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Message
from Zim Civil Society Organisations & Social Movements in the
context of the G8 Summit
Global
Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP)
July 05,
2005
Zimbabwean Civil
society organisations and Social movements meeting in Harare, under
the *Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP)* banner to deliberate
on the forthcoming G8 Summit are calling on the Government of Zimbabwe
to stop all foreign debt repayments immediately, and instead utilise
the resources it has to address the social and economic crises bedevilling
the country.
The Zimbabwe
government has pledged to repay US$15 million every quarter.
As leaders of
eight rich countries (G8), representing 15% of the world population
are getting together in Scotland to take decisions that will affect
3 billion people, half of humanity, living on less than one dollar
a day, we note that it is immoral for the government to heed calls
for honouring its debt repayments when research has shown that the
country’s human development indicators have dropped significantly
and basic needs cannot be met to the extent that the bulk of the
country’s citizens are now living well below the PDL.
In this respect,
we want leaders of the G8 Summit and other international institutions
like the IMF and World Bank, to consider that debt repayment should
not be a priority for Zimbabwe and other countries faced with humanitarian
crises and severely shrinking economic bases that cannot sustain
the basic livelihoods of their populations.
In solidarity
with other GCAP participating organisations and movements we note
with concern, that the G8 is not a formal international governance
body, yet they control the key institutions of global finances.
Further, their
countries dominate trade and investment markets and they have unparalleled
and unmatched military power.
While we challenge
the G8 over its legitimacy, we have to point out that these countries
are uniquely able to act on financing development and influencing
the international institutions to stop the imposition of damaging
policies on developing countries.
Zimbabwe is
currently under EU and US sanctions.
The G8 have
a unique possibility and obligation to make major steps towards
global economic justice.
We call on the
G8 to increase development finance and improving the quality of
aid as a key element in enabling developing countries to eradicate
poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It
is not politically tenable for the donor community to give rhetoric
support for the MDGs and an international development agenda while
refusing to provide the financial resources needed to meet their
commitments.
On Aid, we raise
the following concerns:
- Though different
figures are circulating it is broad consensus that to meet the
MDGs at least $50 billion more per year have to be made available
immediately. Furthermore every G8 country has to agree on a binding
timetable to reach the 0.7 commitment as soon as possible.
- ODA should
be used for the poor. Counting other costs like domestic refugee
costs and student funding as aid is unacceptable even if the DAC
criteria allow that. Accounting debt relief as aid is equally
unacceptable. Debt forgiveness that often goes to bail out donor
country co-operations should be additional to aid.
- All aid
has to be untied.
- New forms
of finance such as international taxation need to be agreed upon
to make resource flows for development needs predictable and sustainable
in the long run. These new sources have to be based on binding
agreements and should not be voluntary. They should be additional
to the commitment to achieve 0.7.
- A fundamental
change in the donor/recipient relationships is needed to make
aid work for the poor. Aid must not come with economic policy
conditions attached such as privatization, de-regulation, trade
liberalization and fiscal discipline that is limiting the country’s
capacities to build much-needed public services. It should be
used to fund community and country defined development priorities.
On Debt we note
the following:
- Canceling
debt is a matter of social justice; G8 and other creditors have
a co-responsibility for the debt crisis by irresponsible lending
practices.
- The unpayable
debt of all poor countries needs to be fully cancelled. The recent
new commitments from the G8 on debt are welcome, but need to go
much further. Specifically to bridge the financing gap for meeting
the MDGs at least 62 poor countries need 100% debt cancellation
now.
- Debt cancellation
must include all debt may it be multilateral, bilateral and commercial.
- Debts must
be fully cancelled, we are not satisfied with debt service cancellation
for limited periods but want debt stock write-off.
- Debt relief
must provide additional resources for poverty reduction and should
not be taken out of aid budgets.
- Debt cancellation
should not require further conditions, the resources gained through
debt relief should be used for community and country defined development
priorities which further the objectives of eradicating poverty
and guaranteeing human rights for all.
On Trade It
is repeatedly emphasized that trade has substantially more potential
to finance development than aid ever can. This can only be the case
when international rules of trade make effective provision for the
rights and needs of developing countries, their producers and their
citizens. However trade has become the vehicle for the indiscriminate
liberalization of developing country economies and the imposition
of harmful conditions instead of supporting sustainable development,
poverty eradication and gender equity.
We call on the
G8 to send a clear message that they will work towards a fair and
just international trade system and to announce trade measures that:
- increase
accountability and transparency of governments and international
organizations to their grassroots in the formulation of international
trade rules and national trade policies
- end the use
of conditionality to force poor countries to liberalise their
markets.
- Ensure consistency
of trade policies with respect for worker’s rights and human rights
more broadly.
- protect
public services from enforced liberalization and privatization,
secure the right to food and affordable access to essential drugs
and strengthening corporate accountability
- end dumping
and rich countries subsidies that keep people in poverty.
Statement sponsored by:
Some GCAP contacts
in Zimbabwe
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