G8 Summit – Broken promises

none 25 jun 2007 – 11:59 (modified on 28 jun 2007 – 9:47)

by Tamara Richards

© Action Aid

This year’s G8 Summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, was a time for civil society to hold governments accountable to the promises they made. While climate change and international security dominated media attention on the G8, AIDS campaigners focused mainly on the lack of AIDS financing, weak health systems, intellectual property rights and lack of accountability on AIDS promises.


Campaigners stressed that the G8 was on the brink of squandering its legacy of leadership derived from the 2005 G8 Summit when they promised universal access to AIDS prevention, treatment and care by 2010. Through petitions, statements and reports, civil society organisations called on the G8 to move beyond promises and take concrete steps to fulfil the commitments they made. Tens of thousands of organisations and individuals including Elton John and Archbishop Desmond Tutu signed petitions calling for real action on AIDS.

The petitions were sent to G8leaders in the run-up to the Summit.

Despite these joint efforts from all sectors of civil society, the final G8 declaration revealed a package of measures and commitments that fell far short of meeting G8 promises. In particular, they failed to deliver sufficient funding. G8 leaders committed to $60 billion in funds for AIDS, TB, and Malaria and strengthening health systems, “over the coming years” which, if calculated for five years, is $12 billion per year for all three diseases, far below global needs.

They also failed to deliver ambitious enough treatment targets by committing to provide treatment for only 5 million people in Africa "over the next few years". Current estimates indicate the real treatment need in Africa by 2010 could now be up to 11 million people. Steve Cockburn, Campaign Coordinator of the Stop AIDS Campaign was at the Summit and found the whole process frustrating. “If actually delivered, the money promised will save lives, yet ultimately this outrageous poverty of ambition shown by the G8 will cost many more. By falling scandalously short of what the UN says is needed to fight HIV and AIDS, and by setting treatment targets well below actual need, they have capped ambition at a level which will be fatal for many”.

There were some positive outcomes in that leaders re-affirmed the goal of universal accessto AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010. However, they did little to explain how it will be achieved. There was no mention of a working group to monitor G8 AIDS promises, something that campaigners, led by the Global Unions, have been working for.

“Clearly campaigners all around the world need to work even harder, more closely, be more coordinated and take leadership in order to have a more effective voice and to make sure that leaders, at the G8 and beyond, keep their promises on AIDS”, stated Linda Hartke, Coordinator for the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, an international network of over 100 churches and Christian organisations.

G8 campaigners will be sharing lessons learnt in this years G8 and turning their attention to the next G8 in Japan, 2008. For more information see www.g8aidscampaign.org.

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