G20 Must End World Poverty – Ban …As G8 Tasks African Leaders, Pledges $5bn For Maternal, Child Health

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has urged leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) industrialised and developing economies to take urgent steps to help the poor and make ends meet through investment.

Speaking at a working dinner on Saturday in Toronto, Canada, Ban said governments must mobilise investments and not depend on consumption alone to recover from the global downturn.

He cautioned that in spite of rising budget deficit and severe fiscal problems, the G20 countries should resist the temptation to “balance budgets on the backs of the world’s poorest people”.

Ban took part in the two-day summit to highlight the need for world leaders to step up efforts to eradicate poverty and achieve the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

He urged world leaders to invest in three areas of high return, which he identified as agriculture, green recovery and health systems.

“Healthy populations, particularly women and children can leverage countries out of poverty,” Ban said.

He also urged the G20 to make concrete commitments for the recently released Joint Action Plan for Women’s and Children’s Health.

Experts said the plan would require 15 billion dollars for immediate implementation in the 49 least developed countries, and up to 45 billion dollars per year by 2015.

“Let us be determined to turn around these three areas of high-return investments into a reality.

“Tomorrow, the G-20 can make clear its intention to do so,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the Secretary-General met on the sidelines with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia.

In addition to discussing the summit and the upcoming MDGs conference in New York, Ban commended the Prime Minister for his leadership in co-chairing the Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing.

The UN chief head to  additional bilateral meetings on Sunday in addition to taking part in the main discussions at the summit.

The G20 Toronto Summit  focused on recovery from the global economic and financial crisis and the implementation of commitments from previous G20 summits.

It is also expected to lay the foundation for sustainable and balanced growth.

President Goodluck Jonathan who was invited for the G8 meeting left Canada on Friday after attending a special session between African leaders and the leaders of the world’s largest economy.

Jonathan also participated at a G20 business meeting on Thursday.

The G20 comprises 19 countries and the European Union (EU), including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia and Italy.

Others are Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom and U.S.

Meanwhile, the eight rich nations of the world, otherwise called G8, has called on African leaders to meet their primary responsibilities to their citizens especially on good governance.

“We call on developing country governments to meet their primary responsibilities for social and economic development and good governance, in the interests of their citizens,” a communiqué issued at the end of G8 Summit in Huntsville, Canada said.

The G8, which comprises the U.S., Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia, said its support for development, would be based on mutual responsibility and a strong partnership with developing countries.

The G8 communiqué said Africa remained a cornerstone of the G8’s approach and reiterated that it would pursue a comprehensive approach to development, aiming at sustainable outcomes.

“We reaffirm our commitments, including Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) and enhancing aid effectiveness.

“ Since the most vulnerable states have made the least progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), we will place special emphasis on helping them build the foundations for peace, security and sustainable development,’’ the communiqué noted.

The G8 leaders, which met with seven African leaders at the Summit including President Goodluck Jonathan, commended the increased ownership that Africa had over its development process.

The rich-nations leader noted the high economic growth rates that had been attained in Africa immediately prior to the onset of the global economic and financial crisis.

The communiqué explained that they reaffirmed their shared commitment to continued collaboration to advance economic development of the continent, in addition to entrenching a more stable, democratic and prosperous Africa.

It noted that G8 and African Leaders recognised that the attainment of the MDGs was a shared responsibility and that strategies based on mutual accountability are essential to going forward.

“They noted that, while significant progress has been made in some areas, greater efforts are required by all actors in order to achieve the MDGs in Africa.

“In this regard, African Leaders expressed support for the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Muskoka Initiative.

“Mindful of the central importance that maternal and child health has to development and Africa’s ability to achieve the MDGs and of the consequent need for urgent action, leaders undertook to explore how to accelerate progress in the implementation of their respective commitments in Africa,’’ the communiqué said.

On security, the G8 communiqué noted that African leaders also welcomed the G8’s continued efforts to help strengthen the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA).

It said the eight developed nations were assisting in institutional capacity, to prevent and manage conflict through, peacekeeping training centres in Africa.

The G8 leaders also acknowledged the important contribution of African leaders to the L’Aquila Food Security Initiative.

The major highlight of the 2010 G8 Summit was the financial pledge of $7.3 billion by the Group for maternal and child health issues in developing countries.

The eight G8 countries pledged $5 billion with Canada contributing 20 per cent of the funding or $1.1b and other non-G8 countries and foundations such as Gates Foundation and the UN Foundation contributing the remaining $2.3 billion.

However, development agencies have strongly criticised the amount, saying it fell short of the amount that was hoped, although the funds would still be useful.

UN estimates that about $12 billion in budgetary allocation are needed annually to check pregnancy-related deaths of mothers and under-five children.

UN figures estimate that each year, between 350,000 and 500,000 women die in pregnancy and childbirth while

3.6 million children die within their first month of life and 5.2 million more die before the age of five.