Over 70 representatives of African Civil Society Organisations drawn from over 20 countries meeting in Nairobi to consult on the Global Call Against Poverty (GCAP) have issued an ultimatum to the G8 and will organize simultaneous demonstrations of solidarity and protest across Africa on July 1 if significant movement on Africa's debt is not made at the World Bank and IMF spring meetings in April.
This ultimatum comes ahead of the meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington DC on 16th and 17th April. The G8, the group of the world's richest and most powerful nations, holds more than half the votes in the World Bank and IMF. Campaigners are demanding that they seize the opportunity at the spring meetings to cancel Africa's debt.
"Africa demands immediate action, not further procrastination. Decisive action on debt, aid and trade in 2005 is critical in reversing the continent's decline," warns Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of Johannesburg-based CIVICUS.
The African civil society groups have also demanded trade justice to reform unfair trade rules, a major increase in the quantity and quality of aid, national efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve the Millennium goals be implemented in a way that is democratic, transparent and accountable.
The 70 representatives from international, continental and national organizations and coalitions working in over twenty-six countries from all the regions of Africa met in Nairobi to review global, regional and national progress on GCAP mobilization over 2005 and collectively plan for the global days of white band mobilization (June 16th, July 1st, September 10th and 10th December).
The meeting shared experiences of organising people-centred advocacy and campaigning and plans for holding national governments and international institutions accountable to poverty eradication, public participation and human rights. Delegations also met with community leaders in Korogocho, a neighbouring urban informal settlement and lobbied Kenyan based G8 Ambassadors and Kenyan Ministries on April 1st in line with the global G8 action.
For the full press release issued after the meeting, a copy of a letter sent to G8 ambassadors and a list of organisations involved in the meeting, please click on the link below.
Friday, 1 April, 2005
Press Release
AFRICAN CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS TO ISSUE AN ULTIMATUM ON DEBT TO THE G8
Over 70 representatives of African Civil Society Organisations drawn from over 20 countries meeting in Nairobi to consult on the Global Call Against Poverty (GCAP), will organize simultaneous demonstrations of solidarity and protest across Africa on July 1 if significant movement on Africa’s debt is not made at the World Bank and IMF spring meetings in April.
This ultimatum comes ahead of the meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in Washington DC on 16th and 17th April. The G8, the group of the world’s richest and most powerful nations, holds more than half the votes in the World Bank and IMF. Campaigners are demanding that they seize the opportunity at the spring meetings to cancel Africa’s debt.
Reform of global trade rules, increased and better aid, and cancellation of Africa’s debt are key thresholds against which the G8, World Bank, IMF and other multilateral institutions must be held to account.
“Africa demands immediate action, not further procrastination. Decisive action on debt, aid and trade in 2005 is critical in reversing the continent’s decline”, warns Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of Johannesburg-based CIVICUS.
The African civil society groups have also demanded:
Trade justice to reform unfair trade rules
A major increase in the quantity and quality of aid
National efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve the Millennium goals be implemented in a way that is democratic, transparent and accountable.
For further information, please contact:
Gichinga Ndirangu, for GCAP, Cell: 0721 790 164
Njuki Githethwa, Kenya Debt Relief Network, Cell: 0722 474 221
Appendix 3: GCAP Letter to Ambassadors
www.whiteband.org
Thursday, 07 April 2005
Dear Ambassador,
Re: Global Call for Debt cancellation
Global Call to Action Against Poverty believes that your country will have a major opportunity to take action against poverty at the Spring Meetings of the World Bank and IMF.
With our fellow citizens and those of other countries around the world, we are calling on you to ensure that the April 2005 meetings are remembered as a turning point in the struggle to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The IMFC and World Bank Development Committee must agree bold action on debt, aid and trade, and establish a comprehensive financing package that will set the world back on track to reach these goals.
Global Call to Action Against Poverty believes that, at the Spring Meetings, governments must reach a firm agreement to cancel the debts of the poorest countries, where this is needed to reach the MDGs. The IMF and World Bank must go beyond the existing group of HIPCs, and cancel the debts of other low-income countries, using the MDGs as a basic yardstick in any assessment of debt sustainability.
We look forward to the Bank and Fund presenting robust debt relief proposals for agreement at the Spring Meetings, whether financed through IMF gold reserves or other additional resources. We urge governments to reach agreement on a debt cancellation mechanism that is financed in ways that do not reduce the resources available to the poorest countries through the IFIs.
This year, the first MDG target will be missed: the commitment to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education. At the same time, developing countries’ education plans continue to languish unfunded. The Education For All Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FTI) provides a powerful mechanism to ensure that all girls and boys can attend school in those countries which have sound plans in place to achieve this. We call on you to lead a dramatic expansion of the FTI, by announcing the funding commitment that is needed to make these plans a reality. In particular, we ask you to enable developing countries to abolish fees and charges for primary education, as these constitute a major barrier to girls’ education.
Global Call to Action Against Poverty believes that 2005 presents a key opportunity for governments to get back on track for achieving the MDGs. A substantial increase in aid and other resources will be required to accomplish this. Governments need to build on the Monterrey consensus and establish an ambitious timetable for providing 0.7% of GNI as aid, in order to ensure that all countries will reach the MDGs by the 2015 deadline. Other innovative financing mechanisms could also potentially serve as elements of a financing package to achieve the MDGs.
This April, millions of citizens in both rich and poor countries will be watching carefully to see whether governments finally deliver on their promises. We urge you to follow through on the commitments that have been made to date, by reaching agreement on key elements of a financing package to achieve the MDGs, the first of which must be a fully-financed agreement on 100% multilateral debt cancellation for the world’s poorest countries.
Yours sincerely,
Jubilee 2000
Radio Ecclesia
UGEAFI
Pax Romana
Plan International
AACC
Oxfam
Fahamu & Pambazuka News
CIVICUS
Oxfam International
Action Aid Africa
AACC
ACORD
UNDP/MDGs
AWOMI
Millennium Campaign
NOVIB
Action Aid International - Kenya
ActionAid International - Ethiopia
AWEPON
ANCEFA
AHED
Creative Storm
McCann Kenya
Kenya GCAP Coalition/
KENDREN
Islamic Relief Nairobi
AFRODAD
Groots Kenya
Consultant (Soteni Twaweza)
KEFEADO
Pax Romana
Kenya Youth
CONGOMA
Coalition des Alternatives Africaines Dette et Development
Espace Associativ
Mozambique Debt Group
FAWEMO
Economic Justice Forum
ABIODES
Namibia Non-Governmental Organisation Forum (NANGOF)
Adolescent Health & Information ProjectS (AHIP)
ANCEFA/CSACEFA
TACOSODE
CONGAD
Ecumenical Service for Socio Economic Transformation/SACC
Masimayane
Environmental Justice Networking Forum
MWENGO
MISA
MWENGO
MWENGO
TANGO
Oxfam International
AWEPON
Sustainability Watch Network
Uganda Debt Network
CEEWA
SEATINI - Uganda
Uganda National NGO Forum
Pax Romana/Anti Corruption Coalition
ANCEFA
Zambia Trade Network
One World Africa
Zambia Jubilee debt Campaign
Girl Child Network
TACOSODE
Kenya Youth
Uganda National NGO Forum
Jubilee-Zambia Debt Campaign
GCAP IFG
These organizations are part of The Global Call to Action against Poverty, an alliance of over sixty national coalitions made up of civil society organisations including trade unions, faith based organisations, women and youth associations among others across the world.
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