GCAP representatives of ten countries present in Hokkaido are deeply concern at how out of touch with reality the G8 seemed to be on the main issues related to ending poverty.
As the leaders of the Group of Eight (G-8) countries gathered in Hokkaido, Japan, today for their summit meeting, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated his call for urgent action to tackle three key challenges the world is currently grappling with.
Efforts to address the food crisis, climate change and the slow progress towards reaching the anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by their target date of 2015 “so far have been too divided, too sporadic, and too little,” Mr. Ban told a joint news conference with World Bank President Robert Zoellick.
GCAP Korea representative, Hykungung Kim was one of a group of international NGOs to meet Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda in Tokyo on Wednesday June 18th. She also tied a white and, the symbol of the campaign, around the wrist of the Prime Minister who stood for a photograph beside the campaign symbol, a Tanabata bamboo tree.
Representing the massive GCAP anti-poverty alliance, Hykungung explained to the Prime Minister how last year we mobilized over 1.2 million Voices Against Poverty which were presented to Chancellor Merkel just prior to the G8 Summit in Heiligendamm.
The President of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), Pedro Castro, and the UN Millennium Campaign Coordinator in Spain, Marina Navarro, signed today a collaboration agreement to reinforce the role of the Spanish Local Governments on the promotion of the MDGs.
This agreement contributes to the consolidation of the strategic alliance between the UN Millennium Campaign and the FEMP, and opens a new phase of joint work and closer collaboration.
The Summit on soaring food prices, convened by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has concluded with the adoption by acclamation of a declaration calling on the international community to increase assistance for developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and those that are most negatively affected by high food prices.
Food crisis task force meets
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today convened the inaugural meeting of a high-level task force of senior United Nations officials aimed at addressing the food crisis, noting that there was an urgent need to help the millions of people already suffering. The crisis threatens gains made in achieving Millennium Development Goal 1, which focuses on hunger and extreme poverty.
