Sir, - We in Jubilee 2000 Ireland would like to express our thanks to all who have supported the Debt Cancellation Campaign for the world's developing countries. In June 1999, 17 million signatures were presented to the leaders of the G8 nations at their summit meeting in Cologne, Germany. Over 800,000 signatures came from Ireland alone. The commitment from ordinary people around the world has been remarkable.
The important achievement of the campaign to date is that the debt issue has been put on the political agenda of the leaders of the world's richest nations. But the debt crisis is far from over. We in Jubilee 2000 Ireland are extremely angry at how little progress has been made on debt cancellation in spite of all the promises since last year's highly publicised Cologne debt deal. Although all the G8 countries have made high-profile promises to cancel 100 per cent of the debt owed to themselves, away from the media spotlight little has been delivered. Given that 19,000 children die every day as a result of the debt crisis, this lack of action by the richest countries in the world is shocking.
The G8 dominate the IMF, the World Bank and the Paris Club, the main bodies dealing with debt crisis. Under their guidance any debt "relief" depends on the implementation of structural adjustment programmes, which means that developing countries have to fulfil stringent conditions. These damage education, health care and the environment and contribute to civil strife and refugee numbers. Are the IMF and World Bank, whose very power derives from the debt, the right institutions to be placed in charge of resolving the debt crisis? Are they really likely to relinquish the power the debt crisis gives them? Why did the Irish government in 1999 pass an Act through the Dail which, among other things, committed £7 million to the IMF's international lending programme, the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Programme (ESAF)?
It is imperative that we continue with the campaign. The real goal is not simply debt cancellation but a world economy and a world society that is marked by equity, participation, transparency and accountability. The debt has been repaid many times over by the developing countries. It is important to ask: who owes what to whom?
From July 21st to 23rd, the G8 will hold their summit in Okinawa, Japan. It will be the third G8 summit in a row that will be under pressure from Jubilee 2000 campaigners around the world to end the debt crisis. To put the spotlight on the Japanese G8 summit Jubilee 2000 Ireland supporters will march to all the G8 embassies in Dublin on July 13th to demand progress on debt cancellation. - Yours, etc.,
Pat Raleigh, Co-ordinator, Jubilee 2000 Ireland, All Hallows College, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.