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Letter
to All African Heads of States by African organisations ahead of
the UN Millennium Summit (Plus 5) Review New York, September 14-16th
2005
Global
Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP)
August
31st 2005
Your Excellencies,
Ahead of the
UN World Summit in September, we the following fifty national, African
and international organizations and networks working in all four
corners of Africa write to set out our expectations for the summit
on poverty, peace and security. We write under the umbrella of the
Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP), an alliance of millions
of people and organisations united in the belief that 2005 offers
an unprecedented opportunity for change.
Five years after
your office signed the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium
Development Goals, we are in serious danger of failing to achieve
even these, the most minimalist of targets.
To achieve the
MDGs, we believe that your Government must actively demand better
terms for Africa on aid, trade justice and debt cancellation. Small
steps were taken at the G8 in July on financing development; but
larger steps are needed at September's UN summit to make a real
difference. It is critical that the UN Declaration contains commitments
on;
- African
countries have the right to determine their own trade policies.
This will stop rich countries from pushing African countries to
open their economies when it is negative for growth and equity.
- Cancellation
of the debts of all countries that need it to be able to achieve
the MDGs and detach them from harmful World Bank and IMF conditions
- Rich countries
to reach 0.7% of their national income in aid immediately and
ensure that this aid reaches the poorest men and women in the
poorest countries.
- All Governments
to restore and uphold the rights of citizens to control and access
quality education, health, water and other public services.
- All Governments
to embrace a shared responsibility to protect people from genocide,
crimes against humanity and armed conflict and promote gender
equality and women's empowerment.
Many of these
commitments are crucial for Africa. Without them, the remaining
Millennium Development Goals shall go the way of the first target
missed; namely gender parity in primary and secondary education.
Further, we
note that since the G8 there have been attempts to roll back the
commitment to underwrite the debt cancellation deals of the 14 countries
with new monies. More dangerously still, there are current attempts
by some Governments to force these important commitments from the
text. Should this succeed, the UN Millennium Summit will fall disastrously
short of the Common African Position on the Proposed Reform of the
United Nations and the decisions of the African Union Summits in
Abuja and Sirte earlier this year.
We call on you
to stand firm on insisting these commitments are contained in the
final Declaration and not allow trade offs between the responsibility
to protect, development or human rights. Rest assured of our support
in these efforts.
In the next
two weeks, national campaigners will be meeting their Heads of State
and Ministries of Foreign Affairs to press home the importance of
leaders delivering on their promises. On September 10th, White Band
Day 2, millions of campaigners across the North and South will shout
a loud "wake up call" by participating in rallies, concerts,
vigils and press conferences to put pressure on governments to deliver.
We will continue
to call on all leaders to make bold, decisive and binding commitments
to end poverty and achieve social justice and larger freedom for
all citizens. These will be the measures of success or failure of
this historic summit and Africa's future may depend on it.
Should you wish
further elaboration of these issues contact the offices of the organizations
below or to seek further information on the campaign, please visit
www.whiteband.org
Be assured of
our highest consideration in these matters. Yours truly,
Signed by the
following ten African and regional associations/networks
All Africa Conference
Of Churches, Nairobi, Kenya, West African Network for Peace-building
(WANEP), Accra Ghana, DAWN Anglophone region, Accra, Ghana, AFRODAD,
Harare, Zimbabwe, MWENGO, Harare, Zimbabwe, FEMNET, Nairobi, Kenya,
The Global Pan African Movement, Equality Now-Africa, Nairobi, Kenya,
Gender & Trade Network in Africa, Southern African Network of
Women Economists, African Women's Millennium Initiative on Poverty
and Human Rights (AWOMI)
and thirty-four
national organizations and networks of organisations
GCAP coalition,
Banjul, The Gambia, Alternative Trade Network, Ho, Ghana, Tradeaid,
Bolgatanga, Ghana, Women In Law And Development In Africa-Ghana,
Accra, Ghana, Market Access Promotion Network, Tamale, Ghana, Kenya
MDGs Coalition, Nairobi, Kenya, Econews Africa, Nairobi, Kenya,
Sustainability Watch Network-Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya, KeNAAM, Kenya
Youth and Community Development Programme, Nairobi, Kenya, Kenya
Land Alliance, Nakuru, Kenya, Groots - Kenya, Nairobi, YWCA of Kenya,
Espace Associatif, Rabat, Morocco, Mozambique Debt Group, Maputo,
Mozambique, Independent Social Science Practice, Windhoek, Namibia,
Namibian Voices For Development, Windhoek, Namibia, Media Institute
Of Southern Africa, Windhoek, Namibia, MDGs/GCAP Coalition, Abuja,
Nigeria, Baobab For Women's Human Rights, Lagos, Nigeria, Adolescent
Health And Information Project, Kano, Nigeria, Fédération,
Nationale Des Producteurs De Coton, Tambacounda, Sénégal,
ENDA/REPAO, Dakar, Senegal, Union Nationale Des Acteurs De La Filière
Avicole, Sénégal, Sierra Leone National GCAP Coalition,
Free Town, Sierra Leone, Emang Basadi Phakamani Bafazi, Rural &
Land Women's Movement, Institute For Justice And Reconciliation,
Cape Town, South Africa, SANGOCO, Johannesburg, South Africa, Irrigation
Training & Economic Empowerment Organization, Moshi, Tanzania,
Tanzanian Civil Society Gcap / MDGs Campaign Coalition, Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania, Women In Law And Development In Africa, Lome, Togo, Albertine
Rift Conservation Society, Kampala, Uganda, Uganda Coalition For
Sustainable Development, Kampala, Uganda, Sustainability Watch Network,
Kampala, Uganda, Anti Corruption Coalition Uganda, Kampala - Uganda,
Kaabong Women's Group Organisation, Kampala, Uganda, Forum for Women
in Democracy (FOWODE), Kampala, Uganda, Zambia Trade Network, Lusaka,
Zambia
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