Presentation to civil society representatives of the Deauville report on the G8’s development commitments (May 18)
Libya
Palestinian Territories
United States/ Situation of Dominique Strauss-Kahn
Presentation to civil society representatives of the Deauville report on the G8’s development commitments (May 18)
On May 18, cooperation minister Henri de Raincourt will welcome the representatives of the most important associations and NGOs engaged in development, presenting them with the Deauville report on accountability titled “G8 Commitments to health and food security: summary and results” during a working lunch.
In line with the first G8 report on accountability presented at the Muskoka Summit in 2010, this new report confirms the resolve of the heads of state to provide specific follow-up on G8 commitments on development, to report on their implementation and to guarantee transparency and traceability.
It is based on rigorous methodology: a quantitative approach that analyses actual amounts spent, and a qualitative approach based on an assessment of results, the identification of best practices and a measurement of the effectiveness of development aid.
In 2011, under the French presidency, the G8 focused on two priority sectors: health and food security.
As Henri de Raincourt will emphasize to associations and NGOs when he presents this report, in 2008 and 2009, the G8 allocated more than $24 billion in official development assistance (ODA) to the health sector, providing nearly 80% of the resources of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
As for food security, the minister will also stress that of the $20 billion pledged at the 2009 G8 summit in L’Aquila, nearly half the funds have been disbursed.
According to the OECD, G8 members contribute 70% of global ODA, or nearly $90 billion in 2010. Thanks to the objectives and commitments established by the G8, and to their collective approach, aid provided by the G8 rose by $31 billion between 2004 and 2010, a 54% increase.
In a report published yesterday, the NGO ONE criticized French Official Development Assistance. What’s your reaction?
I want to emphasize that France ascribes great importance to ODA. Allow me to remind you of a certain number of figures:
Of all the G8 members, France assumed one of the largest commitments to ODA. In Gleneagles, it pledged to achieve an ODA ratio of 0.5% of GNI in 2007, two-thirds of which would be allocated to Africa (and not specifically to Sub-Saharan Africa, as the ONE report indicates). In 2005, France joined the European consensus to provide ODA amounting to 0.51% of GNI in 2010.
In 2010, despite the financial crisis, France nearly achieved its objective, with French ODA reaching 0.5% of GNI, or 9.75 billion euros.
This is the highest ODA level ever achieved in terms of volume and the highest in 15 years in terms of proportion of GNI. In 2010, France was the world’s third-largest provider of net ODA, after the United States and the United Kingdom. Our ratio (0.5%) exceeds the average ratio of the European countries on this committee (0.46%).
In 2010, France allocated 54% of its net ODA, i.e., $4.2 billion, to Africa, making it one of that continent’s most committed partners. Indeed, France is the country that focuses its ODA efforts the most on Africa, ahead of the EU (43%), the UK (38%), the US (30%) and Germany.
The entire progression of ODA between 2009 and 2010 is due to the increase in bilateral assistance, which represented 60% of total net ODA in 2010. The portion of this assistance connected with debt management decreased slightly, representing only 18% of bilateral assistance in 2010.
French bilateral aid to Sub-Saharan Africa between 2004 and 2010 rose 15% ($3.421 billion in 2010 compared with $2.964 billion in 2004. Considering total ODA, France’s disbursements to Sub-Saran Africa are $5.6 billion, an increase of 32% since 2004.
Generally speaking, France’s efforts, and those of the EU, in the current budgetary crisis, are remarkable. They are appreciated by the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee (DAC). The EU represents only 35% of global GDP but it finances nearly 60% of global assistance.
In 2010, France adopted a strategy of development cooperation, through which it will more effectively target its assistance and its instruments according to the countries needing assistance, though differential partnerships; it decided to focus its most concessional resources on Africa and on 14 priority poor countries in particular (of which 13 are LDCs). These 14 countries will benefit from more than half of the subsidies devoted to France’s cooperation policy.
The NGO ONE analyses the ODA of donors according to its own different interpretation of the international standards relating to ODA, that of the OECD’s DAC.
Debt cancellation is however an element of ODA in its own right; it offers significant budgetary leeway for our partners. The NGOs have also, alongside France (Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative), argued strongly in favor of debt cancellation on the grounds that the debt service burden on the poorest countries stifles their economies.
