G8 leaders retreat from Africa aid pledge

WHEN the leaders of the world's richest nations gathered at Gleneagles in 2005, they solemnly pledged to double aid to Africa by 2010 and tackle climate change.

Three years on, their mighty ambition and high rhetoric have been replaced by a series of broken promises.

Today, as the G8 leaders prepare to issue another communiqu on Africa, the expectation is that the landmark agreements made at the 2005 summit will be watered down. With most G8 countries facing pressures over an economic slowdown in their domestic markets, there is a temptation to divert budget resources away from issues that do not generally excite voters. Overseas aid is top of the list.

Only the UK and Japan have come close to maintaining the kind of aid budgets required to meet the Gleneagles targets.

Bob Geldof has described the G8 as a "contemptuous joke", after it was revealed to be only 14 per cent of the way towards hitting its target of providing an extra 12.5 billion in aid by 2010.

Yesterday, that kind of criticism came from within the luxury setting of the G8's gathering in Hokkaido.

Robert Zoellick, the head of the World Bank, warned that 100 million people could be pushed back into poverty unless the promised funds kept coming.

Ban Ki-moon, the secretary-general of the United Nations, made it clear the problems caused by the failure to increase aid had been compounded by the lack of action on global warming.

This meant droughts and floods had increased at a time when Africans were dying from a lack of food, medical care and the ability to help themselves out of poverty by trading with the rest of the world.

Mr Ban urged the G8 to send a strong political signal by setting a long-term goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

He said: "We tend to think of climate change as something in the future. It is not. We see now, most of all in Africa, that drought and changing weather patterns are compounding the challenges we face in attaining the MDGs (millennium development goals]."

About the time of the Gleneagles gathering, Live Aid became Live8 and Geldof led marches in London and Scotland to "Make Poverty History".

The summit was quickly forgotten after it ended suddenly, following the terrorist attacks on London.

Third World debt was written off – although campaigners felt wealthy countries were hiding behind this, rather than committing themselves to spending new money on aid that could boost agriculture and educate children, as well as providing clean running water, sanitation and mosquito nets to help to eradicate malaria.

Then came the hard financial reality as a report from Geldof's Data organisation (Debt, Aids and Trade in Africa) was published. It said it was "deeply concerning" that only 1.5 billion of the additional 12.5 billion had been provided, despite half the five-year deadline having passed.

This was backed up by annual statistics from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development showing what wealthy nations were contributing to developing countries.

Much had been achieved with the money provided – the number of Africans on lifesaving Aids medication had risen from 50,000 in 2002 to 2.1 million last year, 59 million malaria nets had been distributed and 29 million African children are at school for the first time.

But the UK, which has recorded the biggest increase in spending of all the G8 countries, is almost 1.5 billion off its 2010 target of providing 3.55 billion a year to Africa by 2010. The UK's total aid budget to the whole world is due to hit 9 billion by 2010 – 0.56 per cent of national income.

The Gleneagles summit was meant to act as a wake-up call for the G8 nations, that the world was some way off hitting the United Nations' eight millennium development goals.

Set in 2000 and now endorsed by 190 countries, these include the aim to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, reduce child and maternal mortality.

But at this week's G8 summit, its leaders stand accused of "backtracking" on their financial promises to Africa. "If that money were on the ground, we estimate that five million lives a year would be saved," said Charles Abani, regional director for Oxfam in Nigeria.

However, Japan insists there has been no backtracking. "I don't understand the criticism," a Japanese foreign ministry spokesman said. "The G8 leaders are very aware of the commitments."

ZIMBABWE

Mugabe at forefront of talks and Bush hits out over 'sham' election

GEORGE Bush, the president of the United States, labelled Zimbabwe's election a sham yesterday, as G8 leaders began their annual summit.

Mr Bush, who backs United Nations' sanctions against Zimbabwe, urged the international community to find ways to punish Robert Mugabe, who is accused of using violence to win votes and quash political opposition in the 27 June presidential run-off.

"I care deeply about the people of Zimbabwe," Mr Bush said after the meeting African leaders. "I'm extremely disappointed in the elections, which I labelled a 'sham'."

Jakaya Kikwete, the president of Tanzania who is also head of the African Union, said African leaders shared the concerns, but might disagree with Mr Bush on the way forward. The AU has not backed sanctions. A UN Security Council resolution, drafted by the US and backed by Britain, would require nations to freeze the financial assets of Mr Mugabe and 11 of his officials, and to restrict their travel to within Zimbabwe.

The G8 met leaders from Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania and the chairman of the African Union Commission.

Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, had earlier called for the G8 to send a strong message to Zimbabwe.

"I believe the G8 should send a strong message so as to ensure that democracy in Zimbabwe will be protected," Mr Brown was quoted as saying in a meeting with Yasuo Fukuda, the Japanese prime minister. A spokesman for Japan's foreign ministry said that Mr Fukuda responded by saying he was concerned about the situation in Zimbabwe and agreed that the G8 nations should send a message.

Zimbabwe has been condemned by the international community since Mr Mugabe, who has held power since its independence from Britain in 1980, was declared re-elected after a run-off in June in which he was the only candidate after the opposition withdrew.

The G8 foreign ministers, as well as the UN Security Council, issued statements last month deploring the situation in the African nation.

The AU summit issued a resolution last week calling for talks leading to a government of national unity in Zimbabwe.

RUSSIA

Moscow blamed by British spies for killing dissident, as Cold War refuses to die

THE Russian state backed the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, British security sources said last night, as President Dmitry Medvedev and Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, failed to break the ice in bilateral relations at the G8 summit.

With relations between the two countries at their lowest point since the Cold War, a senior security official said there were "very strong indications" the murder in London of the former KGB agent and Kremlin critic was "a state action".

