the first to suffer from the world food crisis, it should be pointed out that the G8 countries are not keeping their promise made in 2005 to double financial aid to Africa by 2010, except to fill an immediate deficit of €40 billion. This failure is what, on 16 June, prompted the alarm cry from the Africa Panel Progress, an independent committee of 11 eminent figures created one year ago and chaired by Kofi Annan, to draw the attention of world leaders to their commitments towards the African continent. It was meant to cause a stir at the European Council of 19 and 20 June and the forthcoming summit of the G8 (7-9 July) in Hokkaido.
“The G8 is also off track. European leaders at the forthcoming European Council Summit must move decisively to fund shortfalls in aid, while Japan must demonstrate clear leadership during its presidency of the G8, not least by addressing the stockpiling of food. (…) The whole international community has a stake in seeing Africa become a secure, stable and prosperous continent. I firmly believe that what is achieved in the months ahead will be more than a test of leadership. It will also determine the very future of the continent”, said Kofi Annan during the presentation of the report for African Progress Panel, in London on 16 June.
The report stresses that the world food crisis “threatens to destroy years, if not decades, of economic progress” and that, unless a way is found to halt and reverse the current trend in food prices, there will be significant increase in “hunger, malnutrition, and in infant and child mortality”.
In addition to the indispensable response to the food crisis, the Panel identifies other areas requiring the immediate attention of the next G8 summit. These are: the level and quality of aid in Africa; trade (review of arrangements for stockpiling food while a comprehensive rethinking of trade policy is needed to boost agricultural production around the world); climate change (the G8 must increase funding for renewable energy and invest in adaptation and the prevention of deforestation); and infrastructure (strategies to connect farmers to markets in conjunction with efforts to increase access to water and improve sanitation).
The Africa Progress Panel report may be consulted online at: http://www.africaprogresspanel.org (A.N./transl.jl)