Irish band U2 vocalist Bono urged Japan to increase not only bilateral but also multilateral aid to African nations, Bono's advocacy group Data said Wednesday. Bilateral official development aid (ODA) accounts for about half of Japan's aid to Africa, while the rest of foreign aid goes through institutions such as the World Bank, the Global Fund, African Development Bank and the UN.
"It is misleading to announce a doubling of ODA, and dash the hopes of AIDS sufferers who discover they are not included in such doubling of aid,"
Bono said.
The musician also stressed the urgent need for the Group of Eight, to take concrete steps to address the food crisis through investment in African agriculture. Japan will host the next G8 meeting in Toyako in July.
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda announced Wednesday Japan's plan to double its bilateral aid to Africa by 2012 to improve infrastructure, boost agricultural production and invite more private investment in the region.
Bono planned to urge Fukuda to double all ODA at their meeting on Thursday in Yokohama, during a three-day Tokyo International Conference for African Development.
Read more at the www.earthtimes.org
