G8 Summit: Aid to Africa $40 Billion Short of the Gleneagles Pledge

“I want to hold the G8 countries to their promise. When you sign a contract, you absolutely must stick to it.” - Angelique Kidjo.

The Group of Eight (G8) aid to Africa will fall $40 billion short of the Gleneagles pledge under current plans, according to a report last month by an Africa Progress Panel, which was set up to monitor implementation of the 2005 commitments. G8 nations are falling short of grand pledges they made at a summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, in 2005 to double aid to Africa by 2010.

The G8 will seek to convince a skeptical Africa on Monday that it is living up to promises to double aid to the world’s poorest continent… seven African leaders have been invited to join the opening day of G8 annual summit.

The G8, consists of the world’s eight leading industrialized powers - Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and Russia.

On the web: Follow the G8 summit in Japan