World leaders will gather next week in New York City to mark the 60th anniversary of the United Nations. A joint statement will be issued at the event and many of the world’s leaders are arguing that the statement should commit most nations to the goal of spending 0.7 percent of their gross national product on aid to developing nations and referencing the UN Millennium Development goals that include halving world poverty by 2015. President Bush opposes both proposals. The gathering occurs in the context of a new report on global poverty. Bloomberg news reports:
Sept. 7 (Bloomberg) -- The United Nations' leading development agency said the more than 170 world leaders who will gather in New York next week should agree on measures to expand aid and free trade to poor nations, a step the U.S. is resisting.
The ``Human Development Report,'' an analysis of the quality of life in 177 nations, said 18 countries with 460 million people are doing worse on indicators such as life expectancy, literacy and per capita income than they were in 1990. The report said they risk falling into civil war or becoming havens for terrorist groups unless the summit produces a plan to meet aid commitments such as those Group of Eight nations made at their July summit in Scotland.
``We want a comprehensive package that covers export subsidies, tariffs and overall levels of support,'' Kevin Watkins, the report's lead author, said in an interview.
``British Prime Minister Tony Blair is making central to his summit speech that he wants to abolish all export subsidies. It is up to him to push the European Union in that direction, and the U.S. needs to reciprocate.''
The Bush Administration, which has watched poverty increase in the United States as a direct result of their economic policies which benefit the wealthy at the expense of the poor, has been working to oppose efforts to alleviate world poverty.
Diplomats have been deadlocked over U.S. opposition to any mention in the declaration of the aid target of 0.7 percent of gross national product or reference to UN Millennium Development goals that include halving world poverty by 2015. The U.S. has not endorsed the aims.
U.S. Ambassador John Bolton, the new American envoy at the world body, moved yesterday to end the stalemate by offering three compromises on development.
While saying the U.S. ``does not accept'' the 0.7 percent goal, Bolton introduced a proposal that recognizes that many nations are committed to the target. Bolton also offered an amendment that accepts references to the Millennium Development Goals, while not embracing them. The third compromise notes that many nations have adopted the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, which the U.S. has rejected.
Jean Ping of Gabon, president of the UN General Assembly, yesterday circulated a new version of the draft declaration that urges all nations to reach the 0.7 percent target and the Millennium goals.
The U.S., while committed to increasing foreign aid to $19 billion from $10 billion, is ``well behind'' other donors in its allocation of 0.16 percent of GNP to aid, according to the UN report. The G-8 nations committed in July to increase aid by $50 billion a year.
The ONE Campaign is urging people to write President Bush to let him know “achieving these “Millennium Development Goals” would transform the futures and hopes of a generation in the world’s poorest countries.”
President Bush's "compromise" plan - as outlined by John Bolton - is nothing of the sort. America and the world need bold leadership to really begin to alleviate poverty.
Click here to send a letter.
The UN Millennium Development Goals have been endorsed by the National Council of Churches USA and the World Council of Churches.
Related Link: UN Millennium Development Goals
