Ministers in charge of development issues in the Group of Eight (G8) member nations have agreed to reinforce official development assistance (ODA) to help African states and other developing nations. At a press conference following the conclusion of the two-day meeting, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura, chairman of the meeting, read a summary endorsed by all participating members. Recognizing unprecedented challenges the World faces today, we reaffirmed our commitment to strengthen our efforts for development assistance and make our aid more effective, and resolved to enhance partnership among G8 as well as with new players in development cooperation, Komura said. The foreign minister said climate change and development are inextricably linked and have to be dealt with in an integrated manner. "In particular, it is urgently necessary to assist developing countries, which are most vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change, in their adaptation efforts." Some participants expressed concern over the sliding trend of global ODA and called on donors to boost assistance in both volume and quality. According to a report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on Friday, total ODA donated by its 22 members was down by 8.4 percent in real terms to 103.66 billion US dollars in 2007. The meeting is one of a series of special ministerial meetings in the run-up to the G8 summit slated for July in northern Japan's Hokkaido Prefecture. The G8 groups Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Japan and Russia. Rising donors such as China, Brazil, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Malaysia, and International organizations such as the European Commission, the World Health Organization and the World Bank sent representatives to attend outreach sessions. Source: GNA