Quote:
US outshines Europe in meeting aid targets, study shows
Last updated: 01-07-05, 06:53
With world poverty high on the agenda of the (G8) summit beginning next week, the US - which reluctantly agreed to a deal to alleviate third world debt - will be pleased to circulate a study showing it is better at honouring foreign aid commitments than European members.
The United States and Canada tied for the top rank in a study analysing member countries compliance with pledges made at the G8 summit last year. The North Americans had a 72 per cent compliance rate - compared with 67 per cent for Britain and Germany; and just 50 per cent for France.
A draft report by John Kirton, a University of Toronto professor found Italy honoured 44 per cent of pledges, Japan came in at 39 per cent and Russia trailed at 6 per cent.
For the eight countries and European Union, the average was 55 percent, or "one of the highest scores in 21st century summitry," Prof Kirton said. The only time the average was higher was after a G8 summit in Okinawa in 2000, when the average was 80 per cent.
The document is to be released in final form before next week's G8 summit.
The report found all eight countries and the EU kept their full commitments to provide democracy assistance to the Middle East and North Africa, support the environment and provide debt relief to the most heavily indebted nations.
But all failed to keep their pledge to finance development, one of 18 primary commitments agreed to at the June 2004 summit in Sea Island, Georgia.
The high scores reflect well on President Bush, who hosted the Sea Island meeting, Prof Kirton said. "George Bush is a really very good multilateralist."
"This shows that everybody has bought into what they collectively did at Sea Island and they're pretty much all pulling their weight in being pretty faithful to fulfilling the promises they've made," Prof Kirton added.
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http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/bre.../breaking3.htm
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Bush really puts his predecessors, and many of his comtempories, to shame when it comes to tackling 3rd world debt and fighting the scourge of AIDS in Africa.
He's not all bad you know.
Mr Mephisto