AIDS and the Millennium Development Goals

Nov 14 Meeting at Lisa's

Topic: AIDS and the Millennium Development Goals

Nona, Katherine, Jackie, Rika, Amy, Susan & Lisa in attendance.

Discussion:
At the UN Millennium Summit in 2000, world leaders committed themselves to the achievement of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, including the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, the elimination of gender inequalities, the prevention of environmental degradation, the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS and the provision of education, healthcare and clean water of healthcare. Rich countries promised to deliver more and more effective aid.

The meeting was focused on the goal of preventing and treating AIDS, because for Africa, every one of the MDGs is put in jeopardy by AIDS. There are 40 million people living with HIV. Thirteen to 14 million children in sub-saharan Africa have been orphaned by AIDS. In Zambia 23% of children have been orphaned.

Thirty years ago, Canada was among a group of countries who committed to providing 0.7% of its Gross National Income (GNI) to Official Development Assistance (ODA.) Canada's ODA represented 0.34% of GNI in 2005, less than 50% of the goal, and behind the average donor country effort in 2006 of 0.47%. Several European countries have already reached the 0.7% target, whereas Canada does not have a target date or implementation schedule to reach the 0.7% goal. Canada also belongs to a group of donor countries that would like to include anti-terrorism and other security expenditures in ODA.

We are writing to government to urge them to set realistic goals and targets to reach the 0.7% GNI target for ODA, and to exclude security expenditures from ODA. Nona will contact her friend in South Africa regarding making a donation to a grassroots AIDS organization there.

Interesting Links:
http://www.stephenlewisfoundation.org
http://www.millenniumcampaign.org

Our letter:
To the Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs:

We are writing in support of the Canadian Government's commitment to contribute 0.7% GNI towards international aid so that UN Millennium Development Goals can be met by 2015. Goals to half extreme poverty and halt the spread of HIV/AIDS along with ensuring children have universal access to education are extremely important. They are also achieveable WITH effective management of adequate funds. We believe history will judge us poorly if we do no do everything we can to meet these goals. And yet, it seems Canada is no making much progress toward the 0.7% GNI target. Last year, the Canadian government managed to contribute only 0.34% GNI in official development assistance, falling short of even the average donation by a Development Assistance Committee country. Meanwhile several European countries have met or are on target to meet this level of aid. We were pleased to hear that your government has plans to contribute 40 million for international microcredit but wonder how far this program will take us toward our 0.7% commitment. We do not support the position that anti-terrorism and other security expenditures be included as official development assistance. While these activities may be important, they do not reflect the main focus of the UN Millennium development Goals on poverty, health and education.

We look forward to a response that indicates how Canada will meet this international commitment to aid.

Yours truly,

cc: Honourable Josee Verner, Minister of International Cooperation.