(mp3) NO to climate change, YES to Debt cancellation and ending Agricultural Subsidies

www.realworldradio.fm

Download mp3


By Asli Pelit




G8 summit ends in Gleneagles, Scotland, as British Prime Minister put it: "It isn't all everyone wanted, but it is progress," he said at the press conference he held this afternoon.




As expected, the leaders of the world richest nations did not agree on tackling the climate change, yet G8 agreed a $50 billion dollars debt cancellation, which will mean a full debt cancellation for 18 countries. Blair says, they also agreed to give approximately $3 billion dollars to Palestine, as a small contribution so that they can rebuilt their country after the Israeli pull out.




Blair said there was a commitment to find an end date for farm subsidies and a will to make a success of the Hong Kong trade round later this year. Some of us would like to have gone further and have a specific end date," he told reporters. Ttrade discussions in Hong Kong should yield an end date to agricultural subsidies, he added.




Although Blair did not name the country whose position was not to agree on Kyoto protocol, it is known and obvious that the United States, did not change its position on this issue, and therefore, the long-awaited plan to save our environment is stalemate. "My fear on climate change, if it is impossible to bring America into the consensus on tackling the issue... we will never ensure the huge emerging economies, who are going to consume more energy than any other part of the world, we will never ensure they are part of the dialogue,"he commented.




G8's offer for full debt cancellation for 18 countries, was the biggest step taken during the summit, yet African countries have been calling for debt relief for all Africa. African reporters asked when and how the aid was going to reach the continent and under what circumstances, Blair did not give an exact date, he said, "soon."




The G5 developing countries, Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa, put into the G8 agenda the removal of tariffs, subsidies and other barriers as a part of efforts to eradicate poverty. Blair said, they did not agree fully on this issue, and together with other issues that have not been resolved or agreed on, will be on the agenda of the World Trade Organization Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong, which will take place later this year.




Needless to say, the NGO's who hoped more from the summit were extremely disapointed with the results, especially the environmentalists.