2005 was the year of the Africa Commission, the G9 conference, the Live8 concert and the Make Poverty History campaign. Demands were made, promises were made. Now it is time to fulfill those promises, satisfy those demands. DFID has published an update of the commitments: future milestones to keep an eye for.
If completed, DFID expects that by the end of the year we would have:
- An effective mechanism to ensure delivery of African and donor commitments, with first Africa Partnership Forum Annual Progress Report published in October 2006.
- Increased aid in 2006 and plans in place to increase aid by $50bn a year globally by 2010.
- International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm) up and running.
- Multilateral debts of countries which have reached HIPC completion point, cancelled.
- A world trade deal that will substantially help poor countries, provide extra aid for private sector development, and cut agriculture and end export subsidies.
- An operational African Union Stand-By Force able to deploy up to 20,000 personnel. An effective UN Peace Building Commission.
- UN Convention Against Corruption in force. Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative being implemented in up to 20 countries worldwide. Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) completed and recommendations being implemented in 2 countries; APRM governance self-assessment process underway in a further 6 countries.
- 12 ‘first wave’ countries (globally) working with donors’ support to scale up health and education programmes and eliminate official user fees. Education for All Fast Track Initiative expanded to 40 countries. Progress on access to clean water and sanitation.
- 3 million people receiving essential AIDS treatment. Plan being implemented to provide universal access to AIDS treatment by 2010. Significant progress on UNAIDS Global Task Team Recommendations on using money more effectively to combat AIDS.
- A reformed and more effective international humanitarian system, able to prevent as well as respond to humanitarian emergencies.