Russia strongly denies state involvement in the killing and refuses to extradite to Britain Andrei Lugovoy, the former security guard accused of poisoning Mr Litvinenko in London almost two years ago.

Meanwhile at the G8 yesterday, Mr Medvedev and Mr Brown smiled and shook hands in Japan, praising great potential for Russian-British ties – but they made no progress in the thorny issues souring them.

However, the discussion between the two leaders has fuelled hopes it could ease a row over a 20 billion joint oil venture, TNK-BP, or problems for the British Council in Russia.

"The president proposed to focus on elevating relations to a normal level," Mr Medvedev's chief foreign policy adviser, Sergei Prikhodko, said.

"Brown outlined his own ideas about problems in bilateral ties, including the British Council, (and] some major oil companies," he added.

"Medvedev gave explanations and drew Brown's attention to the need to work out a long-term approach to co-operation."

Moscow and London established cordial ties after Vladimir Putin, Mr Medvedev's predecessor as Russian president, came to power in 2000.

But they soured as Russia accused Britain of harbouring the Kremlin's political foes including the self-exiled tycoon Boris Berezovsky.

"I raised all the difficult issues that have caused difficult relations between our two countries and caused us to question policies that have been pursued," Mr Brown said.

He added there were reasons for engagement with Moscow, saying: "There was common ground about what we do in the Middle East, what we do for Iran and how we can get Iran persuaded it's not in their interests to develop nuclear weapons."

RHIANNON EDWARD

Behind every powerful man … The women who sit alongside world leaders

G8 IN BRIEF

20,000-strong 'army' of security

JAPAN has called out more than 20,000 police officers, mobilised the coastguard and reportedly even conducted military flyovers in a security operation for the summit.

So fearful is the government that cities as far away as Tokyo have also been under tight security. "We have three policies: be visible, be ready and keep the pressure on," a senior police official told the public broadcaster, NHK.

Virtually no-one but the G8 leaders and their teams are being allowed anywhere near the summit venue, a secluded hot springs resort.

First ladies get the kettle on

FIRST ladies had fun with tea, sweets and kimonos as their husbands attended the summit, even if events were a little more low-key than they would have been had the eye-catching Carla Bruni, wife of France's Nicolas Sarkozy, attended.

Japan's first lady, Kiyoko Fukuda, performed a traditional tea ceremony, whipping bitter green tea with a short bamboo whisk and serving sweets made of arrowroot starch. The wives, including US First Lady Laura Bush and Britain's Sarah Brown, giggled as they made tea and served each other, awkwardly bowing and rotating the cups.

They also watched a model being dressed in a "junihitoe" kimono, usually reserved for royalty.

Fine dining for the rich man's club

THE leaders finished off an eight-course dinner last night.

Among the "amuse bouches" were corn stuffed with caviar and winterlily bulb and summer savoury, followed by a traditional fan tray loaded with delicacies such as kelp-flavoured cold Kyoto beef shabu-shabu and the exotic-sounding pick conger.

There was crab soup, salt-grilled bighand thornyhead and milk-fed lamb, and a selection of cheeses. It was all washed down with a selection of fine wines and champagne from France, California, Hungary and the host nation.

Leaders urged to focus on sanitation

INVESTING in sanitation is the single most effective way for the G8 countries to cut child deaths, a charity said last night.

Water Aid is lobbying the summit with a new report that says 40 per cent of the world's population lack basic sanitation – resulting in the deaths of more children than malaria, HIV/Aids and measles combined.

The charity says investment in sewers and water pipes give the greatest public health returns.

Water Aid wants world leaders, at the G8 Summit and in the Third World, to focus on sanitation, rather than respond to issues that get the most celebrity endorsements.

AID: WHO'S DOING WHAT

CANADA

2010 TARGET: US$1.5bn

2007 AID: $904m

CHANGE SINCE 2006: -$88m

COMMENTARY: Off-track to meet its target. Ties with Germany as second-best for quality of aid, but not doing enough to help Africa trade with the rest of the world.

FRANCE

2010 TARGET: $7.5bn

2007 AID: $2.8bn

CHANGE SINCE 2006: -$66m

COMMENTARY: Has moved its aim of spending 0.7 per cent of national wealth on third-world aid from 2012 to 2015.

GERMANY

2010 TARGET: $6.2bn

2007 AID: $2.7bn

CHANGE SINCE 2006: +$311m

COMMENTARY: Off-track despite significant increases in aid to sub-Saharan Africa. Leader on water and sanitation, but needs to do more on education.

ITALY

2010 TARGET: $4.8bn

2007 AID: $1.1bn

CHANGE SINCE 2006: +$417m

COMMENTARY: Commitment is hugely ambitious, but country is hugely off track. Needs to guarantee long-term commitment, not just one-off payments.

JAPAN

2010 TARGET: Did not agree

2007 AID: $1.1bn

CHANGE SINCE 2006: -$197m

COMMENTARY: Has very weak commitment to sub-Saharan Africa, with contributions falling year on year for past two years.

UK

2010 TARGET: $6.5bn

2007 AID: $3.6bn

CHANGE SINCE 2006: +$48m

COMMENTARY: Has increased its spending on aid to Africa more than any other G8 country. May miss 2010 target, but not by much.

US

2010 TARGET: $8.8bn

2007 AID: $5.4bn

CHANGE SINCE 2006: +$413m

COMMENTARY: Off-track, but likely to hit 2010 target according to future spending plans. Leader on tackling HIV/AIDS and malaria.

RUSSIA

2010 TARGET: zero. Did not make aid commitment at Gleneagles, but promised to cancel $11.3bn of debt.

2007 AID: $210m

CHANGE SINCE 2006: +$110m

COMMENTARY: Impossible to calculate how much of its aid is spent on Africa.

Source: 2008 DATA Report