Christian Aid response to High Level Panel report

 

Friday May 31 May 2013

HIGH LEVEL PANEL: A GOOD START, BUT INCREASING INEQUALITY CAN'T BE IGNORED

 

Responding to news of today's High Level Panel report on the global plan that should follow the Millennium Development Goals when they expire in 2015, Helen Dennis, Christian Aid's Senior Adviser on Poverty and Inequality, said:

'The Panel has made an encouraging start on a new global master plan to tackle poverty. Its recommendations on promoting women's equality are especially strong.

'Recommendations on protecting the environment, which include the phasing out of subsidies for fossil fuels, are also welcome.

 'We are also pleased to see a reference to tackling illicit finance flows and tax evasion, which will be especially important for long-term financing of sustainable development. Global action in both developed and developing countries will be needed to make sure that poor communities don't lose out from tax-dodging.

'Disappointingly, the Panel has shied away from suggesting action that could address increasing economic inequality in many countries. This is an awkward subject for some but sustainable development will only be achieved if we reduce the gap between the haves and the have-nots.  

'The Panel's report is a good one. We hope that governments around the world will now build on this work as they negotiate a new global plan to replace the Millennium Development Goals.'

For more information, contact the 24-hour press duty phone: 07850 242950.  

Notes to Editors:

1. Christian Aid works in some of the world's poorest communities in around 50 countries at any one time. We act where there is great need, regardless of religion, helping people to live a full life, free from poverty. We provide urgent, practical and effective assistance in tackling the root causes of poverty as well as its effects.

2. Christian Aid has a vision, an end to global poverty, and we believe that vision can become a reality. We believe that the underlying causes of poverty were made by, and can be ended by, human action. Our strategy for building the power of us all to end poverty is embodied in a new report 'Partnership for Change': http://www.christianaid.org.uk/Images/2012_strategy.pdf

3. Christian Aid is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of more than 130 churches and church-related organisations that work together in humanitarian assistance, advocacy and development. Further details at http://actalliance.org

4.Christian Aid is a member of Beyond 2015 which is a global campaign with over 600 participating organisations in nearly 100 countries. Beyond 2015 is calling for an ambitious post-2015 agenda in line with our vision of a more equitable and sustainable world. Beyond 2015 has been calling for the High-Level Panel report to deliver recommendations that are fit for purpose and in line with this vision."

5. Christian Aid is a member of the Enough Food For Everyone IF campaign, a collection of more than 180 agencies in the UK that is calling on governments to address some of the key factors causing global hunger, which at present afflicts nearly a billion people. As well as providing aid, it wants governments to stop big companies dodging tax in poor countries, prevent poor farmers being forced off their land, particularly by biofuel concerns, and insist on greater governmental and business transparency.

6. Follow Christian Aid's newswire on Twitter: http://twitter.com/caid_newswire

7. For more information about the work of Christian Aid visit http://www.christianaid.org.uk

 

 

 

---------  Enough Food For Everyone IF  Join the call for a fairer food system that works for all.  Visit www.christianaid.org.uk/if  ---------  Save paper, save trees and only print this email if you have to.  ---------  Christian Aid is a charity and company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales: 35 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RL. UK registered charity no. 1105851. Company no. 5171525.     Christian Aid also operates in Scotland: Registered Office: 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL. Charity no. SC039150    Christian Aid Ireland is a charity and company limited by guarantee registered in Northern Ireland: Unit 6 Linden House, Beechill Business Park, Belfast, BT8 7QN. Northern Ireland charity no: XR94639. Company no. NI059154.    Christian Aid Ireland is a registered charity and registered company limited by guarantee: 17 Clanwilliam Terrace, Dublin 2. Republic of Ireland charity no. CHY 6998. Company no. 426928.    Christian Aid Trading Limited is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales: 35 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RL. Company no. 1001742.  ---------  This e-mail has been scanned for viruses by Postini.