17/6/2005
European Commission Headquarters “wrapped” in White Band for Africa

On Thursday 16 June, the European Commission's Headquarters in Brussels - the Berlaymont Building - was "wrapped" in a white band in support of the campaign for the "Global Call to Action against Poverty". It is the first of a number of well known buildings across Europe to be "wrapped" with a white band in the coming months - the Coliseum in Italy, the Brandenburger Tor in Germany and, in France, the Trocadero's buildings which sit either side of the Eiffel Tower will be wrapped with two white bands.

The President of the Commission Jose Manuel Barroso has launched the white band with Development Commissioner Louis Michel, René Grotenhuis, GCAP Spokesperson, and Axelle Red, the well known Belgian singer, long time campaigner on poverty issues, and one of the headline acts for the Live 8 concert in Paris. The aim is to send a clear message to EU leaders at the Summit to give their full backing to ambitious development aid targets on the Summit agenda. The GCAP campaign will present President Barroso with a three metre white band with the message "Aid, Trade and Debt". A huge campaign banner has been mounted on the side of the Berlaymont Building overlooking the Council's Justus Lipsius building.

Speaking in Brussels on Wednesday President Barroso said, “The European Commission is determined to keep development and Africa on Europe’s political map. This campaign, and the white band as its symbol, is a reminder to EU leaders to remember the wider world as they grapple with internal issues. 2005 is a unique year of opportunity for development. And we must take advantage of every key event in international calendar which will allow us to push this agenda forward.”

So even in a week like this, when the eyes of the world are focused on EU finances and the constitutional debate, I will talk about Africa. We must not allow ourselves to accept the present reality, in which 25,000 people die every day from hunger, in which 25 million people have died from AIDS in sub Saharan Africa. Europe is already taking a lead, but we can and we must do more. I hope that here in Brussels tomorrow, European leaders will confirm at the highest political level their determination to put the Union on track to double aid for development. And to enable me to go to the G8 in Scotland with a clear and ambitious European message about action to tackle poverty, hunger and disease. ”

What is the Global Call to Action Against Poverty?

The white band is the symbol of the “Global Call to Action against Poverty” (GCAP) the largest ever worldwide mobilization of citizens, organisations, networks and national campaigns committed to eradicating extreme poverty (see http://www.whiteband.org/ for details). All European countries have national campaigns with GCAP activities in 2005.

What does the Campaign want?

The Global Call to Action Against Poverty in 2005 is focused on three key issues: trade justice, debt cancellation and a major increase in the quantity and quality of aid. The campaign is built around a mass mobilisation of people. Events are happening across the globe and throughout the year and there are three headline ‘white band days’ linked to the key events in 2005: 1st July: G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, 10th September: UN five year review of the Millennium Development Goals in New York, USA, 10th December: WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, China. The period around each white band day will be marked by mass worldwide mobilizations of citizens to demonstrate their support for the Global Call to Action Against Poverty.

Why is the European Commission putting up a white band now?

Central to the success of the GCAP campaign are the Commission’s proposals for increased development aid which EU leaders should agree at the European Council this week. But with the debate on the constitution and EU budget the main issues on the agenda, the white band on the Berlaymont is designed to send a powerful reminder to EU leaders to give the ambitious aid proposals their full support. Because of a sequence of international events, 2005 is a unique year of opportunity for development. White band launches on well known buildings across the EU are also designed to raise awareness in national capitals and amongst people across the world that there is a real opportunity for change.

How big is the aid increase the Commission is asking for?

The European Union’s Overseas Development Aid for 2005 will be €46 billion - making the European Union the biggest donor of overseas aid in the world. In April this year, the Commission brought forward new proposals on Finance for Development as part of the preparations for the New York UN Summit in September which will review progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. The proposals set new and ambitious aid targets for EU Member States - a new intermediate target for development aid of 0.56 per cent of gross national income by 2010 - which would put Europe on course to reach, by 2015, the UN’s 0.7 per cent target. In practical terms the new proposals would increase EU development aid to €66 billion in 2010, rising to more than 90 billion Europe in 2015. The plans will also improve the coherence and quality of EU development policies, and make Africa a priority for all EU aid actions.

Why does the European Summit in Brussels matter for development?

The proposed aid increase is due to be given final approval when EU leaders meet in Brussels for the European Summit this week (16 / 17 June).. An agreement on aid at the Summit would represent a very significant achievement in itself. It is would also be a very important milestone on the road to the G8 summit in July. It will send President Barroso - who will attend the G8 to speak on behalf of the European Commission - to the table with a very powerful message about the level of ambition the EU expects from its global partners for renewed action to reach the Millennium Development Goals.

Is the Berlamont the first building to be “wrapped” in the white band?

Yes, it is the first of many buildings which will be “wrapped” in the coming months. International White Band Day on July 1st will see people around the world wearing white bands and wrapping public buildings in white to send a message to the G8 that they demand action on trade justice, debt cancellation, and more and better aid. It will be one of the largest global actions ever taken. Massive white bands will be wrapped around buildings across the world, including: the Soweto township of Johannesburg, South Africa, a group of shacks will be wrapped in a white band, to symbolise perpetuating poverty in Africa; in Freetown, Sierra Leone, the famous cotton tree, planted by freed slaves when the nation was founded, will be draped in a white band; in Senegal, the slavery archway will be wrapped in a white band; from June 30 to July 14 the Sydney Harbour Bridge, in Australia, will be wrapped in a white band, with the Australian coalition's slogan "Make Poverty History" across it; the Coliseum in Italy; the Brandenburger Tor in Germany; in Paris, France, the Trocadero's buildings which sit either side of the Eiffel Tower, will be wrapped with two white bands; in Spain, bridges will be wrapping on the main highways of Spain; in Georgia all the trees along the Central Avenue of the capital, Tbilisi, will be wrapped in white bands; the hemicycle of the European Parliament in Strasbourg will be “wrapped” in a white band from the 4-6 July. (Source GCAP)

What will the white band around the Commission building be made of?

The effect of a large white band will be created by closing the shutters on the windows of floors five and six of the Berlaymont building on Thursday - starting at 10.30 in the morning and ending at 15.00 in the afternoon. A huge banner announcing the “Global Call to Action” has already been mounted on the Berlaymont overlooking the Council headquarters (where EU leaders meet for the summit).

http://europa.eu.int/comm/commission_barroso/president/index_en.htm