The G8 has long been committed to Africa’s development. One of the main agenda items of the G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit is “Development and Africa”, under which the G8 discussed how the G8 can best support Africa-led development efforts. The results of the discussion among the G8 gives a new impetus to the G8-Africa partnership and be a good basis for G8 input into this year’s UN high level meeting on MDGs in September, the Accra Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in September, and the Doha Follow-up International Conference on Financing for Development in November/December 2008.
The reports highlights that the G8 is deeply concerned that steep rise in global food prices is threatening Africa’s progress and achievement of MDGs and food security. The international community needs a fully coordinated response to address urgent needs of the most vulnerable people and welcome the provision of emergency food aid. It recognizes the need to take a wide range of short-, mid- and long-term measures to tackle the issue of food security. In this regard, the G8 will increase aid in the agricultural sector to increase food production and agricultural productivity.
Moreover, the report welcomes the contribution of a number of recent important high-level events, in particular the second EU-Africa Summit in Lisbon in December 2007 and the adoption of an ambitious Joint Africa-EU Strategy and Action Plan.
This report sets out an assessment of where progress has been made over the past years and where further efforts are needed, based on the Africa Action Plan adopted at the G8 Kananaskis Summit in 2002.
