* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Dear G7 leaders,
Today marks the first day of the G7 summit. In a few hours’ time, you will get together and have the chance to make this meeting a historical one for the world’s most vulnerable children.
I have been sitting at the G7 media summit in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria amongst my wonderful World Vision colleagues for a few days now. Work is full on...policy briefs, last minute checks and media advisories’; connecting with journalists...everything goes.
The conversation always turns to 'if G7 is still relevant’ or applicable in the 21st century with divided opinions.
Did you know that during the two days of this G7 summit, 34,000 children will die from preventable causes? That means, every day, 17,000 children continue to die from diseases like pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria in places dealing with conflict and disasters. Or are you aware that a 14-year old Jeremiah from South Sudan was forced to flee from home due to violence and is now thinking of joining the army to ensure survival? He is sadly one of the millions of children whose lives have been turned upside down due to conflicts.
World Vision thinks that in the current and ever changing geopolitical context, G7 is extremely relevant and has the power and influence to make it work for all, especially the most vulnerable and forgotten children around the world. They need to be at the forefront of your discussions today.
In this crucial year of 2015, you as G7 leaders will have a chance to keep building on the extraordinary progress made in international development in the past 15 years. Through past commitments made at G7 summits, you have all contributed directly to halving the number of people living in extreme poverty and the number of children dying from preventable deaths. Please don’t stop now.
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) expiring at the end of this year, and as G7 leaders, you have a chance to demonstrate leadership and support an ambitious post-2015 framework that ensures a fairer world for children.
It is possible to see a world where the number of children dying from preventable causes is zero, not 6.3 million. It is doable to have a world where children going hungry are nothing but a memory. And most of all, it is achievable to have a world where children know nothing of abuse, violence, war or labour.
Have I gotten you attention now?
Here are 5 ways the G7 can show leadership for children;
1. Contribute to finishing the unfinished business of the MDGs and commit to ending preventable child deaths by 2030
Despite progress made through the MDGs, 6.3 million children die every year, the majority from preventable causes. We know the causes and we know the solutions. It’s a matter of political will.
World Vision calls on the G7 leaders to:
- Support a goal on ending preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths by 2030 in the post-2015 negotiations and agree to tackle inequality by focusing on the children who are furthest behind.
- Commit to funding the next phase of the UN-led Every Woman Every Child movement
- Ensure a fully funded Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria
2. Focus on the most vulnerable children, especially those living in places affected by war, fragility and instability
From Syria to South Sudan, children in conflict areas suffer the greatest. The majority of child deaths occur, and most of the world’s undernourished, impoverished and uneducated children live in fragile and conflict-affected states. While global gains have been made in many countries, children living in places affected by war, fragility and instability have missed out on most of the progress made through the MDGs in the last 15 years. The G7 leaders have in the past committed a substantial proportion of their aid budgets to addressing conflict and security in fragile countries and regions.
World Vision calls on the G7 leaders to:
- Commit to the development needs of the world’s most vulnerable children in fragile and conflict-affected contexts particularly the DRC, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Syria.
3. Be more accountable
The G7 has made a number of specific pledges to improve maternal, newborn and child health and nutrition but its record on delivering on these is mixed, particularly in some of the world’s hardest places for children.
World Vision calls on the G7 leaders to:
- Report on progress against the promises they have made in the past for children, particularly those living in places affected by war, fragility and instability.
- Support the development of strong accountability mechanisms at all levels as part of the post-2015 framework that includes the participation of children and communities.
4. Commit to strengthening health systems
The consequences of Ebola have been devastating, far beyond the effects of the disease itself. The effects on children cannot be understated; losing their parents and siblings, witnessing horrific deaths, interruption to their lives, their schooling, and the livelihood opportunities of their families. The Ebola outbreak highlighted the importance of two cornerstones for effective disease prevention and treatment: functioning health systems and active community participation. It exposed the vulnerability of weak health systems, and the significant risk these pose to countries and the global community.
World Vision calls on the G7 leaders to:
Commit to strengthening countries’ disaster preparedness, risk reduction and capacity to respond to outbreaks.
- Support communities to be drivers of their own health through the provision of adequate information and support.
- Recognise the unique and vital role that faith leaders and communities have to play.
5. Climate change and its effect on children’s health
Degradation of the local and global environment threatens the lives, livelihoods and wellbeing of the poorest people in the world. As a child-focused organisation, World Vision is particularly concerned that climate change threatens the health and well-being of current and future generations of children. Climate change has been called ‘the greatest global health threat of the 21st century’.
- Expand the efforts to reduce negative effects of climate change on children’s health living in developing countries.
'Is G7 is still relevant' will always haunt the leaders unless they make sure they are relevant in ever changing geopolitical context. They have to assert their power and influence to make it work for all. There is no time like 2015 with Financing for Development in Addis in July, United Nations Post 23015 Summit in September and Climate Summit in December.
So come on, G7. Roll your sleeves and get to work.
Sincerely yours,
Geeta Bandi-Philips,
World Vision UK's External Relations Manager (@bandiphillips)
