Italy and France criticised over G8 target shortfall

SOME G8 nations made encouraging progress last year towards fulfilling the commitments they made at the 2005 Gleneagles Summit to fight extreme poverty in Africa.

But two G8 members – Italy and France – are performing so poorly they are threatening to cause the G8 as a whole to default, according to the 2009 DATA Report to be released today by global advocacy organisation, ONE.

Based on analysis of Official Development Assistance (ODA) figures for 2008, the G8 have only delivered one third of the additional assistance they promised to Africa by 2010, despite being two-thirds of the way to the deadline.