J8 School Delegates Agree Communiqué For World Leaders

058/2005 | 6 July 2005

School pupils from across the G8 countries gathered at the Scottish Parliament yesterday to tell the world leaders what action they want to see taken at the G8 summit at Gleneagles.

Their communiqué includes a call for increased funding for Millennium Development Goals, improved access for education for African children and strengthened relations between G8 and African countries.

Nearly 100 students who were participating in the J8 Edinburgh Summit, a three-day forum for 14 to 16-year-olds, modelled on the G8 summit, gathered at Holyrood to deliver a communiqué outlining their views to First Minister Jack McConnell.

The young people have demanded through their communiqué:

• increased funding to meet the Millennium Development Goals with priorities to achieve universal primary education, a reduction in maternal mortality and the tackling of HIV/AIDS;

• improved access to education for African children;

• a strengthened relationship between G8 and the African Union;

• greater emphasis on energy efficiency and investment in renewable energy;

• the promotion of better public understanding of climate change; and

• subsidies for individuals and companies that change their behaviour and penalties for those that do not.

The delegates, who are drawn from eight UK schools and other G8 countries, have outlined the measures they would like to see taken on Africa and climate change, the two main issues being discussed at the Gleneagles summit.

The communiqué was drawn up by the 95 delegates and presented to the First Minister at the event’s closing ceremony last night, before 12 representatives of the summit travelled to Gleneagles today to deliver the Communiqué in person to G8 leaders.

At the Scottish Parliament last night, the young people were welcomed by Presiding Officer George Reid and participated in African drumming workshops, before coming together for a performance in the Main Chamber.

Certificates were presented to pupils on behalf of the eight participating UK schools, who were selected to attend the event after drawing up their own communiqués on Africa and climate change.

The schools represented at the event were:

• Waid Academy, Anstruther, Scotland
• Wallace High, Stirling, Scotland
• St Colman's College, County Down, Northern Ireland
• Aylesbury High School, Bucks
• Langdon School, East Ham, London
• Calthorpe Park, Hampshire
• Oxford High, Oxford
• St Joseph's RC, Tyne and Wear

Presiding Officer George Reid said:

“It is fitting that Holyrood was the venue for the conclusion of this unique and creditable event. These 95 young people are the voices of their nations and I hope their views resonate with the G8 leaders at Gleneagles.”

The J8 Global Citizen Programme has been developed in partnership with the Morgan Stanley International Foundation and the Department for Education and Skills.

The pupils were chosen after producing a G8-style Communiqué using their knowledge and understanding of global issues developed through the J8 Global Citizen Programme.

Terms of the J8 Communique

The communiqué presented to G8 leaders today by the J8 delegates reads as follows:

We, the young people of the G8 nations, have come together in Edinburgh in July 2005 for the purpose of learning, discussion and negotiation. We have discussed the G8 agenda issues of climate change and Africa. We recognise the progress that is beginning to happen in these areas. But we think that more needs to happen more quickly. Now we are telling you what we want our leaders to do to ensure that we have a future to believe in, a society to be proud of, and a global community that respects and recognises the values of us all.

1. We want ICE, an ‘Integrated Climate Economy’. Governments
need to act urgently and in a uniform way. We believe that there should be ring-fenced aviation taxes and income taxes on industrial carbon dioxide producers, together with licensing and regulation arrangements. The G8 nations should show real responsibility towards the issue. Finance raised would be used to enable environmentally-minded schemes, such as subsidised public transport and energy research. Climate change will be challenged but individual lifestyles preserved.

2. We believe that globally responsible governments must promote a greater understanding of how personal actions affect the whole environment. All governments have the responsibility to assist and encourage individuals to make adjustments to their own behaviour by increasing awareness and encouraging positive choices, by introducing a system of incentives for those prepared to make a difference, and penalties for those G8 governments which fail to meet the challenge.

3. We demand that there must be an internationally registered symbol that denotes products which are energy efficient and environmentally friendly. The symbol can be used to advertise these products to consumers. Those displaying the mark will be monitored, and standards will be continuously adjusted to promote ongoing targets for energy use reduction, to reduce pollution, and to encourage clean energy development, taking geographical factors into consideration.

4. We want commitment from the G8 leaders to legislate that renewable energy micro-generation technology is integrated into every new building. Small-scale wind turbines and solar water heaters provided to create clean green buildings of the future. As the G8 leaders take a lead they must create a partnership programme to share knowledge and technologies with the developing world.

5. We demand that the G8 leaders focus on the basics first – the Millennium Development Goals must take a higher priority, and be delivered on. Comprehensive funding must be provided for primary education, maternal mortality and HIV/Aids, and the targets must be met. We want an increase in access to free education, assistance to train more mid-wives and to ensure the availability of services and equipment to meet mothers’ needs. Education about HIV/Aids must be delivered honestly and openly, to everyone from the very young to the very old.

6. We believe that the G8 nations must work in partnership with the peoples of Africa by training the trainers. These partnerships funded by the G8 nations should develop training programmes for education and health sectors, to train teachers, doctors and administrators to enable them to pass their knowledge and skills on to others. The G8 must establish a fund to finance these key workers, to enable them to pursue careers in their own countries.

7. We believe that the G8 must support Africans to help Africans. We must strengthen the relationship between the G8 and the African Union with a focus on support on the African Peer Review Mechanism. This will be accomplished by encouraging other African countries to sign up and share expertise. The result will be good governance, reducing corruption and creating a sustainable future for Africa.

8. We want effective microfinance programmes that deliver capital for African businesses. The G8 nations should establish a fund to substantially increase the financing of local businesses. This must be in partnership with Africans to support self-sufficient, sustainable economies.

Photographs

Images of the event are available by contacting Andrew Cowan in the Scottish Parliament’s Media Relations Office on 0131 348 6269 or andrew.cowan@scottish.parliament.uk.

The Parliament's media contact is:

Eric MacLeod: 0131 348 5389
RNID TypeTalk calls welcome
email: eric.macleod@scottish.parliament.uk

For public information enquiries, contact: 0131 348 5000 or 0845 278 1999 (local call rate)
Text phone: 0131 348 3415 RNID Typetalk calls welcome
email: sp.info@scottish.parliament.uk

Visit our website at: www.scottish.parliament.uk