Has Gleneagles brought Africa closer to meeting the MDGs?

Addis Ababa, 4 July - The British government has issued a booklet outlining progress since the G8 Gleneagles summit in Scotland last year where major pledges were made to help prise Africa out of its poverty.

The document, entitled "G8 Gleneagles: One Year On - Turning Talk Into Action", says that following the UK initiative to focus on the continent, African leaders have taken steps to create the right environment for development to thrive.

It also acknowledges disappointment in some areas such as trade, where "hopes for a trade agreement, which could really benefit African countries, remain frustratingly out of reach".

The booklet is mostly upbeat about progress in 12 areas - from aid and debt cancellation to fighting disease and promoting business - in which it says the commitments of the G8 are being followed through.

But, a year after Gleneagles, what is the real picture in Africa? A just-released UN progress report on the Millennium Development Goals describes the challenges as "staggering".

"Disparities in progress, both among and within countries are vast and ... the poorest among us, mostly those in rural areas, are being left behind," says Jose Antonio Ocampo, UN under-secretary general for economic and social affairs, in the introduction to the report.

Although the global incidence of extreme poverty declined between 1990 and 2002, in sub-Saharan Africa another 140 million people entered that category, the report pointed out. Some 44 percent of the region's population now live in extreme poverty, classed as surviving on less than $1 a day.

According to an independent audit of the G8's performance since Gleneagles, the world's richest countries have been "painfully slow" in delivering on their promises. The report by the anti-poverty watchdog DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa) said far more effort was needed as it was clear that recent increases in effective assistance were already saving lives.

"What's also clear is that the G8 are not yet doing enough - or what they promised - to build on this proven success," noted DATA's Executive Director Jamie Drummond.

"The G8 are completely off track on their trade promise to Africa and rates of increase are less than half what was promised on development assistance and the fight against HIV/AIDS," he said. "Thankfully, they have kept their debt promise."

"The challenge now is clear. To get back on track, the G8 must aggressively pick up the pace and offer not less than a $4bn increase in development assistance to Africa in 2006 and each year through to 2010. They also must demonstrate a far greater sense of ambition, urgency and focus on Africa in world trade talks."

Drummond warned that unless the pace was increased, the G8 Africa targets would be missed.

"This debt-aid-trade package of policy promises isn't a menu to pick and choose from," he said. "It's a trinity that must be delivered together ... Debt cancellation needs assistance needs trade if we are to truly help Africa beat AIDS and extreme poverty."

Last month, British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced the creation of a monitoring body - known as the Africa Progress Panel - aimed at tracking the aid pledges made to Africa. It includes personalities such as UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The announcement received a mixed reaction from aid agencies and activists who acknowledged the need for monitoring, but cautioned against a possible public relations exercise. The group ActionAid said the panel "can be no substitute for political action".

"The true test of its credibility is whether it spurs G8 countries into going further than they have to date," it said.

Click here for "Gleneagles - One Year On":
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/g8-2006.pdf

Click here for MDG progress report:
http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Resources/
Static/Products/Progress2006/MDGReport2006.pdf

Click here for DATA report:
http://www.thedatareport.org/