Blah, Blah, Bust : Too much talk, not enough action from world leaders

Taormina, Italy (May 27, 2017) – This year’s G7 summit has ended without substantial commitments to help the world’s most vulnerable.

Instead of meaningfully addressing the world’s most pressing problems, more attention was paid to handshakes and rhetoric. Unless Canada steps up in 2018, the days of the G7 as a forum for real visionary change may well be numbered.

“In 2015, the G7 made an ambitious commitment to lift 500 million vulnerable people out of poverty and hunger by 2030 continuing its legacy as champions in ending hunger.,” stated Sheri Arnott, Director of External Engagement & Policy for Food Assistance at World Vision International. “Two years down the road, there is little to show that they are committed to moving from vision to action in making concrete improvements in the lives vulnerable children and families.”

G7 Fails:

• No real commitment to address the needs of 20 million people on the brink of starvation in 4 countries
• No tangible solutions for at least 3.7 million Syrian children who have known nothing but war
• No fresh climate change policy to address the disproportionate suffering in developing countries
• No remedy for 5 million children dying before their 5th birthday from preventable, treatable diseases
• No action to protect millions of child labourers making products governments & consumers buy each day

“While we understand that this was the first summit for 4 of the leaders, this does not excuse a lack of decisive action to address some truly devastating crises afflicting the world’s most vulnerable children,” said Chris Derksen-Hiebert, Director of Policy for World Vision International, “The world needs to act before it’s too late, millions of lives are at serious risk.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, host of G7 2018 has a true opportunity to leverage his global popularity to inspire new political and financial commitments from his peers to address the world’s worst crises and promote lasting change for the world’s most vulnerable people, especially women and children.

“Prime Minister Trudeau keeps saying the right things. As the world looks to Canada’s G7 Presidency in 2018, it’s time for Trudeau to create a game-changing legacy on the global stage. Canada has an opportunity to rally global leaders to champion the rights of children, particularly gender equality, inclusion and non-discrimination,” added Martin Fischer, Director of Policy for World Vision Canada. “It’s time Canada’s feminist prime minister rallies his peers to realize the rights and drive lasting change for the most excluded women and girls, especially in the world’s toughest places.”

With this disappointing G7 over, the world now looks to the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany on July 7-8.

“Hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children risk not being around next year if there is no food reaching them soon. They do not have the luxury of hoping for a better summit in 2018,” Marwin Meier, Manager of Health & Advocacy for World Vision Germany plead, “World Vision therefore calls on the G20 meeting to show a more coherent and compassionate leadership than the powers who met today: G20 – please act now!”