Warm Words, Little Action from G8

Global Campaign for Education
8th June 2007

Warm Words, Little Action from G8 says Global Campaign for Education

The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) has issued a guarded welcome to the constructive wording on education offered up in this year's G8 communiqué but is dismayed that yet again these promises aren't backed by enough real and specific funding commitments.

Campaigners say the text of 'Growth and Responsibility in Africa' is a broadly positive reiteration of rich countries' responsibility to support Education For All (EFA). Of particular note is the affirmation of the Dakar pledge that 'no country seriously committed to 'Education for All' will be thwarted in their achievement of this goal by lack of resources'. This goes further, even, than the 2005 Gleneagles communiqué, GCE analysts stated. They also greeted with pleasure the strong endorsement of the Education for All Fast-Track Initiative (launched in 2002 to accelerate funding for universal primary education), and their promise to pay attention to low-income countries and fragile states.

Yet whilst these statements are undeniably welcome, GCE gave a more subdued response to the financial commitments offered up today. Eleventh-hour negotiations led to the G8 reaffirming the 2005 aid targets – a hard-won result but one that represents the status quo, rather than the progress campaigners had hoped for. Activists at the summit commented that on aid overall, the G8 are running to stand still.

Education activists have been urging the G8 to make a firm pledge to close the financing gap for education – estimated by United Nations at $6 billion per annum for universal primary completion and as much as $13 billion for the full EFA agenda. The communiqué contains just one statement on financing EFA, obliging the G8 'to work with partners and other donors to meet shortfalls in all FTI-endorsed countries…around $500 million for 2007'. This ambiguous and limited statement falls far short of the stated plan to get 80 million children into school and end the scandal of global illiteracy with one in five adults currently unable to read or write.

"We trust that the G8 will be as good as their word and come up with this $500 million immediately," said Kailash Satyarthi, GCE President "but it is just a fraction of what is needed to meet their own promise to provide universal education. The G8's share of the financing gap is at least $5 billion per year. Campaigners in over 100 countries won't be satisfied with this measly offering ."

"We welcome the words on education that you've produced. But close to 1 billion people still can't read what you've written. Only when you've put your words into action and pledge the money you know is needed will this change"
David Archer (GCE Board Member & ActionAid International)

"We've heard these words before back in 2000 at the World Education Forum - that rich countries will stick to their side of the bargain in providing education for everyone. This is good only if these words are made a reality. Since this promise was first made millions have reached graduation age without ever going school. How many millions more will miss out before the G8 puts the resources behind their warm words on education."
Sita Dewkalie (GCE Board Member & Oxfam International)

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