G8/G20 Summits Policy Brief April 2010

Canada, June 2010

Summary of Policy Briefs

Recommendations
For questions or feedback Global Health
please contact: InterAction’s G8/G20 NGO Coordination Group urges the U.S. government to take a strong
leadership role at the June 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit and G20 Toronto Summit. We
John Ruthrauff request that the following recommendations be included in the respective communiqués.
Senior Manager of
Member Advocacy 1. Prioritize Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) needs and ensure the necessary
InterAction international investment to achieve MDGs 4 (child mortality) and 5 (Maternal health)—
jruthrauff@interaction.org The G8 must commit to finalize a global MNCH consensus and to fund fully its share of
202-552-6523 resources for strategies and programs to accelerate reduction of MNCH mortality and
morbidity in developing countries. This will require at least a doubling of donor invest-
ment and exploration of global funding mechanisms focused on MNCH. Such commit-
ments should be included in a global action plan to be endorsed at the UN MDG Summit.

2. Honor commitments to achieve MDG 6 (HIV/AIDS and Malaria) and fulfill Global Fund
needs—G8 leaders must fulfill commitments to achieve universal access to HIV preven-
tion, treatment, and care through robust bilateral programs. They need to help bridge
the $5 billion shortfall in the Global Fund (GFATM) referenced in the 2007 G8 commu-
niqué. The U.S. must pay its fair share and leverage this to ensure G8 nations close the
GFATM gap and meet commitments on AIDS, TB, malaria and neglected tropical dis-
eases (NTDs) more broadly. G8 countries must also work collaboratively with interna-
tional coordinating bodies on these fronts.

3. Ensure G8 support for the health MDGs is guided by the Paris Declaration Aid Effec-
tiveness Principles and is integrated with responses to other global challenges—
Efforts to achieve the MDGs must be country-led, strengthen whole health systems
to ensure sustainable and measurable outcomes, and be integrated with responses to
other global challenges such as hunger and nutrition, water and sanitation, and cli-
mate change.

4. The G20 must commit to an accountable way to provide its fair share of support for
achievement of MDGs 4, 5 and 6—Given its significant share of global resources, the
G20 should exercise greater responsibility for achievement of the health MDGs. The
U.S. and other G8 nations should lead the rest of G20 countries to add health and other
development priorities to its Pittsburgh Summit framework for strong, balanced and
sustainable growth and adopt accountability mechanisms for such commitments.

