Church leaders from the developing world pressed the European Union to commit to action in the fight against poverty when they met José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission Monday.
Cardinal Oscar Andrés Rodriguez Maradia, Archbishop of Tegucicalpa in Honduras and Archbishop Berhaneyesus Souraphiel of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, say it is ”crucial” that Europe contributes to solidarity, free and fair trade and the eradication of poverty.
The church leaders were on the final day of a seven-day lobby tour of European capitals which has taken them to Berlin, Paris and London to meet – amongst others – German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and British finance minister Gordon Brown.
The leaders along with Cardinal Telesphore Toppo from India, Archbishop Medardo Joseph Mazombwe from Zambia and Archbishop John Onaiyekan from Nigeria urged European officials to take ”urgent action” to eradicate poverty as they prepare for the Group of Eight (G8) meeting of the worlds wealthiest countries in Gleneagles, Scotland in July.
The G8 countries are the United States, Canada, Russia, Japan, Britain, Italy, France and Germany.
The tour was organised by the non-governmental organisation (NGO) CIDSE (Coopération Internationale pour le Développement et la Solidarité), an alliance of 15 Catholic development agencies.
In Brussels Rodriguez and Souraphiel urged Barroso to commit to action on a range of issues aimed at realising the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the 2015 deadline.
These actions would include moves to form a new north-south development partnership and an increase in the amount of resources available for aid.
The MDGs include a 50 percent reduction in poverty and hunger, universal primary education, reduction of child mortality by two-thirds, cutbacks in maternal mortality by three-quarters, promotion of gender equality, and reversal of the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
A millennium summit of 189 world leaders in September 2000 pledged to meet all of these goals by 2015. A summit later this year will review progress towards the goals and set the development agenda for the next decade.
While Souraphiel welcomed a commitment made by several European ministers last week to achieve the spending of a minimum of 0,7 percent of their gross national income (GNI) on official development assistance (ODA), he insisted that pledges needed to be turned into ”new money” very soon.
– We believe that ensuring that impoverished communities benefit from this increase in development resources is dependent on their influence on how and where the proceeds are spent. Aid will only work in the interests of poverty reduction when those who are most affected are given a voice in determining how it is spent, he told IPS Monday.
The bishops also urged the EU to make moves on debt cancellation and to reverse the unequal global trade system.
Shortly after his talks with Barroso, Rodriguez said the meeting had been successful and he was optimistic that their message was being heard by the EU executive.
– Barroso was very receptive and we were talking the same language. He said you are converting someone who is already converted to your cause, he told IPS.
Souraphiel said the Commission President realises that the EU has the resources to make a real difference.
– Barroso said poverty should be eradicated like slavery and insisted that the European Union has the resources to take action, but he added that the important thing is to get the political will and organisation, he told IPS.
Christiane Overkamp, secretary general of CIDSE, said that although the meeting with Barroso had been positive, there were concerns whether the EUs 0,7 percent target would really be delivered.
– It is positive that Barroso confirmed the EUs commitment to realise the 0,7 percent target, but it is important that this does not become an empty promise. We conveyed the clear message to the president that European finance ministers need to come up with concrete plans and timetables on how to make their promises a reality at their next meeting, she told IPS Monday.
René Grotenhuis, vice-president of CIDSE also expressed doubts about whether the EU will move on trade issues, and urged the bloc to take the initiative on agricultural issues.
– Barroso said that Europe wants to abolish distorting trade subsidies, but also others need to move, referring to other subjects on the WTO agenda. That runs the risk that nothing will happen if there is not enough cooperation between Europe, the US and Japan, he told IPS.
Kilder: IPS og The Push Journal
