G8 warned on poverty
Updated
The head of the World Bank has warned the Group of Eight industrialized nations meeting in Japan that the world's poorest people face the 'double jeopardy' of high food and fuel prices, without prompt action.
G8 leaders are coming under pressure to live up to promises they made to help African nations. The World Bank's Robert Zoellick warned that the time for action was now.
Presenter: Shane McLeod
Robert Zoellick, World Bank President; Ban Ki-moon, United Nations, Secretary General
SHANE MCLEOD: For the first day of talks between the G8 leaders, Africa was the subject and to help their deliberations, the leaders of seven African nations, from Algeria to South Africa were there to keep them on track.
The World Bank's head Robert Zoellick says now is not the time for the G8 leaders to be dialling down their commitment to those living in poverty.
ROBERT ZOELLICK: This G8 summit must bring hope to those without hope, food to those without food. For globalisation to succeed and to achieve its promise, it must be both inclusive and sustainable.
We must protect the most vulnerable, even as we offer a pathway to opportunity.
Never has such protection been more needed than now.
SHANE MCLEOD: Anti-poverty activists argue that the rich countries are trying to wheedle out of the promises they made three years ago at the Gleneagles G8 summit to double to $50-billion dollars their aid spent on the continent.
The G8 leaders did discuss the challenges facing Africa, including the recent re-election of Zimbabwe's leader Robert Mugabe.
The British Prime Minister Gordon Brown wants the G8 to condemn the reinstalled president and last month's election that went uncontested by the Opposition amidst violence and intimidation but the African leaders warned the G8 that intervention would cause more problems than it would solve.
The leaders are expected to spend more time today looking at issues facing the globalised world - including high oil and commodity prices, the credit crunch and signs of a slowing global economy.
And the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says recognising that the food issue is among the most dire and intricately connected to the other challenges, means that the G8 countries must act.
BAN KI-MOON: High food prices are already turning back the clock on development gains. To halt further suffering, we are calling on world leaders to deliver the full range of immediate needs including food assistance as well as the seed, fertiliser and other inputs for this years planting cycle.
SHANE MCLEOD: Today it's just the G8 leaders involved in the deliberations but tomorrow the forum expands again as major carbon emitters including Australia are drawn into the discussions.
The Prime Minister Kevin Rudd departs this morning to join the meeting, he'll be given a brief, opportunity to put Australia's position.
The G8 leaders meanwhile are engaged in behind-the-scenes diplomacy on the text of this year's summit communique.
They know that their statement will be scrutinised and picked apart for signs of how the world's richest countries plan to respond to challenges that will have their biggest impact on the worlds poorest.
