18 July 2006 - CRINMAIL 798
Special Edition on the G8
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- JUNIOR 8: Young People Share Their Views with G8 Leaders [news]
- NGOS: G8 Failing to Act Ambitiously to Tackle Poverty [statements]
- AFRICA: Progress and Next Steps [report]
- EDUCATION: UNESCO Director-General Speaks of Financial Gap [news]
- RUSSIAN FEDERATION: President Vladimir Putin Must Review Legislation on Civil Society [news]
- CIVIL SOCIETY: Recommendations Presented at Civil G8 2006 [recommendations]
- RESOURCES: Reviews and How-Tos
- EMPLOYMENT: ECPAT International - Consortium for Street Children [job postings]
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Your submissions are welcome if you are working in the area of child rights. To contribute, email us at [email protected]. Adobe Acrobat is required for viewing some of the documents, and if required can be downloaded from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html If you do not receive this email in html format, you will not be able to see some hyperlinks in the text. At the end of each item we have therefore provided a full URL linking to a web page where further information is available.
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JUNIOR 8: Young People Share Their Views with G8 Leaders [news]
Every year, the “Group of Eight Nations” (G8) – including the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada and Russia – meets to discuss key global issues and decide on common goals.
UNICEF decided in 2005 to hold the first ever C8 Children’s Forum alongside the G8 meeting to give young people a chance to debate the issues being discussed by the G8 and come up with recommendations for the G8 leaders.
This year more than 60 young people aged 13-17 from G8 countries met in a forum called “Junior 8” in Pushkin, near St. Petersburg from 7-18 July to discuss what they think the G8 leaders should do about some of the most serious global issues.
Hosted by the Russian Federation Government, in partnership with UNICEF, the Junior 8 focused on the key themes of this year’s G8 agenda: Education, Energy Security and HIV and AIDS. The children also discussed violence and other issues they see as priorities.
“The decisions that are made this week by the leaders of the G8 will affect the future, and the future is where we will all live the rest of our lives,” said UNICEF Executive Director Ann M. Veneman, at the opening of the Junior 8. “In an increasingly global village, as we are drawn closer together both literally and figuratively, these young people represent not just the J8, but all countries around the world.”
“It is important that the G8 leaders listen to the views of children, because the children will have to live with the decisions those leaders make,” added UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Sir Roger Moore, attending the launch of Junior 8.
The participants included young people from each of the G8 member countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Russian Federation, UK and USA. The views of children from non-G8 countries, will be included via a series of videoconferences linking the Junior 8 to children from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.
The delegates attending the Junior 8 from all countries except Russia were selected through an essay competition organised by the Morgan Stanley International Foundation, with additional children selected by UNICEF. Russian participants won their places through a televised competition.
The young participants discussed key G8 agenda items including:
Education
HIV and AIDS
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Worldwide, 2.3 million children are living with HIV;
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In 2005, 540,000 children were infected with HIV and 380,000 died as a result of AIDS-related illnesses;
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An estimated 15 million children have lost one or both parents to the disease.
Violence
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It is estimated that 1.2 million children are trafficked each year;
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An estimated 1.8 million children – mostly girls – are sexually exploited in the commercial sex trade each year;
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At any one time, around 250,000 children are being used in armed conflict: to fight, to act as messengers or spies, as porters or used for sex.
Recommendations
History was made on Monday when, for the first time, youth delegates had the chance to share and discuss their views directly with the G8 world leaders. Following a year of preparations and a week of intensive work here finalising their recommendations, youth delegates representing each G8 country sat down with the heads of state for a 40-minute discussion on HIV, education, tolerance and violence, and energy security.
Only eight representatives, chosen by each national delegation, were allowed to meet with leaders. The remaining delegates watched via closed-circuit television in the complex’s press center. The session was also carried live on national Russian TV.
After brief welcoming remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Junior 8 delegates took the floor to present their views to G8 leaders.
Canadian delegate Kristina Abretti spoke first, focusing on aid to education in the developing world – with suggestions that included free education for all, teacher training, more international exchanges and a global development fund.
US delegate Diana Perez, addressing the issue of infectious diseases, called for more international research, education and more HIV prevention programmes.
