KANANASKIS, Alta. (CP) - Prime Minister Jean Chretien delivered Thursday on his promise to make aid to Africa the centrepiece of the G-8 summit. Critics, though, said the new Africa Action Plan is not a cure-all for a continent ravaged by war and disease but another rehash of old ideas and empty promises.
The landmark plan - which will see aid to Africa tied to how well its nations weed out corruption, mismanagement and human rights abuses - was endorsed by the Group of Eight leaders on the final day of their two-day meeting at a mountain resort in Kananaskis, Alta.
It was not clear how much in aid would finally be delivered.
But the leaders promised to reduce by $19 billion US the debt of 22 African countries that follow "sound economic policies and good governance."
On top of other debt relief, that represents a reduction of $30 billion US for Africa, or two-thirds of the continent's debt.
Chretien, in his closing news conference, said Canada will spend $6 billion over five years "to allow Africa to find its way out of poverty."
Said Chretien: "We will walk the talk of the Africa Action Plan," adding, "There will be some people who will say it's not enough. But it's a departure - you could see the reaction of the African leaders. They were excited."
The plan is in response to a document drafted by African leaders - called the New Partnership for Africa's Development, or NEPAD - that is meant to address cynicism from donor countries that aid to Africa is too-often lost in a sinkhole of Swiss bank accounts and questionable projects.
Under NEPAD, the African countries will monitor themselves to see who should qualify for outside help.
"The big difference this time is this: this NEPAD program is the initiative of African leaders," said Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, one of the architects of the plan and one of four African heads of government who came to Kananaskis to discuss the plan with the G-8.
"We are committed and we trust there will be performance on our part and performance on their (the G-8 leaders') part."
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, also at the summit, called the package "a turning point in the history of Africa, and indeed, the world."
International aid agencies, however, were not cheering along, noting there was no targeted cash commitment or money to get Africans educated, deliver adequate health care or fight the AIDS/HIV epidemic on the continent.
"Crumbs from the world's table will not get Africa out of the world poverty track," said Amboka Wameyo of Action Aid, one of the United Kingdom's largest international development charities.
"I'm not sure it is better than nothing," said Njoki Njoroge, a Kenyan who heads the group 50 Years Is Not Enough, a U.S. coalition dedicated to transforming the International Monetary Fund.
"There's no new thinking - we are seeing the same old overwarmed policies and ideas repackaged and given a new name and being (told) 'This is going to be Africa's salvation.' "
"This is not an action plan, it's a declaration of intentions," added Catherine Little of Results Canada.
Dr. James Orbinski of Doctors Without Borders said more money needs to be put immediately into health care.
"Unless epidemics of these neglected diseases are brought under control, real gain in Africa's development will remain an impossible hope," he said.
Canadian officials had reportedly tried and failed behind the scenes at the summit to get consensus from the leaders to pledge that half of the $12 billion US in new foreign aid promised in March would be used directly in Africa.
In the action plan, the G-8 would only agree that the $12 billion "could be directed to African nations that govern justly" but left it up to the individual countries to decide how to allocate the cash.
Chretien said the money couldn't be promised because the plan is not a handout but a partnership tied to good governance.
"There's always the possibility (the African countries) will not meet the NEPAD requirements," he said. "If they don't, the money will not be flowing in the same way."
Chretien had played host at the summit to U.S. President George W. Bush, Tony Blair of Britain, Jacques Chirac of France, Gerhard Schroeder of Germany, Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, Junichiro Koizumi of Japan and Vladimir Putin of Russia.
Bringing in outside leaders was an unprecedented move. Joining Obasanjo were Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria, Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and Thabo Mbeki of South Africa - all key architects of NEPAD.
NEPAD itself, which sought $100 billion Cdn a year in investment, had its critics at home and abroad before the G-8 summit.
They said it was rushed through by a small group of leaders with little public consultation and questioned whether African leaders with poor human rights records could be trusted to police themselves and others on good governance measures.
They also blamed the G-8 countries, saying aid is worthless without a lowering of trade barriers to help Africans compete in the long term.
All agree, though, that help for Africa is needed immediately.
The continent continues to sink further into poverty while being plagued by war, AIDS, illiteracy, famine and disease.
Help for Africa had been announced in the run-up to the summit.
Blair announced that British funding to Africa will triple to $2.2 billion US by 2006.
Last week, Bush announced $100 million US in aid for education in Africa over five years and $500 million to fight the AIDS epidemic on the continent.
Highlights of the G-8 Africa Action Plan:
- A partnership with Africa to provide aid, economic and other support to African countries that demonstrate good governance, rule of law and sound economic policies. The aim is to improve the lives of African people by reducing corruption, poverty and human rights abuses.
- Performance of African countries to be judged by a peer-review system that will decide whether a government is meeting its commitments. Countries that don't rate, won't get benefits. Critics question whether African leaders with less-than-stellar records can be trusted to police themselves and others.
- Debt of 22 countries that follow "sound economic policies and good governance" to be reduced by $19 billion US. On top of other debt relief, that represents a reduction of $30 billion for Africa, or two-thirds of the continent's debt.
- No commitment to giving half of all new foreign aid to Africa, as had been urged by the World Bank and Prime Minister Jean Chretien. The G-8 agreed in March to increase aid by $12 billion US. The leaders said the "believe" that, in aggregate, half the aid could go to African nations.
- Support for efforts to resolve the many armed conflicts on the continent, reduce arms trafficking, remove landmines and end the link between war and the exploitation of natural resources, such as diamonds.
- Support for programs to promote human rights and gender equality in Africa and to fight corruption.
- Help the continent attract investment, provide greater market access for African goods and provide funding and expertise for technical programs.
- Support for African education, including the goal of universal access to primary education by 2015.
- Help African countries battle HIV/AIDS by providing support for various programs.
- Support for African health systems to reduce disease.
- Support for African agriculture, but no agreement on cutting western agricultural subsidies, which make it difficult for African farmers to compete.
- Support for African efforts to improve access to clean water and environmental development of water resources.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. NoNonsense English offers this material non-commercially for research and educational purposes. I believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, i.e. the media service or newspaper which first published the article online and which is indicated at the top of the article unless otherwise specified.