For questions or feedback please contact Michael Klosson (Save the Children) at
www.InterAction.org
mklosson@savechildren.org.
1400 16th Street, NW
Suite 210 Climate Change
Washington, DC 20036 InterAction’s G8/G20 NGO Coordination Group requests that the following recommenda-
202-667-8227 tions be included in the respective communiqués.
 1. G20 countries must raise the level of ambition on their
mitigation targets to ensure that the increase in global
temperatures stay as far below 2° Celsius as possible.
2. The G20 countries must commit to innovative mech-
anisms to generate substantial new and additional
public funding to support developing countries’ abili-
ties to adapt to the impacts of climate change, tran-
sition to clean energy economies and reduce emis-
sions from deforestation and degradation. The vast
majority of this funding must be directed through a
funding mechanism(s) under the authority of the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change Confer-
ence of Parties (UNFCCC - COP).
3. Advance global plans for expanding the diffusion and
deployment of clean energy technologies.
For questions or feedback please contact Ilana Solomon
(ActionAid USA) at Ilana.Solomon@ActionAid.org.
Food, Hunger and Agriculture
Civil society and private institutions are a critical link
with governments to ensure food security at the house-
hold level. InterAction’s G8/G20 NGO Coordination Group
urges the U.S. government to take a strong leadership
role at the June 2010 G8 and G20 Summits.
1. Fully fund and create a mechanism to document
the three-year $20 billion commitment made in the
L’Aquila Joint Statement on Global Food Security in
Italy, 2009.
2. Continue the G8 Expert Group on Global Food
Security created at the 2008 G8 Japan Summit and
empower it to monitor the Global Food Security com-
mitments made by the G8 nations in 2008 and 2009.
3. Ensure civil society—including smallholder farmer
organizations—is integrated as a full partner into: (a)
country-level planning and food security programs; (b)
governance, technical assistance and implementation
structures of the Global Agriculture and Food Security
Program, a World Bank Multi-donor Trust Fund; and (c)
reformed world institutions (i.e., reform of the Commit-
tee on Food Security) and the emerging global partner-
ship on nutrition, agriculture and food security.
4. Reiterate support for a holistic response to food insecu-
rity as described in the 2009 L’Aquila Joint Statement on
Global Food Security: (a) support humanitarian assis-
tance, social safety nets, nutrition and agricultural pro-
ductivity programs, focusing particular attention on
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women farmers; and (b) ensure that agriculture-related
trade agreements strengthen and do not harm food
security and promote participation, including through
the provision of technical assistance, at local, national,
regional and international levels.
For questions or feedback please contact Robert Zachritz
(World Vision) at rzachrit@worldvision.org.
Accountability
InterAction’s G8/G20 NGO Coordination Group applauds
the G8’s preliminary accountability report and its com-
mitment to develop a consistent and comprehensive G8
accountability framework. We urge the U.S. government
to call for an accountability framework that is a perma-
nent, robust, credible, public, and inclusive feature of
both the G8 and G20 processes.
1. A robust, credible, inclusive monitoring and account-
ability framework depends on the G8’s reliance on
expert working groups, including the existing ones
on health, corruption, education, water and sanita-
tion, Africa and food security. The G8 should continue
these expert groups and urge the G20 to adopt a cor-
responding accountability framework.
2. Expert groups should be mandated to seek, and
authorized to receive, input and comments through-
out the process from other international organisa-
tions, governments and civil society, in their prepara-
tion of reports on implementing commitments.
3. The mission statements for expert groups and the
names and affiliation of all experts should be made
public. Their meeting schedules should be released
20 days prior to any scheduled meeting, and include
a detailed list of G8 or G20 commitments under
review. In addition, the process should produce a
consolidated report of the expert groups’ delibera-
tions, findings, conclusions and recommendations,
which should be made public 30 days prior to the
2010 summits and subsequent summits thereafter.
4. Expert group reports should comprehensively evalu-
ate results against consistent and specific indicators,
including resources pledged and delivered. Reports
should include on-the ground monitoring of pro-
gram implementation and outcomes, calling on inter-
national organisations as needed, and include time
tables and options for future action.
For questions or feedback please contact Rob Lovelace at
LovelaceRE@aol.com.
Global Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation
Despite UN estimates that, on average, improving access
to safe drinking water and sanitation will contribute 30% to
achieving each of the MDGs, the sector remains a low prior-
ity on the international agenda and many national agendas.
We urge the United States to take a strong leadership role at
the upcoming Muskoka Summit and to call for immediate
and invigorated action to implement the existing commit-
ments to water and sanitation including the Evian Action
Plan, Gleneagles commitment to Africa and the L’Aquila
G8-Africa Partnership on Water and Sanitation.
1. Commit to the development of comprehensive strat-
egies for water, sanitation and hygiene develop-
ment assistance, with the U.S. government leading
by example in announcing the development of a
comprehensive strategy for its water, sanitation and
hygiene development assistance.
2. Commit to participation in the Global Framework for
Action on Sanitation and Water Supply (GF4A).
3. Integrate water and sanitation strategies into 2010
G8/G20 initiatives and commitments related to food
security, child and maternal health, education, and
climate change to ensure these initiatives succeed.
For questions or feedback please contact Michaela Old-
