June, 22 2010, 08:17am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Melinda St. Louis, Deputy Director, 202-441-7579, melinda@jubileeusa.org,
or
Hayley Hathaway, Communications Coordinator, 860-205-6078, hayley@jubileeusa.org
G20 Gets "D" Grade for Breaking Commitments to the World's Poorest
New Report Analyzes Progress on Past Commitments; Offers Recommendations Ahead of Summit
WASHINGTON
Today the Jubilee USA Network, an alliance of 75 religious
denominations and faith communities, labor, environmental, and human
rights groups, and development agencies, issued a progress report titled
"Making the Grade? The G20's Commitment to the World's Poorest." The
report finds that G20 leaders have made shockingly little progress since
their last summit on development commitments and calls on leaders to
take bold action to support the world's poorest at a gathering of world
leaders this week.
The report's release comes just ahead of the
upcoming G20 summit in Toronto, Canada on June 26-27th with leaders from
countries representing 85 percent of the world's economy.
upcoming G20 summit in Toronto, Canada on June 26-27th with leaders from
countries representing 85 percent of the world's economy.
The scorecard evaluates the G20's progress toward key commitments made
at the conclusion of its first summit on the global economic crisis in
April 2009. New analysis shows that, in the past nine months since the
G-20's September summit in Pittsburgh, only $1.2 billion in additional
money has been clearly accounted for and delivered to low-income
countries - an amount equivalent to money spent by the Canadian
government for the upcoming three-day G8/G20 summits.
at the conclusion of its first summit on the global economic crisis in
April 2009. New analysis shows that, in the past nine months since the
G-20's September summit in Pittsburgh, only $1.2 billion in additional
money has been clearly accounted for and delivered to low-income
countries - an amount equivalent to money spent by the Canadian
government for the upcoming three-day G8/G20 summits.
"There is something wrong when more political will
exists for the U.S. to mobilize $285 billion to bailout the top 20
too-big-to-fail Wall Street companies within a few months than for the
entire G20 to deliver on $50 billion in promises to the 78 poorest
countries in the world. In more than a year, only $24.7 billion has
been delivered, and nearly all of that has been new loans, which could
provoke a renewed debt crisis - the last thing our global economy
needs." says Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA Network.
exists for the U.S. to mobilize $285 billion to bailout the top 20
too-big-to-fail Wall Street companies within a few months than for the
entire G20 to deliver on $50 billion in promises to the 78 poorest
countries in the world. In more than a year, only $24.7 billion has
been delivered, and nearly all of that has been new loans, which could
provoke a renewed debt crisis - the last thing our global economy
needs." says Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of Jubilee USA Network.
On Tuesday, faith leaders will meet with U.S.
Treasury Under Secretary for International Affairs Lael Brainard before
she attends the summit. They will share the findings of the report and
encourage the U.S. to be a leader within the G20 in support of the
world's poorest.
Treasury Under Secretary for International Affairs Lael Brainard before
she attends the summit. They will share the findings of the report and
encourage the U.S. to be a leader within the G20 in support of the
world's poorest.
"Last year the G20 took responsibility for the economic crisis and
committed to help those most affected: the world's most impoverished.
Now, in the face of deepening poverty and debt, we need to ensure that
leaders at the third G20 Summit do not sweep the reality of the world's
poor under the rug. They need to commit to providing debt relief and
grant support," says Ruth Messenger, President of the American Jewish
World Service, a member of the Jubilee USA Network.
committed to help those most affected: the world's most impoverished.
Now, in the face of deepening poverty and debt, we need to ensure that
leaders at the third G20 Summit do not sweep the reality of the world's
poor under the rug. They need to commit to providing debt relief and
grant support," says Ruth Messenger, President of the American Jewish
World Service, a member of the Jubilee USA Network.
The report gives the G20 a failing grade on its
commitments to fulfilling past aid pledges and working toward the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
commitments to fulfilling past aid pledges and working toward the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
"The tragic
reality is that if G20 countries do not meet their commitments to the
world's poorest, we may see a reversal in past progress made in fighting
extreme poverty," says Sering Falu Njie, Deputy Director of the United
Nations Millennium Campaign. "By failing to provide grant assistance to
poor countries, the G20 is contributing to a renewed debt crisis for
poor countries. At this upcoming summit, we are calling on the U.S. to
lead within the G20 to take bold action to ensure that the most
vulnerable are not forgotten."
reality is that if G20 countries do not meet their commitments to the
world's poorest, we may see a reversal in past progress made in fighting
extreme poverty," says Sering Falu Njie, Deputy Director of the United
Nations Millennium Campaign. "By failing to provide grant assistance to
poor countries, the G20 is contributing to a renewed debt crisis for
poor countries. At this upcoming summit, we are calling on the U.S. to
lead within the G20 to take bold action to ensure that the most
vulnerable are not forgotten."
The report finds that the G20 has fallen short of
several more of its commitments to benefit the poorest - from stemming
the illicit flight of capital through tax havens to governance reform of
the international financial institutions to addressing the urgent
threat posed by climate change. Accountability, transparency, and
governance reforms all are lagging in implementation.
several more of its commitments to benefit the poorest - from stemming
the illicit flight of capital through tax havens to governance reform of
the international financial institutions to addressing the urgent
threat posed by climate change. Accountability, transparency, and
governance reforms all are lagging in implementation.
