Letter to Canadian G7 Finance Minister

The letter calls on Canada to support efforts to develop a comprehensive funding plan to achieve universal access to HIV prevention, care and treatment by 2010. The letter also calls on the Minister of Finance to work with his G8 partners to promote the immediate and unconditional cancellation of 100% of the multilateral and bilateral debt owed by countries with high HIV/AIDS rates.
January 30, 2007

The Honourable James M. Flaherty

Minister of Finance,

Department of Finance Canada

140 O'Connor Street

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G5

Dear Minister:

Re: Demonstrating Canada's Commitment to a Comprehensive Funding Plan for Universal Access to HIV Prevention, Care and Treatment by 2010

As international development organizations, humanitarian organizations, AIDS service organizations, trade unions, faith-based groups and human rights organizations, we are writing to encourage you to continue showing Canada's commitment to address the global HIV/AIDS crisis when you participate in the G8 Finance Ministers meeting on February 9-10 in Essen, Germany.

At the Gleneagles Summit in July 2005, G8 leaders promised to develop and implement a package for HIV prevention, treatment and care, with the aim of as close as possible to universal access to treatment for all those who need it by 2010. Canada was among the countries that reaffirmed a commitment to this target during the G8 Summit in Russia. However, we are deeply concerned that 18 months after this ambitious target was agreed, the funding needed to ensure its delivery has yet to be committed. In 2007 alone, $8.1 billion is needed to close the funding gap. As a result, over 75% of people urgently needing life-saving HIV treatment are not receiving it, and last year almost 3 million people died unnecessarily of AIDS-related illnesses. Prevention that could stop transmission to newborns reaches less that 10% of pregnant women. Less that 50% of young people have the knowledge they need to stay healthy. The well-demonstrated links between HIV infection, progression to AIDS, poverty and food insecurity continue to be ignored.

Growth and responsibility are central themes of Germany’s G8 presidency, and the German Government has announced that the 2010 target will be on the agenda at the G8 summit in June. However, without a funding plan in place making progress to halt the HIV pandemic will become just another broken promise.

We urge you to work with the German Government and other G8 Finance Ministers, beginning at the G8 Finance Ministers meeting in February, to agree to a comprehensive funding plan for universal access to HIV prevention care and treatment by 2010. This funding plan should map out how donor countries intend to urgently increase revenue and channel much-needed additional money to fully fund all national targets. As a starting point, funding for universal access must have a prominent place on the agenda at the G8 Finance Ministers meeting in February.

We are also alarmed by the fact that many countries heavily burdened by AIDS continue to spend disproportionately high percentages of their national revenue on servicing the debt held by multilateral agencies and banks. This money could be put to better use supporting the expansion of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support programs at home. Expecting countries to continue servicing debt while their people are not accessing treatments is an injustice and a travesty.

The Gleneagles Summit announced debt relief for some Heavily Indebted Poor Countries but the G8 Finance Ministers need to finish the job started in 2005. We urge you as Minister of Finance to work with your G8 partners to promote the immediate and unconditional cancellation of 100% of the multilateral and bilateral debt owed by all countries burdened by AIDS, debt and poverty and to ensure that debt cancellation is not conditional on macro-economic policies that hinder the fight against poverty and the AIDS pandemic.

In making these requests we join a broader coalition of civil society organisations from across the G8 countries. In the coming weeks our partners will contact your counterparts in Germany, France, Italy, Japan, UK, the USA and Russia with identical demands. Campaigners from across our membership will also be directly lobbying the German Finance Minister, Peer Steinbrueck, asking him to lead negotiations towards a funding plan.

2007 represents a make-or-break point for the 2010 target. We hope that you and other G8 Finance Ministers will support this initiative and provide a lifeline to people living with HIV and AIDS around the world.

Yours Sincerely,

Michael O’Connor
Executive Director – Interagency Coalition on AIDS and Development (ICAD)

On behalf of:

ACCSPA
Action Canada for Population and Development
AIDS Bow Valley
AIDS Committee of London
Alberta Community Council on HIV (ACCH)
Asian Society for the Intervention of AIDS (ASIA)
Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Women's Health - Dalhousie University
BC Persons with AIDS Society
Bruce House
Canada-Africa Community Health Alliance
Canadian AIDS Society
Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE)
Canadian Physicians for AID and Relief (CPAR)
Canadian Treatment Action Council (CTAC)
CARE Canada
Central Alberta AIDS Network Society
Dignitas International
HIV Network of Edmonton Society
HIV West Yellowhead
ICASO
Jackie Heim
Lawrence Heights Community Health Centre
Maison Plein Coeur
MATCH International Centre
Mennonite Central Committee
Plan Canada
Positively Africa
Primate's World Relief and Development Fund
Rooftops Canada
Tariq Bhanjee
The Marquis Project
The SHARP Foundation (Society Housing AIDS Restricted Persons)
United Steelworkers Humanity Fund
University of Alberta
Youth Challenge International

c.c. Right Honorable Stephen Harper – Prime Minister of Canada
Honorable Peter Harder – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Int’l Trade

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