African issues first up for G8 leaders

07/07/2008 16:29:22

Leaders from the world's largest economies are about to begin their annual get-together at the G8 meeting on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

North Asia correspondent Shane McLeod reports that leaders of the eight big industrialised nations will spend their first day in talks with counterparts from African countries, with global aid on the agenda along with food security and prices.

Involved are leaders from seven African nations, as well as the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the head of the World Bank.

The EU has already announced it will channel more than $US1.4 billion in unused European farm subsidies to African farmers.

Soaring food prices and boosting aid to Africa are high on the agenda at the annual meeting of the world's leading industrialised countries.

The EU has proposed using money from unspent farm subsidies for seed, fertiliser and other agriculture projects in Africa.

But before the proposal can go ahead it will need to be approved by ministers from EU countries and the European Parliament.

International charity organisation, Oxfam, says G8 leaders are behind schedule on delivering promises they made in 2000 to tackle world poverty.

British actor Bill Nighy, an activist for Oxfam, says the aid agency is not "protesting against the G-8," but has criticised the group of eight leaders for not doing more to provide aid and fulfill Millenium Development Goals.

"Primary school education for everyone, HIV medicines for all the people that are requiring it, maternal health, sustainable environment, all of the Millennium Goals that they swore to in the original, wonderful, and history-making G8 in 2000," he said.

"We simply want them to not to renege on those promises and to keep it up to schedule. At the moment, they are disastrously behind schedule."

On Tuesday, the G8 leaders will begin their formal summit talks with an agreement on long-term carbon dioxide emissions being promoted by Japan.

The summit is the largest G8 gathering ever held with representatives from 14 additional countries, including Australia, taking part.

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