Press Room > Oxfam Ireland Press Release
January 28th 2004
PRESS RELEASE
Global poverty movement issues challenge to world leaders
Davos, Jan 28 2005 – At the World Economic Forum in Davos, leading political and civil society actors including Bono, UK Chancellor Gordon Brown, Oxfam International President Mary Robinson, President of the International Federation of Trade Unions Sharan Burrow and French finance minister Herve Gaymard, publicly voiced their support for the Global Call to Action Against Poverty campaign at a press conference this afternoon.
Speaking at the press conference today, Kumi Naidoo on behalf of GCAP said,
“Leaders around the world have made countless promises to end poverty. Time and again they have failed to deliver, leaving millions of people in an endless cycle of poverty. This year is a chance to change all of this and take real strides in stopping the injuctice and achieving the modest ambition of halving extreme poverty and hunger by 2015.”
The Global Call to Action against Poverty is a worldwide alliance of hundreds of organizations that represents some 150 million people from a plethora of different organizations. In one of the biggest anti-poverty campaigns ever, people are calling on world leaders to fulfill their commitments on trade justice, more and better aid, debt cancellation and for more action at a national level in the South including meeting and exceeding the Millennium Development Goals . They fear that unless real strides are taken this year, then the ambition of halving world poverty will fail.
Throughout the course of 2005, millions of people will be showing their support for an end to poverty by wearing white bands. Three special white band days have been organised for the G8 summit in July in UK, at the UN General Assembly in September and in December at the WTO Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong.
Sharan Burrow, President of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, said “Poverty is the greatest challenge facing world leaders. Our common humanity demands urgent and determined action. The global trade union movement is mobilising our 180 million members worldwide in full support of the Global Call to Action, in a determined effort to bring about an end to poverty and exploitation.”
Mary Robinson added “This year there is a historic opportunity to end the misery that sees 30,000 people die each day because they cannot get access to the very basic things in life. Rich countries have a moral obligation to do everything they can to address this. Everybody knows what the problems are, what is lacking is the political will to deliver the aid, debt relief and trade reform which could transform the lives of the very poorest forever.”
Yesterday, on the other side of the world, The Global Call to Action against Poverty, which is the biggest ever global mobilization to hold governments accountable for the promises they made to eradicate poverty, was launched at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Speaking to over 12,000 activists gathered at the Gigantinho stadium there Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, expressed his strong solidarity with the global call by tying a white band, the symbol of the campaign, around his arm.
The GCAP demands that in 2005 world leaders:
Immediately end dumping and rich country subsidies that keep people in poverty.
Enact measures to protect public services from enforced liberalisation and privatisation, secure the right to food and affordable access to essential drugs and strengthen corporate accountability
Increase accountability and transparency of governments and international organizations in the formulation of international trade rules and national trade policies.
Give more, untied and better aid now to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
Meet the agreed target of 0.7% of national income in aid.
Ensure aid is directed towards achieving development objectives.
Cancel debt - rich countries, the World Bank and the IMF, should cancel 100% of the debt of the poorest countries in order to reach the Millennium Goals.
National efforts to eliminate poverty and to reach the Millennium Goals that are developed and implemented in a way that is democratic, transparent and accountable to citizens.
For more information contact:
Kumi Naidoo, Civicus, Johannesburg: naoimi@civicus.org, + 27 833028032
Ezra Mbogori, Mwengo, Harare: ezra@mwengo.org.zw, + 263 4 721469
Paul Dunphy, Oxfam Ireland 01 6040706
Ciara Gaynor, UN Millennium Campaign: ciara.gaynor@undp.org, + 353 86 8131326