French delegate Xavier Attwell added a call for measures to end the stigma associated with HIV. He noted that the world has the means to eliminate other deadly infectious diseases, such as malaria and tuberculosis, but determination and financing are needed to finish the job.
Italian delegate Elena delle Site spoke of the need for energy security, especially the need for environmentally sound and renewable energy sources.
German delegate Janusch Krasberg, presented youth views on violence and intolerance, urging the G8 to set up a body that would monitor and enforce conventions on children’s rights.
Russian delegate Tatyana Ushakova ended the youth presentations with a call for education to foster the values of tolerance and respect.
“We feel the intellectual and moral energy of your work, concluded Mr. Putin, wrapping up the session. “It’s precisely with the input of youth that we’ll solve the problems facing us.’’
[Source: UNICEF]
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NGOS: G8 Failing to Act Ambitiously to Tackle Poverty [statements]
International NGOs have expressed dissatisfaction with the 2006 G8 Summit, saying that the G8 have fallen short of their commitments on health, education, trade justice, climate change, and tackling poverty. Below are some of the reactions:
Save the Children UK
“This G8 has quashed the expectations of the world’s poor and the millions campaigning with them. The leaders have talked about the things that matter to children – health and education. However, the G8 has stopped short of acting as ambitiously as they need to on tackling world poverty. The lack of urgency and ambition has put the promises made at Gleneagles at risk. The G8 can and must do more.
This is a beauty contest of initiatives to tackle diseases, but the world’s poorest children will still be footing the bill. Unless the G8 take action on concrete backing for poor countries who want to make healthcare free, children will continue to die because they simply can’t pay the health fees now endemic to Africa.
Rich countries encouraged Africa to make the poor pay for healthcare. The policy failed. Children are dying in their droves as a result. The G8 noticed this last year at Gleneagles, but today simply ignored the issue."
Matt Phillips, Head of Campaigns and Advocacy
According to Action Aid, President Putin and leaders of the world’s richest countries shirked their responsibility at this year’s G8 meeting to look at the pledges they made to Africa, and on issues such as climate change, education and communicable diseases.
“After G8 leaders promised to make poverty history last year, this summit has been a damp squib,” said Patrick Watt, policy coordinator with ActionAid UK. “It now falls to Germany to get the G8 back on track to double aid for Africa and provide AIDS treatment. It’s good news that Chancellor Merkel is putting Africa on the agenda, but without immediate action, there will be little progress worth discussing.”
On Africa
“We welcome the fact that UK and French pressure has led the G8 to agree a review of progress on Africa when they meet again in Germany in 2007. However, it is less clear how much progress we can expect on the back of today’s announcements. The G8 has ignored the fact they’re off track on aid, and stalling on education and HIV and AIDS.”
Moussa Faye, ActionAid Senegal director
On trade:
“Millions of poor people risk becoming even poorer under the trade deal currently on the table from the G8. Rich countries are still demanding that poor countries open their markets in return for small concessions that should have been delivered years ago. The aid for trade package is less ambitious than what was offered last December at the WTO in Hong Kong,” said Moussa Faye.
Oxfam’s Max Lawson said: "By downplaying the fight against poverty, the G8 ignored the world's most critical crisis, one that will kill 11 million children by the time they next meet."
Africa
Irungu Houghton, Oxfam spokesperson said: "If the G8 leaders continue to drag their feet on their promises to Africa, the 36 million people who demanded action last year will not forgive them. G8 action on poverty in Africa is not optional it is mandatory. It must be top of the agenda for Merkel next year and every year until we make poverty history."
Trade
Mark Fried, Oxfam spokesperson said: "The US and Europe did not deliver the dramatic move needed to save the WTO talks from collapse. The WTO talks are on the road to nowhere and the G8 leaders couldn't find the map."
Progress on Promises
Max Lawson, Oxfam spokesperson said: "The G8 leaders have delivered debt cancellation, but the aid and support to peacekeeping they promised has yet to arrive, and the deal on trade which benefits poor people is further away than ever. They must do more, and they must do it now."
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Further information
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AFRICA: Progress and Next Steps [report]
At Gleneagles last year the G8 agreed to a set of measures to reduce poverty and support sustainable development in Africa. Africa Update reviews progress on G8 commitments on Africa since the last G8 Summit, while respecting the critical role of African ownership of the reform process. The leaders of G8 nations stated that they are continuing to work in partnership with Africa, in particular in support of the African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), with a special focus this year on infectious diseases, education and energy security.