Some of the report's key policy recommendations for
the G20 meeting in Toronto include:
the G20 meeting in Toronto include:
- Ensure
that promises to fully deliver $50 billion in assistance to the poorest
are delivered without further delay, without harmful conditions, and on
grant terms. - Institute a two-year moratorium
on debt service payments by low income countries, and commit to deliver
expanded debt cancellation to all poor countries whose debt levels
currently prevent them from meeting their people's basic needs and which
struggle under a burden of odious and illegitimate debt. - Demand that the IMF use its
windfall profit of over $2.5 billion from gold sales for debt relief and
non-debt-creating financial assistance to low-income countries. - Insist upon far-reaching reforms
in IMF and World Bank economic policy conditionality before delivering
any further funding to these institutions. - Take ambitious steps help finance
the fight against climate change, which has disproportionate impacts on
the poorest countries, by committing to dramatic increases in
additional funds they will mobilize for mitigation and adaptation,
utilizing innovative sources such as a currency transaction levy. - Broaden the discussion on
international economic cooperation beyond the 20 most powerful economies
to include low-income countries and smaller economies.
The progress report is available here.
Jubilee USA Network is an interfaith, non-profit alliance of religious, development and advocacy organizations. We are 75 U.S. institutions and more than 750 faith groups working across the United States and around the globe. We address the structural causes of poverty and inequality in our communities and countries around the world.
(202) 783-3566LATEST NEWS
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Apr 23, 2024
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Mountain Valley Pipeline LLC sent a letter Monday to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Acting Secretary Debbie-Anne Reese seeking final permission to begin operation on the MVP next month, even while acknowledging that much of the Virginia portion of the pipeline route remains unfinished and developers have yet to fully comply with safety requirements.
"In a manner typical of its ongoing disrespect for the environment, Mountain Valley Pipeline marked Earth Day by asking FERC for authorization to place its dangerous, unnecessary pipeline into service in late May," said Jessica Sims, the Virginia field coordinator for Appalachian Voices.
"MVP brazenly asks for this authorization while simultaneously notifying FERC that the company has completed less than two-thirds of the project to final restoration and with the mere promise that it will notify the commission when it fully complies with the requirements of a consent decree it entered into with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration last fall," she continued.
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Appalachian Voices noted that MVP's request comes days before pipeline developer Equitrans Midstream is set to release its 2024 first-quarter earnings information on April 30.
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On Monday, climate and environmental defenders also petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, challenging FERC's approval of the MVP's planned Southgate extension, contending that the project is so different from original plans that the government's previous assent is now irrelevant.
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Others renewed warnings about the dangers MVP poses to wildlife.
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U.S. workers' rights advocates and groups celebrated on Tuesday after the Federal Trade Commission voted 3-2 along party lines to approve a ban on most noncompete clauses, which Democratic FTC Chair Lina Khansaid "keep wages low, suppress new ideas, and rob the American economy of dynamism."
"The FTC's final rule to ban noncompetes will ensure Americans have the freedom to pursue a new job, start a new business, or bring a new idea to market," Khan added, pointing to the commission's estimates that the policy could mean another $524 for the average worker, over 8,500 new startups, and 17,000 to 29,000 more patents each year.
As Economic Policy Institute (EPI) president Heidi Shierholz explained, "Noncompete agreements are employment provisions that ban workers at one company from working for, or starting, a competing business within a certain period of time after leaving a job."
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The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has suggested it plans to file a lawsuit that, as The American Prospectdetailed, "could more broadly threaten the rulemaking authority the FTC cited when proposing to ban noncompetes."
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Morgan Harper, director of policy and advocacy at the American Economic Liberties Project, praised the FTC for "listening to the comments of thousands of entrepreneurs and workers of all income levels across industries" and finalizing a rule that "is a clear-cut win."
Demand Progress' Emily Peterson-Cassin similarly commended the commission "for taking a strong stance against this egregious use of corporate power, thereby empowering workers to switch jobs and launch new ventures, and unlocking billions of dollars in worker earnings."
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Democracy defenders on Tuesday hailed a ruling from a U.S. federal judge striking down a 19th-century North Carolina law criminalizing people who vote while on parole, probation, or post-release supervision due to a felony conviction.
In Monday's decision, U.S. District Judge Loretta C. Biggs—an appointee of former Democratic President Barack Obama—sided with the North Carolina A. Philip Randolph Institute and Action NC, who argued that the 1877 law discriminated against Black people.
"The challenged statute was enacted with discriminatory intent, has not been cleansed of its discriminatory taint, and continues to disproportionately impact Black voters," Biggs wrote in her 25-page ruling.
Therefore, according to the judge, the 1877 law violates the U.S. Constitution's equal protection clause.
"We are ecstatic that the court found in our favor and struck down this racially discriminatory law that has been arbitrarily enforced over time," Action NC executive director Pat McCoy said in a statement. "We will now be able to help more people become civically engaged without fear of prosecution for innocent mistakes. Democracy truly won today!"
Voting rights tracker Democracy Docket noted that Monday's ruling "does not have any bearing on North Carolina's strict felony disenfranchisement law, which denies the right to vote for those with felony convictions who remain on probation, parole, or a suspended sentence—often leaving individuals without voting rights for many years after release from incarceration."
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"It also makes our democracy better and ensures that North Carolina is not able to unjustly criminalize innocent individuals with felony convictions who are valued members of our society, specifically Black voters who were the target of this law," Brown added.
North Carolina officials have not said whether they will appeal Biggs' ruling. The state Department of Justice said it was reviewing the decision.
According to Forward Justice—a nonpartisan law, policy, and strategy center dedicated to advancing racial, social, and economic justice in the U.S. South, "Although Black people constitute 21% of the voting-age population in North Carolina, they represent 42% of the people disenfranchised while on probation, parole, or post-release supervision."
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