Merkel Claims Success
June 8, 2007
At the official conclusion of the three-day meeting on Friday, Merkel said: "We have made far-reaching decisions on core issues."
Climate protection, globalization and Africa were at the center of the summit at the Baltic Sea resort of Heiligendamm.
The leaders of the world's wealthiest states agreed to "seriously consider" the goal of having global emissions by 2050. But Merkel was not successful in getting states to make firm numerical commitments.
The G8 also pledged $60 billion (44.5 billion euros) to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. But the declaration did not set out a specific timetable.
Gleneagles revisited?
In addition to the cash promises to tackle disease, the eight nations broadly reiterated pledges on Africa made at the 2005 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, when they said they would double development funding by 2010.
But activist groups have criticized both of the main measures agreed at the summit, which was attended by the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.
Development campaigners complained the G8 leaders had offered little fresh cash for the poor. Pop stars Bob Geldof and Bono, who have committed themselves to publicizing Africa's plight and who had met with Merkel ahead of the summit, were extremely dismissive.
Pop ambassadors unhappy
Geldof described the situation as a "farce" and, referring to the G8 leaders as "creeps," he urged them to "get serious." Bono said the G8 communiqué on Africa was designed to deliberately cloud the issue.
Aid agency Oxfam also attacked the pledges.
"We must not be distracted by big numbers," said an Oxfam policy adviser. "What the $60 billion headline means at best is just $3 billion extra in aid by 2010."
Environmental groups were also critical of the summit's achievements. Greenpeace would have preferred EU leaders to have moved ahead on climate change without the backing of the United States.
But the leaders launched the so-called Heiligendamm Process, a two-year project where the OECD will serve as a mediator for more permanent consultation between the G8 powers and the emerging market economies China, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa.
Coming closer
Issues such as climate protection and common obligations regarding aid to Africa are likely to feature in the talks.
"The message is that we can no longer get along without one another," Merkel said.
The G8 also called for a swift conclusion to the Doha round of world trade talk and urged all sides to show flexibility to get a deal. The round has been blighted by differences between the EU and the US over farm trade liberalization and soured disagreements with India and Brazil over high industrial tariffs.
On the last day of the summit, leaders made no progress on the question of the future status of the breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo. Russia opposes independence for the area, which has an ethnic Albanian majority.
Police defends arrests
German police officials meanwhile said that they kept 1,057 violent demonstrators in special detention centres during the G8 summit and were still holding 125 of them Friday.
Police commander Knut Abramowski said the police strategy had "basically" worked but admitted that he had been caught off-guard by demonstrators swarming through fields to the fence at the Heiligendamm compound.
He defended the preventive detention of violent protesters saying he had to protect his officers.
Leftist groups have denounced the conditions in the holding centers and asserted that many inmates were only held for donning the attire of the Black Block, a loose formation of anarchists and communists in the crowds.