G8 leaders announced that they have made substantial progress since Gleneagles in the areas of peace and stability, promoting good and responsive governance, investing in people, promoting growth, financing for development and mutual ownership and accountability. They presented the key steps to be taken over the next year. These include:
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tackling infectious diseases, strengthening education and enhancing energy security in Africa and the wider world. The details are set out in separate statements;
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continuing, in cooperation with the EU, UN and other partners, to assist the AU and African sub-regional organisations in further developing the African Standby Force including transportation and logistics support arrangements;
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tackling the undesirable illicit proliferation of conventional arms including by strengthening existing mechanisms;
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working towards ratifying the
UN Convention Against Corruption as soon as possible, with successful discussions on monitoring and implementation mechanisms at the Conference of State Parties later this year;
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encouraging wider implementation of the EITI and other resource transparency programmes in resource-rich African countries;
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urgently stepping up efforts to achieve an ambitious and balanced outcome for the WTO Doha Round that gives developing countries - especially Least Developed Countries - improved access to global markets, builds trade capacity and allows developing countries to decide, plan and sequence their own economic policies;
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supporting agriculture development, in particular under the AU/NEPAD Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP);
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further work on Aid for Trade to help ensure that African countries are better able to participate in and benefit from the multilateral trading system;
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fulfilling aid promises and continuing to track progress through the APF in particular;
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ensuring the full implementation and financing of the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI) according to commitments made at Gleneagles and on a fair burden-share basis, and preserving long-term debt sustainability through the implementation of the IMF/World Bank debt sustainability framework for low-income countries; and
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implementing the Paris Agenda on aid effectiveness and monitoring progress.
G8 nations will review progress, and identify the next steps to support Africa's successful development, at the 2007 G8 Summit in Germany.
Read the report in full
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Further information
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EDUCATION: UNESCO Director-General Speaks of Financial Gap [news]
[PARIS, 17 July 2006] - UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura made an appeal on Monday at the G8 Summit in St Petersburg for more support from the international community to fill the financial gap so that developing countries, particularly in Africa, can achieve key basic education goals. In his statement, the Director-General expressed his agreement with the remarks of UK Prime Minister Tony Blair concerning the importance of partnership for Africa, including support for the African Union’s Second Decade of Education for Africa. Mr Matsuura also referred to UNESCO’s contribution to the preparation of the African Union Summit in Khartoum, Sudan, in January 2006, which had focused on education and culture. He noted that the UK’s Commission for Africa set up by Prime Minister Blair had also identified culture as one of the key pillars of development in addition to education. The Director-General said that UNESCO would again support the organisation of the African Union Summit in January 2007, when the focus will be upon science and technology, which are crucial themes for the development of Africa.
The Director-General also spoke on education, stressing that access to good quality basic education for all children is vital for Africa and its development. “There are over 100 million children out of school in the world today, around 18 per cent of the total of school-age children. However, it is very serious in sub-Saharan Africa: almost 50 per cent of primary school-age children in West and Central Africa are out of school and more than one-third in Eastern and Southern Africa.” The G8 declaration rightly says that education is at the heart of human progress, he said, adding that it is also about nation-building, development and poverty reduction.
On the question of aid to education, the UNESCO Director-General stressed that developing countries first must do their utmost to mobilise domestic resources, but more external help is needed if they are to achieve the six Education for All (EFA) goals by 2015. It is estimated that external aid to basic education needs to reach $ 12 billion annually. He acknowledged that aid to basic education has increased in recent years but there is still a gap of $7.6 billion.
The Director-General called for the world to stand by its commitments to Africa and appealed for the financial gap facing basic education to be filled globally, but especially for Africa.
In the education document approved on 16 July by the G8 Summit – entitled Education for Innovative Societies in the 21st Century – the G8 leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the EFA agenda and welcomed “UNESCO’s efforts to finalise a Global Action Plan to achieve the EFA goals and provide a framework for coordinated and complementary action by multilateral aid agencies in support of country-level implementation.” Through this document, the G8 leaders “call upon UNESCO and the additional convening agencies of the Dakar Framework (UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and the World Bank) to support harmonisation and alignment with national priorities, plans and targets and to utilise each organisation’s unique capacities to eliminate duplication of effort and increase efficiency.” The G8 leaders also signaled their continuing support for an effective implementation of the EFA Fast-Track Initiative (FTI) and reiterated their commitment to support Africa in its achievement of the EFA agenda.
