ACT NOW ON 2015, say 61 NGOs
10 June 2010Campaign launched today to highlight the importance of tackling global poverty, and the need for Ireland to deliver on its overseas aid promise.
Former Taoiseach Dr. Garret FitzGerald today launched Act Now on 2015, a campaign led by 61 anti-poverty organisations to call on the Irish Government to deliver on its promise to reach the UN target of spending 0.7% of national income on overseas aid by 2015.
Launching the campaign Dr. Garret FitzGerald, the first Taoiseach to see the strategic importance to Ireland of having a dedicated development cooperation programme, said:
"If we are to end extreme poverty, it is vital that all countries, rich and poor alike, deliver on the promises they made. Ireland can invest in its own future by honouring its promise of spending 0.7% of national income on development cooperation. We must act now to make poverty history."
The launch of Act Now on 2015 comes ahead of the European Council meeting on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which will take place in Brussels on the 17th and 18th of June. At this meeting, European heads of state will decide a common EU position for this September's MDG summit at the UN.
“Ireland has an opportunity in the coming weeks to push for an ambitious action plan by the European Union to deliver the Millennium Development Goals to tackle global poverty. The government should publish its own action plan showing how it will deliver on its aid promise over the next five years,” said Hans Zomer, Director of Dóchas and Chairperson of the campaign.
The campaign is calling on the government to:
- Announce binding annual targets to achieve 0.7% by 2015 at the latest
- Enact legislation to guarantee Ireland's aid commitment.
The launch also coincides with the release of the annual AidWatch report, which tracks the EU's progress towards achieving its aid quantity and quality commitments.
The report is compiled by Concord, the European NGO confederation, and this year's report finds that EU donors, including Ireland, are falling short of the promises they made.
"At gorta, we are firmly committed to doing our part in working towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. But non-governmental organisations cannot do it alone," said Brian Hanratty, gorta CEO.
"If every developed country set and followed through on a timetable to reach 0.7% by 2015, the world would make dramatic progress in the fight against poverty and start on a path to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and end extreme poverty within one generation."
