OTTAWA - Jean Chrétien travels to Monterrey, Mexico, today to lobby the leaders of wealthy countries to increase aid to the poorest nations.
Mr. Chrétien will argue in favour of controversial reforms that are expected to underpin a G8 agreement of increased and revamped aid for Africa. The Prime Minister hopes it will be adopted at June's G8 summit in Kananaskis, Alta.
Proponents say both the Monterrey summit on global poverty and the G8 want a paradigm shift that will prevent the poorest countries from continuing their slide into unremitting poverty through increased emphasis on results and accountability. Critics charge the plan will increase obligations on the poor, saying they need a large increase in development aid rather than new rules.
The draft Monterrey Consensus, expected to be adopted by world leaders this week, emphasizes the need for developing countries to take ''ownership'' of their economic fates through accountability and increased decision-making power.
''The significance of Monterrey is that for the first time, developing countries have come out and said, some of the cause of poverty is homegrown and we have to do something about it,'' said a Canadian official.
George W. Bush, the U.S. president, has said Washington is willing to increase its aid from 0.1% of its gross domestic product if necessary reforms are made. Last Thursday, he made a widely hailed down payment by promising an increase of development aid by $5-billion over three years.
Canada has also pledged a $500-million fund devoted to African development, on top of the 0.25% of GDP it already spends.
''Mr. Chrétien will be lobbying people to move more quickly toward a more genuine new paradigm and to deliver the resources required to put it into place,'' says John Kirton, director of the G8 Research Group at the University of Toronto.
''But how much movement there will be ... is a large question -- a very large question.''
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