By IANS,
New Delhi : Although the G20 summit is seen as a “ray of hope” in the global economic gloom, international charity Save the Children Friday said that unless the pledges by the various world leaders are turned into action, the communique means very little.
Thomas Chandy, CEO of Save the Children, said: “While the summit is a good beginning, a communique feeds no one and words alone do not save a child’s life. But there is a ray of hope from the summit that the leaders may have grasped the chance to point the world in a fairer, more just direction.”
“In India alone, two million children are dying every year before their fifth birthday. These lives depend on how leaders like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh translate this communique into action,” he said.
“On the brink of our elections, we urge the prime minister to bring home the spirit of the G20 and ensure that the poorest children and their communities do not face the consequences of this economic crisis as it unfolds in India,” he added.
According to Chandy, the real success of the summit will be judged on the implementation of three main announcements in the summit.
“Implementation in terms of the important stimulus package agreed at the summit must now deliver real benefits for the world’s poorest, who have been hardest hit by the downturn. Despite the economic crisis, the recommitment of aid by countries should be delivered.
“Then again, as per the announcement, the promise to increase aid from development banks to poorer countries must deliver genuinely new resources focussed on the needs of the poorest,” Chandy said.
“We now need to see a burst of energy from the prime minister to deliver on the promises, and a commitment to prioritise a much needed focus on making sure schemes like National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and Integrated Child Development Services deliver effectively for the poorest children,” he added.