As a follow-up to the summit, the G8 welcomed Italy’s offer to organise in cooperation with UNESCO a World Forum on “Education, Innovation and Research: New Partnership for Sustainable Development.”
In addition, the G8 leaders highlighted the importance of developing modern effective education systems in order to meet the challenges of a global knowledge-based economy. To this end, they resolved “to encourage investment in the ‘knowledge triangle’ – education, including lifelong learning, research and innovation.” The G8 leaders “agreed to cooperate with our development partners and other stakeholders to achieve high quality basic education, literacy and gender equality in accord with the education-related Millennium Development Goals and the objectives of the Education for All programme.”
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RUSSIAN FEDERATION: President Vladimir Putin Must Review Legislation on Civil Society [news]
[MOSCOW, 6 July 2006] - President Vladimir Putin must follow up urgently on his public commitment to review the implementation of Russia’s legislation governing civil society organisations, a commitment he made on 5 July at meetings with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) held in the context of the summit of the Group of Eight most industrialised countries (G8) in St Petersburg. Amnesty International has been among a number of domestic and international NGOs calling for amendments to this legislation, which it regards as undermining the legitimate work of civil society in the Russian Federation and which fails to fully meet international standards.
The President, while rejecting the call to amend the federal law, agreed to review its implementing regulations. He gave assurances that NGOs, foreign as well as Russian, would not be hindered from carrying out their legitimate activities.
“This review should be undertaken as soon as possible, before the worst aspects of the legislation can be realised,” said Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International, after an informal three-hour meeting in Moscow on 4 July between heads of international non-governmental organisations and President Putin.
“The true test of the President’s words will be the creation of a genuinely enabling environment for NGOs in Russia itself, not just on the global stage at the G8.”
The new law on civil society organisations was signed by President Putin on 10 January 2006 and entered into force three months later. Although described by the President as aiming to bring order rather than restrictions into the activities of NGOs, Amnesty International believes that the law instead undermines their work by giving the authorities increased powers of scrutiny of the funding and activities of Russian and foreign NGOs. The experience to date has been that the law is unduly burdensome, diverting resources from substantive programmes, while using a regulatory framework that can be arbitrarily applied, has key provisions which lack a precise legal definition, and sanctions that are disproportionate.
At Russia’s request the Council of Europe (an intergovernmental body established to defend human rights, parliamentary democracy and the rule of law) reviewed the first draft of the legislation and made a number of recommendations, some of which were incorporated into the final version through amendments adopted by the Duma (parliament). However, the Council of Europe remains concerned about the “excessive powers of supervision” the law provides for, and about the possibly discriminatory effect of amendments which impose even stricter control of foreign NGOs.
In the meetings President Putin restated his absolute opposition to foreign funding for those involved in “political activity” in the Russian Federation. However, the law gives no clear legal definition of political activity. Amnesty International and others remain concerned that such a vague framing of this issue leaves the door open for NGOs critical of the government’s human rights policies to fall foul of the law’s restrictions and implementation.
“The founding charter of the United Nations recognises the legitimacy of civil society, and in recent years we have seen the increasing collective power of civil society not only to influence, but to set the agenda and shift world opinion,” said Irene Khan.
“Advocacy of policy change at both the global and the domestic level is an essential role of civil society, and NGOs are a key part of this. Legislation that restricts such a role or other legitimate activities calls into question Russia’s commitment to a genuinely free and independent civil society,” she added.
Russia has a leading role on the global stage at present as chair of the G8 and of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, as well as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and an elected member of the new UN Human Rights Council. As such Amnesty International is calling on President Putin to demonstrate leadership by following through on the time he made yesterday to listen to the messages of civil society - domestic and international.
“We appreciate the personal effort that President Putin made in meeting and engaging actively in discussions during formal and informal meetings with NGOs, both Russian and international,” said Irene Khan. “However, this effort needs to be matched now by concrete action to enable NGOs in the Russian Federation to operate without undue burden or restriction. Otherwise his overture will have been simply a public relations exercise.”
