International Aid Levels

Hello WSN World,

Some news from Canada's CBC on international aid...

Adam

PM, World Leaders Evaluate International Aid Levels 
Last Updated Wed, 20 Mar 2002 9:00:33 

OTTAWA - Wealthy nations of the world are gathering to
talk about aid to poor countries but the pre-drafted
final agreement contains no new promises and no new
money. 

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien will travel to Monterrey,
Mexico, Wednesday to join other world leaders at a
United Nations conference on aid for poor nations. 

But a study by the Organization for Economic
Co-operation says public and private contributions to
developing countries fell by almost 25 per cent in
1999 and 2000. 

Conference delegates say they are at the conference to
try to co-ordinate a new approach to funding. 

Deputy Prime Minister John Manley said he feels new
ideas about international aid are necessary. 

"It's very troubling. I think to see, you know, the
mess we've made of aid and support programs in a lot
of parts of the world," Manley said. 

But the declaration, known as the Monterrey Consensus,
has already been negotiated. It restates that wealthy
nations should give 0.7 per cent of their Gross
National Product (GNP). 

Few countries do that. Canada gives 0.25 per cent of
its GNP. 

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan had advocated a
doubling of development aid within a three year
period. 


Written by CBC News Online staff

=====
Adam T. Starr
Undergraduate of Political Science, UVic
3009 Quadra Street, Victoria, British Columbia
V8T 4G2 Canada
(011) (250) 472-1223
adam@hornbyisland.com or reunitedhornby@yahoo.com

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Movies - coverage of the 74th Academy Awards®
http://movies.yahoo.com/