As The Netherlands announced â,¬2,5-billion over five years in education aid on Monday, South Africa said a global trade system that was “fairer” to poor countries would help even more.
Ministers from the two countries sparred at a news conference meant to assess progress toward the United Nations goal of achieving universal primary education by 2015.
A week earlier, World Trade Organisation talks in Cancun, Mexico, collapsed after South Africa and other major developing countries, arguing that their concerns about Western farm subsidies were being given short-shrift, refused to budge on demands for concessions from richer members.
United States and European leaders have warned that poor countries were ultimately hurting themselves, arguing that freer trade would promote greater growth for all.
But South African Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel disagreed that the talks were a failure.
“I think that we were able to communicate very strongly that we are a force, that we represent the majority of the world’s people, and that there will be no agreement … about us without us,” he said.
Dutch Minister of International Development Agnes van Ardenne agreed a stronger voice for the poor was “a step further”, but said Cancun was “also a setback regarding the fact that we tried to get more people out of poverty”.
She announced a â,¬2.5 billion, five-year grant for a “fast-track initiative” to help developing countries hire teachers, buy textbooks and build classrooms.
“I think we should stop talking, but we should do the walk,” the Dutch minister said. “We can get people out of poverty. We can give them more dignity and self-respect whenever we are investing in education for all.”
Van Ardenne said she will campaign for more money for basic education at a meeting on Monday of the World Bank’s Development Committee.
The year-old programme needs about $4-billion a year, said senior vice-president Jean-Louis Sarbib of the World Bank, which is holding its fall meeting in Dubai this week. “There is still a shortfall.”
Yet Manuel said even a fully funded initiative “can only assist in kick-starting” local programmes.
“Assessments of these programmes depends on the ability of poor countries to generate economic development on a sustainable basis, and for that we need a fairer trade system,” he said. — Sapa-AP
World Bank looking to revive trade talks