G8 Africa plan fails to impress Irish agencies

U2's Bono has urged the G8 to turn its widely-criticised commitment on development aid into "a historic new partnership" with Africa. He joined aid agencies and other non-governmental organisations yesterday in expressing disappointment with the G8 Africa Action Plan announced in Canada this week.

He said "incremental steps and distant promises" are still the G8's trademark.

It is understood the US was primarily responsible for the G8's decision to reject the British-backed New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), involving $6 billion in aid for Africa.

Mr Macdara Doyle of Concern said NEPAD deserved "a considered, studied response. It got nothing of the sort. Africa instead got a diplomatic slap in the face."

Mr David Joyce of the Debt and Development Coalition, said the G8 plan meant a continuation of "privatisation, market liberalisation and austerity measures, all of which we have been told would deliver but have not done so."

Of G8's commitment to pay $1 billion for debt relief, Mr Joyce said this would just cover the cost of a commodity price slump.

Trocaire director Mr Justin Kilcullen said the plan was a "historic compromise". On the G8's planned $20 billion to help decommission Russia's nuclear arsenal, he said "the same level of urgency should apply to Africa".