Tag: Odious Debts

Debt dooms development goals, UN

(September 30, 2004) On the eve of a G7 finance ministers’ meeting in Washington, a new report released by the United Nations claims that unless debt owed by the poorest African nations is forgiven, those countries stand no chance of achieving the world’s development goals by the target date of 2015. According to the report, the US$22.2 billion Africa received in aid in 2002 was lower than the $26.6 billion received in 1990. Most of the benefits of aid, said the report, are lost through debt servicing, which amounted to $22 billion in 2002.