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CIVIL SOCIETY: Recommendations Presented at Civil G8 2006 [recommendations]
Civil Society organisations met at an international forum “Civil G8 2006”, which was organised by 40 Russian civil society organisations, from 3-4 July 2006 to prepare recommendations for the meeting of the heads of G8 countries in St. Petersburg. They discussed energy security, education and health. Prevention of international terrorism, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, international trade and development financing, amongst others, have also been named as as important topics for the international community. Below are links to the recommendations presented to G8 leaders:
"Strengthening Global Social and Economic Policies for Sustainable Human Development". Recommendations of the Forum on the meeting of the heads of G8 countries in St. Petersburg in July 2006
"GMO – One of the Challenges of the XXI century". Recommendations of the Forum on the meeting of the heads of G8 countries in St. Petersburg in July 2006
"Business and Society: mechanisms of interaction". Recommendations of the Forum on the meeting of the heads of G8 countries in St. Petersburg in July 2006
"Infectious Diseases". Recommendations of the Forum on the meeting of the heads of G8 countries in St. Petersburg in July 2006
"Global Security and Interests of the Society". Recommendations of the Forum on the meeting of the heads of G8 countries in St. Petersburg in July 2006
"Energy Security". Recommendations of the Forum on the meeting of the heads of G8 countries in St. Petersburg in July 2006
"Education". Recommendations of the Forum on the meeting of the heads of G8 countries in St. Petersburg in July 2006
"Biological diversity: urgent need for enhancing international cooperation". Recommendations of the Forum on the meeting of the heads of G8 countries in St. Petersburg in July 2006
"Human rights". Recommendations of the Forum on the meeting of the heads of G8 countries in St. Petersburg in July 2006
Visit: http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=9321&flag=report
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RESOURCES: Reviews and How-Tos
Oxfam International: The View from the Summit - Gleneagles G8 One Year On (June 2005)
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8581&flag=report
UK Department for International Development (DFID): Gleneagles One Year On: Turning Talk into Action (June 2005)
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=8980&flag=report
Save the Children Sweden: First Introduction to Working for Child Rights from a Budget Perspective (November 2005)
http://www.crin.org/resources/infoDetail.asp?ID=6633&flag=report
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EMPLOYMENT: ECPAT International - Consortium for Street Children [job postings]
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Duration: Two Years (Renewable)
ECPAT International is recruiting a Regional Officer for South Asia to: coordinate the ECPAT International's South Asia Regional programme in promoting the implementation of the Stockholm Agenda for Action in the region, by researching, collecting, compiling and analysing information, providing reports on progress and advice on implementation tools and strategies; to strengthen and develop the ECPAT network in the South Asia; and to contribute to raise the profile of ECPAT International at regional level.
Application deadline: 21st July 2006
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Duration: Two Years (Renewable)
ECPAT International is also recruiting a Regional Officer for the Americas to promote the implementation of the Stockholm Agenda for action in the Americas, with special emphasis in North America and the Caribbean by researching, compiling and analysing information on countries' activities to combat the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC); by developing reports on progress in this regard; by providing support on implementation tools and strategies to relevant government and non-government actors; and by strengthening and developing the ECPAT network in the region, as part of the implementation strategy.
Application deadline: 18th August 2006
For more information, contact:
ECPAT International
328 Phaya Thai Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Tel: +662 215 3388; Fax: +662 215 8272
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.ecpat.net
Consortium for Street Children (CSC) is a well established and internationally recognised NGO working to promote and protect the rights of street children in the developing world. CSC is looking for an experienced Parliamentary Liaison Officer to provide an effective interface between CSC and UK parliament to ensure that parliament is informed about issues, policies, research and practice of interest to CSC members, as well as to advise on CSC members' strategies for parliamentary and governmental relations, and to monitor consultative and legislative programmes within parliament and identify areas of interest and relevance to CSC and its members.
Application deadline: 8th September 2006
For more information, contact:
Emily Browne, Programme Support and Child Protection Officer
Consortium for Street Children (CSC)
Unit 306, Bon Marche Centre, 241-251 Ferndale Road, London SW9 8BJ, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7274 0087; Fax: +44 (0)20 7274 0372
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.streetchildren.org.uk
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