The Chancellor's message to the countries of Africa was this: "We are aware of our responsibility and we will honour our commitments." The G8 needed to "fulfil the promises we made," she said.
Photo: REGIERUNGonline / Bergmann Welcome at the assembly rooms At the same time, the G8 and the African partners were in agreement that they would also have to fulfil their commitments, for example as regards democracy and good governance. Now the task was to see what had already been achieved in that respect and what still remained to be done.
Speaking on behalf of the African Union (AU), the Chairman, Ghanaian President John Kufuor, said that African countries were also prepared to play their part in making the Outreach Process a "true partnership".
Kufuor proposed establishing a body which would be responsible for supporting and regularly reviewing the co-operation.
US$60 billion to combat infectious diseases
Over the coming years the G8 will be making a total of US$60 billion (around €44 billion) available to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis. This is to be used to safeguard universal access to comprehensive HIV/AIDS prevention programmes, treatment and care, and to develop health systems at local level.
Particular attention in the fight against infectious diseases is to be paid to the needs of adolescent girls, women and children.
Germany will be providing €4 billion to support efforts to combat these illnesses.
A continent on the move
In their Final Declaration on Africa, the G8 underlined again their strong interest in a stable, democratic and prosperous African continent. The governments of the G8 countries stressed their firm resolve to implement the commitments made at the 2005 G8 Summit.
The historic debt relief is "well on the way", the document claims. Official development assistance (ODA) for Africa will be increased by $25 billion a year, compared to 2004, by 2010.
Photo: REGIERUNGonline / Bergmann Working session Despite political and economic reforms and the associated economic growth in countries in Africa, the G8 feel that much still remains to be done. A "vigorous impetus" seems necessary to ensure that Africa will achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
A further set of measures is thus to be introduced to promote sustainable development in Africa. The leading industrialised nations have made the following commitment: "We will focus on promoting growth and investments in order to combat poverty and hunger, to foster peace and security, good governance and the strengthening of health systems, and to assist the fight against infectious diseases."
Los líderes del G-8 en Alemania


Los líderes de G-8 en la 33ª Cumbre han anunciado un acuerdo sobre África que consiste en una donación de US$60 billones. El acuerdo, el cual todos los líderes aceptaron, que se llamará ''Growth and Responsibility for Africa'' (Crecimiento y Responsabilidad para África), es un cometido para ayudar a frenar las pandemias de SIDA, tuberculosis y malaria en el continente.

El comunicado dice que el G-8 "implementará un accionar para la prevención, el tratamiento y el cuidado del HIV" para lograr "el acceso universal al tratamiento para todos aquellos que lo necesiten para el 2010."

"Somos conscientes de nuestra responsabilidad y vamos a honrar el cometido," expresó la Canciller de Alemania, Angela Merkel

Las críticas hicieron notar, de todos modos, que el documento estimaba que "supondrá tratamiento anti-retroviral y salva-vida a través de esfuerzos bilaterales y multilaterales para alrededor de cinco millones de personas." Las Naciones Unidas estiman que alrededor de 9,8 millones necesitan ese tratamiento, 7 millones viviendo en África.

Los grupos activistas a favor de África dicen que no cumple con las expectativas de los objetivos de las Naciones Unidas. "Mientras que vidas serán salvadas con más dinero para el SIDA, esto representa una capa en ambición que costará finalmente más vidas," dijo Steve Cockburd de la ''Stop AIDS Campaign''.

"¿Creen que no sabemos leer o contar?" preguntó el músico/activista Bono. "Buscamos un lenguage responsable y números responsables: no conseguimos ninguno de ellos hoy."