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Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP Society Building Prime Minister 8 All Saints Street 10 Downing Street London London N1 9RL, UK SW1A 2AA +44 (0)20 7837 8344 bond.org.uk 5th June 2021 Dear Prime Minister, As we approach this year’s G7, we, as representatives from NGOs, academia and business, ask that the UK government steps up to its role as Chair to lead negotiations with the world’s richest economies to tackle some of the biggest global challenges we all face. This must include a sustainable economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a significant increase in climate finance and support for the most climate vulnerable countries, action on vaccine equity including increased funding, and strengthened solidarity against threats to civic space, racial justice, gender equality, and human rights defenders. We look forward to working with the G7 and UK government to deliver ambitious outcomes for people and planet at a time of unprecedented human need. Making progress on these critical issues at the G7 will require all of the UK’s diplomatic experience. Inevitably the UK’s decision to cut its aid commitment during a pandemic casts a shadow over its ability to deliver at this year's critical G7 summit. While other G7 countries have stepped up their aid budget, the UK is the only one to have rowed back on its commitments. A G7 that shows the UK’s support for other countries will be critical to a successful COP. Without a reversal to this decision, the UK’s credibility and voice on the international stage will be undermined, and its calls to other G7 leaders to do more on critical issues such as vaccine delivery, civic space, education, gender equality, healthcare, climate change and famine prevention risk ringing hollow. Despite ongoing COVID-19 concerns and national response, economic forecasts by the Bank of England predict we are set to return to pre-pandemic levels of gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of 2021. There is therefore no justifiable economic need to continue to break our promise to the world’s most marginalised people. The aid cuts are a double blow to the world’s poorest communities, coming amidst a pandemic. Week after week, media coverage exposes the devastation caused by the cuts, with nutrition centres and health clinics forced to close, water and sanitation projects cancelled, 78,000 healthcare professionals left untrained and 2 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... over 700 million donated treatments to treat neglected tropical disease risk going to waste. As a result, families are going hungry, girls are not going to school, women's rights are being sidelined, persons with disabilities are being further left behind, vaccines are expiring on shelves, and diseases are being allowed to spread and we are reneging on our commitment to lead from the front on tackling climate-change. Further, the decision to cut back UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding, removing 70% of funds from some programmes, has damaged long-term global partnerships and our ability to innovate and create evidence for effective ways to tackle worldwide issues. COVID-19 and climate change demonstrate how interconnected we all are. Nobody is safe until we are all safe. The G7 provides a critical opportunity to make real progress on addressing global challenges, and we believe the UK can make a real difference. However, its credibility rests on its actions at home, and we hope you will use this opportunity to announce a return to the Conservative party manifesto commitment to 0.7%. This would be a true signal to the G7 of the UK’s stated intention to be a ‘force for good’ in the world. Signed Peter Rees ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow Aberystwyth University Dr Jessica Friedersdorff research scientist Aberystwyth university Joe Winzar Graduate Student Aberystwyth University Louise Ridden PhD Researcher Aberystwyth University Jim Scott-baumann PhD researcher/vet Aberystwyth University Head of Department, International Patrick Finney Politics Aberystwyth University Dr Amanda Clare Senior Lecturer Aberystwyth University Stephen Tooth Professor of Physical Geography Aberystwyth University PI Dewis Choice Initiative Transforming SARAH WYDALL resoonse to Domestic Abuse in later life Aberystwyth University Berit Bliesemann de Guevara Professor of International Politics Aberystwyth University Karl Hankinson CEO Able Child Africa Karl Hankinson CEO