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PRESS STATEMENT
"Debt Kills"
says Debt and Development
Coalition
Government has not Followed Through
on Debt....
Debt and Development Coalition Ireland
is deeply concerned that the Irish Government
has not followed through on it's promise
to put Debt Cancellation on the agenda during
our Presidency of the EU. This is all the
more incredible as the Irish Government
called for 100% debt cancellation in July
2002. 'This is an opportunity lost - and
we are bitterly disappointed'. Thousands
of children in Africa alone die because
of the debt crisis
The G8 leaders are currently meeting in
Sea Island, Georgia, USA - and the Taoiseach
will attend this meeting - in his role as
EU President. The Developing Countries Debt
Crisis is on the agenda. We wrote to the
Taoiseach recently (letter attached) asking
that he press the G8 leaders to cancel the
debt of impoverished nations. To date we
have had no response from the Taoiseach.
Jean Somers of the Debt and Development
Coalition said today, "Despite all
the hype - none of the poorest countries
are receiving total debt cancellation. This
is a scandal as it is well established that
canceling the debt is a very effective way
of helping tackle poverty. We are disappointed
that to date the Irish Government has not
delivered on its promise to put Debt on
the agenda during its Presidency of the
EU".
The terrible reality is that millions
of people in developing countries survive
on less than one Euro a day. These people
have little access to education or healthcare
- while their countries are strangled by
Debt. For instance Zambia is paying 1/3
of government revenue servicing its debt
while life expectancy has fallen sharply
to 37 years in the past decade.
The Debt and Development Coalition believes
that the G8, the controlling power among
the creditors, can dramatically help this
desperate situation.
The Taoiseach will be meeting some of the
most powerful people in the world when he
attends the G8. He will have a unique opportunity
to demand effective action on the debt crisis
on behalf of the disempowered. Debt kills:
the G8 must act now.
ENDS
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