field (Water Advocates) at moldfield@wateradvocates.org.
Global Economic Crisis
The world’s poorest countries had no hand in creating the
global economic crisis and yet continue to bear the brunt
of its ricochet effects. The International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and World Bank have begun allocating funds for Low-
Income Countries (LICs). The distribution of these funds
needs to be more rapid and publically documented.
1. By the end of 2011, G20 countries should fully deliver
on the $50 billion pledge dedicated to LICs to help
mitigate the impact of the global economic crisis with
transparent and accountable mechanisms.
• By June 2010 there needs to be online quar-
terly reports on the amounts actually delivered
and how they were spent, including the propor-
tion of loans versus grants and any conditions
imposed on the use of the funds.
• Anti-corruption measures need to ensure the
funds reach the intended recipients.
2. International Financial Institutions (IFIs) need to use
innovative mechanisms for a rapid disbursement of
funds.
• Resources should be in the form of grants or
debt relief only, to avoid accumulation of unsus-
tainable debt and stimulating a new debt crisis.
• Developing countries need to be protected from
IFI pro-cyclical policies.
• IFI governance must be reformed to reflect the
changing global economy and allow emerging
economies and developing countries to have
representation in economic decision-making
bodies.
For questions or feedback please contact John Ruthrauff
(InterAction) at jruthrauff@interaction.org.
Basic Education
To leverage President Obama’s commitment to erase the
global primary education gap by 2015, the United States
should scale up its investment in international education
aid, and improve aid effectiveness by leading a trans-
formation and re-launch of the Fast Track Initiative (FTI)
(www.education-fast-track.org) as an independent, dem-
ocratic and fully resourced global financing mechanism
for Education for All (EFA). The IMF needs to reform its
pro-cyclical macroeconomic policies, which prevent suf-
ficient developing country investments in education sys-
tems. In line with this strategy, we ask the United States
to urge G8/G20 leaders in Canada to adopt the following
recommendations.
1. Commit the G8/G20 to provide the annual $16 billion
in external aid that UNESCO (www.unesco.org/en/
education) estimates is necessary to reach Education
for All by 2015, and convene a donor pledging confer-
ence in 2010 that implements this commitment.
2. Strengthen the multilateral elements of global edu-
cation assistance by transforming, financing and re-
launching the Fast Track Initiative (FTI) as a fully inde-
pendent institution that advances new sources of
funding, meaningfully engages all stakeholders, moni-
tors funding flows and donor adherence to their com-
mitments, and extends its impact within LICs, areas of
fragility and conflict and other places where out-of-
school children reside. A streamlined and efficient aid
architecture should also help leverage bilateral educa-
tion assistance strategies that are guided by principles
of aid effectiveness and aligned with the six EFA4 goals.
3. Agree as a bloc of G20 Finance Ministers to pro-
actively promote and approve IMF programs for LICs
that explicitly employ counter-cyclical policies that
allow expanded public sector spending for educa-
tion; specifically, expand inflation and deficit spend-
3
 ing targets for the duration of the downturn resulting Food, Hunger and Agriculture
from the crisis; dismantle IMF traditional macroeco- • Bread for the World
• CARE
nomic conditionality of single-digit inflation and no-
• InterAction
to-low deficit spending; support and pursue countries’ • Save the Children
adopting alternative macroeconomic models which • Water Advocates
account and plan for the long term benefits of public • World Vision
investment in education and human development.
Accountability
• Global Unions AIDS Programme
For questions or feedback please contact Cris Revaz (Basic • InterAction
Education Coalition) at crevaz@aed.org. • Save the Children
• Transparency International USA
• World AIDS Campaign
Multiple organizations contributed to one or more of the recommendations in
Global Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation
each policy statement. The statement is not designed to be a consensus posi- • Africare
tion and has not been explicitly endorsed by the contributing organizations, the • Agua Para La Vida
InterAction Board, or its 193 member organizations. • Ann Campana Judge Foundation
• CARE
• El Porvenir
The full Policy Briefs are available on the InterAction web site:
• Emmanuel International Mission
www.InterAction.org/canada-2010-g8g20-summit.
• Global Environment & Technology Foundation
• Global Water Challenge
Global Health • Habitat for Humanity
• CARE • InterAction
• CEDPA • International Housing Coalition
• Family Care International • International Rescue Committee
• Global AIDS Alliance • Millennium Water Alliance (MWA)
• Global Health Council • Philadelphia Global Water Initiative
• Global Unions AIDS Programme • Project WET Foundation
• InterAction • Pure Water for the World
• PATH • The Chronicles Group RUNNING DRY Project
• Population Action International (PAI) • Water.org
• Save the Children • Water Advocates
• U.S. Fund for UNICEF • WaterAid America
• World AIDS Campaign • Water Centric
• World Vision • Water Engineers for the Americas (WEFTA)
• Water For People
Climate Change • Waterlines
• Action Against Hunger USA
• ActionAid USA Global Economic Crisis
• Africa Media Action • InterAction
• American Red Cross • Jubilee USA
• Center for Biological Diversity • Oxfam America
• CARE • Transparency International USA
• Church World Service
• EcoEquity Basic Education
• Friends of the Earth US • Basic Education Coalition
• InterAction • Global AIDS Alliance
• Islamic Relief USA • Global Campaign for Education
• Lutheran World Relief • InterAction
• Oil Change International • RESULTS
• Oxfam America • Save the Children
• Population Action International • Water Advocates
• Sustainable Energy & Economy Network
• Union of Concerned Scientists
• US Climate Action Network
• World Wildlife Fund