Able Child Africa Josephine Rodgers Executive Director Access Agriculture Jean-Michel Grand Executive Director Action Against Hunger UK Othman Moqbel CEO Action for Humanity Iain Overton Executive Director Action on Armed Violence Frances Longley Chief Executive ActionAid UK Jimmy Innes Chief Executive Officer ADD Zerihun Woldu Prof. Addis Ababa University Andrew Betts Director Advantage Africa Affiliated to the University of Dr John Claxton Independent consultant Glasgow Charles Davy Managing Director Afghanaid 3 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... African Development Trust Abdurazak Mohamed Managing Director (ADT) Charlie Hay CEO AfriKids Charlie Hay CEO AfriKids AFRUCA - Safeguarding Debbie Ariyo OBE CEO Children Chris Roles Managing Director Age International Heather Pitcher Operational Manager AgriTechTalk International Ian Govendir CEO Aids Orphan UK Trust Professor Ian Govendir CEO Aids Orphan UK Trust Chris Woods Director Airwars Graeme Hodge CEO All We Can Daniel E. Esser Associate Professor American University Camilla Knox-Peebles Chief Executive Amref Health Africa UK Annabel Barber Doctoral researcher Anglia Ruskin University Dr Katarzyna Mikolajczak Postdoctoral Research Fellow Anglia Ruskin University Alex Daniels Chief Executive APT Action on Poverty Samuel Bojo Principle Investigator ARDI Quinn McKew Executive Director ARTICLE 19 Quinn McKew Executive Director ARTICLE 19 Sheniz Tan CEO Asfar CIC Penny David Director Ashanti Development Professor Claire Farrow Professor Aston University Associate Professor and Director, Jayeel Cornelio Development Studies Program Ateneo de Manila University Jo Ashbridge CEO AzuKo Dr Desmond Bowden C0-director B&C Educational Senior Lecturer, Sustainable Crop Dr Katherine Steele Production Bangor University Dr Alexander Georgiev Lecturer Bangor University Leejiah Dorward Dr Bangor University Dr Emma L Briant Associate Researcher Bard College Bartlett Development Planning Unit, University Christopher Yap Research Fellow College London Mark Habibi Executive Officer BASED UK Head of Development for European Projects and Academic Director of the Professor Ian Gadd Global Academy of Liberal Arts Bath Spa University Rachel Pownall Innovation Manager Bath Spa University Professor John Strachan Pro Vice-Chancellor, Research Bath Spa University Artsiom Nazaranka Senior Lecturer and Researcher Belarusian State University Beyond Trafficking and Dr Neil Howard Founder-Editor Slavery (at openDemocracy) Birkbeck, University of Dr James Hammond Reader in Geophysics London Birkbeck, University of Dr Mara Nogueira Lecturer in Urban Geography London 4 ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Birkbeck, University of Dr Joana Barros Senior Lecturer London Birkbeck, University of Izabela Delabre Lecturer in Environmental Geography London Senior Lecturer International Birkbeck, University of Penny Vera-Sanso Development and Social Anthropology London READER IN GENDER, HEALTH AND Birkbeck, University of JASMINE GIDEON INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT London Birmingham Law School, Dr Lydia Morgan Lecturer in Law University of Birmingham Birzeit University- Institute of Community and Public Lina Abdul-Samad Research Assisstant Health Dr Alasdair Harris Executive Director Blue Ventures Valerian Linus Sanga CEO Bongo Tech & Research Labs Dr Sarah Price Global Engagement Officer Bournemouth University Lewis Temple Chief Executive BRAC UK Professor Dame Lesley Brighton & Sussex Medical Fallowfield Professor of Psychosocial Oncology School Brighton and Sussex Medical Arianne Shahvisi Senior Lecturer in Ethics School Research Fellow and Proleptic Senior Peter Watson Lecturer Bristol University Sam Engwell Senior Scientist British Geological Survey British Geological Survey Dr. Katy Mee GIS Analyst (UKRI) Nicola Ansell Professor of Human Geography Brunel University London Caroline Ruddell Senior Lecturer Brunel University London Susan Jobling Professor of Collaborative Enterprise Brunel University London Prof. Karnik Tarverdi Director of Extrusion Technology Brunel University London Lecturer in Internatinal Development Dr Mei Trueba and Global Health BSMS & University of Sussex Andrew Jowett OBE CEO Build It international Zahid Torres-Rahman CEO and Co-Founder Business Fights Poverty Catherine Brooksbank Principal Investigator CABANA Project CADA NI: Coalition of Aid and Development Agencies, Peter Anderson Chair Northern Ireland Ery Hughes Post-doctoral scholar Caltech Cambridge Central Asia Forum, Jesus College,