The issues and challenges of development now require a collective response; its objectives will only be achieved by promoting a global approach to financing it. That’s why, as ONE underlines, France plays a key role in promoting innovative financing for development (leading donor to UNITAID, 2nd leading donor to the International Finance Facility for Immunization (IFFim), the financing capable of generating stable and predictable volumes of capital on a scale necessary to meet demand.
Do you have any information allowing you to confirm the Libyan oil minister’s views?
No, but on the other hand we are witnessing, day after day, Qaddafi’s isolation and the erosion of his entourage. An increasing number of them are becoming aware of the situation of deadlock in which they find themselves, at the political as well as the personal level. They’re very often distancing themselves from Qaddafi. I don’t know whether the Libyan oil minister can be included in this category, but we can’t recommend it strongly enough.
Furthermore, I reaffirm that the ICC has spoken out against Mr. Qaddafi, against his son and against the head of the intelligence service. It’s therefore very clear where the responsibilities lie.
Do you have any news regarding the French nationals arrested in Benghazi?
Our ambassador in Benghazi launched a diplomatic initiative on May 14 in order to assert our right to provide consular protection and to secure visitation rights for our 4 detained compatriots.
He therefore met with our 4 nationals that same day and communicated their identities to the Ministry’s Crisis Center which is in contact with the families concerned.
The body of our deceased compatriot was repatriated to France by the Ministry’s Crisis Center.
A local investigation is under way in order to establish the circumstances of this tragedy and our ambassador is in close contact with the NTC regarding this issue.
Could you comment on what happened on May 15 between Israel and the Palestinian Territories?
Please refer to the statement I issued yesterday on this issue.
Yesterday, the Arab League indicated that Mr. Juppé would be in Ramallah today and this morning it denied it. Could you clarify the situation?
As Alain Juppé indicated, he plans to visit the region. This visit is currently being prepared and should take place very soon.
Will he go to Gaza?
The visit is currently being prepared.
[…]
The minister talked about Israel’s “bunkerization” the other day. His Israeli counterpart responded quite sharply. Is there a minor crisis?
No. We saw the information mentioning an anonymous Israeli official but it’s difficult to know who could have said that. In an interview that he gave to a major Arab newspaper last weekend, Alain Juppé talked about inter-Palestinian reconciliation, saying that we shouldn’t be anxious about this type of development. This calls to mind a certain number of fundamental principles: the recognition of Israel, the renunciation of violence, the recognition of past agreements, etc. The Israelis and the Palestinians are well aware of our position, and everyone knows our commitment to making progress towards peace. President Sarkozy said this in his recent interview with “L’Express” magazine. Alain Juppé also had the opportunity to elaborate on this during the past few days. France is fully committed to moving things forward so that we don’t remain at an unproductive standstill which would mean that we would all get to the UN General Assembly in September without having made any real progress.
In order to arrange this visit, we have to find time slots in the schedule; everyone’s schedules need to coincide. That’s where we are at the moment.
[…]
United States/ Situation of Dominique Strauss-Kahn
Did the French Consulate indicate to Judge Jackson that it would guarantee that Dominique Strauss-Kahn would remain in the United States? I wanted to be certain that there had been contact between the consular authorities and the American judicial system.
We uphold two principles. Firstly respect for the independence of the American justice system. If there has to be contact with this justice system, then it’s the responsibility of Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers. The second principle is our duty to provide consular protection to Dominique Strauss-Kahn. It’s within this framework that our Consul General in New York met with our compatriot on Saturday evening, New York time. We will of course continue to carry out this consular mission.
You said that the Consulate General in France isn’t in contact with the American justice system regarding this affair and that you’re leaving this to Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s lawyers. Does France have the right to demand his repatriation given that he may incur a prison sentence of 74 years?
You’re already delivering the sentence while we’re still at the investigation stage. This requires us to respect the fundamental principle of the independence of justice. As far as I know, the consulate isn’t in contact with the judge. We’re in contact with the American authorities, with the IMF, but not with the judge. Consular protection allows us to have access to our compatriot in his place of detention so that we can ensure that everything is, as far as possible, going well for him. […]