G8/G20: Time to keep your promises
40 years ago, rich countries promised to give 0.7% of their national income as development aid.
This money is essential to help poor countries eradicate poverty and invest in a brighter future. It is crucial to provide healthcare and education for their people.
10 years ago world leaders signed up to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which commit to halving the number of people living in extreme poverty by 2015.
The Millennium Development Goals include goals to provide:
- safe clean water,
- access to primary health care and medicines and
- a quality education.
These are the biggest promises world leaders have ever made to put people first, and to build a world without poverty.
There has been amazing progress - thanks to aid, in the last decade, 33 million more children have had the chance to learn to read and write.
But unfortunately, these promises are still off track. 350,000 women and girls are still dying every year as a result of complications due to pregnancy and childbirth.
This must stop, and now is the time to act.
This June, the G8 and G20 leaders will be meeting in Canada. These powerful nations must keep their promises, and act now to get the MDGs back on track. We have the responsibility to ensure they do.
Take action and hold your leaders to account for the promises that they’ve made.
Take action
Demand that world leaders keep their promises. Join our Health & Education For All Pledge.
Read more
Latest Oxfam blogs on the G8 in our blogs site.
Follow @oxfam for the latest Oxfam International updates, reports, blogs and links to content related to the G8.
Contact EU Office
Oxfam International EU Advocacy Office
Rue de la Science 4, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 2 234 1110 | Fax: +32 2 502 1941
For general enquiries: eu@oxfaminternational.org
For media enquiries: eumedia@oxfaminternational.org
