G8 is Gr8? New Statesman, July 2008

At this time of the year, commentators queue up to disparage the G8. Too much hot air. Too much hospitality. Not enough action. I disagree.

This year, the leaders didn’t do badly, at least on international development. Aid, Africa, food prices and climate were all on the agenda, as was Zimbabwe.

In terms of aid, a huge effort went into securing reaffirmation of pledges made at Gleneagles in 2005. This is a necessary project, especially considering the slow pace of delivery. Excluding debt relief for Iraq and Afghanistan, overall aid has barely increased since 2005, and donors are currently close to $US 40 bn short of the target they set for 2010................. (see link in title for full article)