News: G8 promises $60 Billion of Aid

Strange. A day after I posted an introspective blog-entry on the role and usefulness of humanitarian aid, the leaders of the G8 nations meeting in Germany announced to spend $60bn fighting Aids, malaria and tuberculosis in Africa.

Several aid agencies say member nations have not met the commitments they made at their 2005 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, and G8 leaders are acknowledging as much. Rock stars Bono and Bob Geldof were on the spot to remind the world leaders of their 2005 promise.
"There is a great crisis of credibility,” said Geldof in this article when he referred to the G8's unfulfilled commitment, “If I sign a contract in my business life and don't fulfil it, I would be sued. I could go to jail. Do these leaders live outside the norms of human behaviour?".

Interesting statement, raising an issue which could also be extended to areas other than commitments of foreign aid. Do we actually have mechanisms to keep our politicians to their promise, other than "not re-electing" them?

(With thanks to Ekram for the news links). Picture courtesy WFP (Judith Schuler). For updated humanitarian news, check out The Other World News