University of Birmingham Conference: 16-17 May

AIDING THE POOREST:
TEN YEARS ON FROM THE BIRMINGHAM G8

What’s been achieved? What agenda for the G8 to 2018?
University of Birmingham
16-17 May 2008

University of Birmingham is holding a conference on 16 and 17 May to support the city's celebration of the 10th anniversary of Birmingham's G8 meeting in 1998. The 1998 G8 meeting is particularly remembered for the human chain formed around Birmingham city centre by 70,000 people to demand debt cancellation for the world's poorest nations from the G8.

The Birmingham G8 meeting in 1998 took place at a turning point in aid policy, being followed by the enhanced HIPC initiative, emphasising shared objectives of poverty reduction focused on the millennium development goals, and increased focus on budget support, donor harmonisation and alignment with recipient country objectives and systems (as detailed in the Paris Declaration of 2005).

It was also a turning point in academic research and debates over aid, which shifted from the selectivity concerns of the late 1990s (aid only better governed states?) to a broader front of concern with fragile states, security, resource curse, TB, AIDS and tackling bad governance.

Ten years on is an appropriate moment to reflect on impacts, innovations, outstanding problems and priorities for the next decade. Taking part in the conference will be a wide range of analysts of debt and development issues, aid practitioners and policy makers, from recipient and donor countries and multilateral organisations. The programme is organised by theme, with keynote speeches, panels and breakout groups. It will begin at 10am on Friday 16 May and finish at noon on Saturday 17 May.

Focus of the conference

The conference has three objectives:

• To assess the impact of debt relief in poor countries;

• To analyse problems in debt relief processes and their underlying causes;

• To discuss reform priorities and innovations.

It will be an academic conference with a difference since it kicks off a weekend of events culminating in a high publicity gathering at the International Conference Centre in Birmingham's city centre on Sunday 18 May, organised by Jubilee Debt Campaign with support of Birmingham City Council.

Register early

Early registration for the conference is recommended since places are limited. To register please send your details and the £20 conference fee (which covers meals and teas) to:

Ann Bolstridge
International Development Department
JG Smith Building
University of Birmingham
Birmingham
B15 2TT
Tel: +44 (0)121 414 4967
Email: a.bolstridge@bham.ac.uk

For more information on the conference, the venue, accommodation and the weekend's events please visit: http://www.newscentre.bham.ac.uk/debtrelief/index.shtml