European parliament hearing / The EU towards the UN summit on the MDGs / Binding commitments on health and education needed
BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, May 27, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ — European parliament hearing / The EU towards the UN summit on the MDGs / binding commitments on health and education needed
1st June 2010, 12:00 – 14:00
European Parliament, Room ASP 1E1
Lunch provided
The hearing will discuss the appalling state of the EU’s MDG contributions and launch the
authoritative report ’2015 Watch: The EU’s Contribution to the Millennium Development Goals.
Keeping the Goals Alive’, published by Alliance2015, a body set up by Europe’s leading NGOs to
track the EU’s MDG record.
Three weeks before the Council will have the MDG package on its agenda the report expresses
serious concern about inadequate and dramatically falling EU aid levels in crucial areas, such as
food, health and education, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. While heavy investment in the
social sector would be necessary to shield the poor from the recession’s onslaught, allocation
to food decreased from 4% of total funding (2005) to 1.5% (2008), basic health from 4.7% to
1.3% and basic education from 2.7% to 1.1%.
Alliance2015 urges the European Commission to show ambitious leadership in the lead-up to
the UN Summit on the MDGs in September and be a determined advocate at the UN for
additional investment in social sectors.
Key note speakers:
Mr Stefano Manservisi, Director General DG Development, European Commission
Mr Vagn Berthelsen, President Alliance 2015
Mr Marcus Leroy, Special Coordinator on the MDGs for Belgian Development Cooperation
Mr Aristotelis Bouratsis, Director Relations with non-state actors, Europe Aid
Mrs Francesca Mosca, Director Quality Control EuropeAid (tbc)
Mrs Francoise Moreau, Acting Director, EU Development Policy: Horizontal Issues, DG
Development
Alliance2015 is a strategic partnership of seven European development NGOs working together
to play their part in reaching the Millennium Development Goals.
SOURCE
Alliance2015
