At their summit at the picturesque Huntsville, north of Toronto, the G8 leaders launched the Muskoka Initiative, calling to accelerate and to progress in the millennium goals to “significantly reduce the number of maternal, newborn and under five child deaths in developing countries.”

The G8 has pledged to mobilize $5 billion of additional funding for disbursement over the next five years to meet its maternity health goals in the developing world. G8 members already contribute over $4.1 billion annually in international development assistance for maternal, newborn and under-five child health (MNCH). However, this was only two-thirds of the money the G8 had agreed on at their 2005 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland and indeed nowhere near the ambitious promise from five years ago to double aid by up to $50 billion by 2010.

Analysts here felt that mindful of their own budgetary constraints and past broken promises, the eight richest countries on the globe have shied away from making bold aid pledges at the summit.

Stephen Harper, the Canadian prime minister, said that he was confident the G8 would meet the more modest goal, promising to contribute $1.1bn to the total pledged.

During their meeting, the US and British leaders pressed other rich nations to deliver on their aid promises. "I think it is frustrating that world leaders sign up to things and then don't deliver them and we have to make sure that happens," said British Prime Minister David Cameron.

The White House said in a statement, "The president believes that the credibility of the G8 rests on the willingness of its members to honor their commitments by reporting transparently on progress and identifying areas where additional effort is required."

Intense debate was seen among the leaders, even while they were in public view. Friday afternoon, when the leaders came out of the closed rooms, for the traditional photo session at the lakeside venue, President Obama was seen in intense discussions with Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Nicolas Sarkozy. Contentious economic issues await the leaders when they meet with the expanded G20.

Much of the discussions in Toronto over the next couple of days are expected focus on those policies needed to reduce budgets and aid global growth. The issue of a bank tax is also up for debate with the US publicly encouraging other G20 nations to accept the tax. However, others are seen to oppose to the move.

In another initiative the G8 also focused on the problems of the African continent. Leaders from Haiti, Jamaica and African nations such as Senegal, Algeria, Ethiopia, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt were invited to the meeting. The G8 agreed to focus and divert efforts toward the training of medical personnel and on establishing better health care.

The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to come as close as possible to strive for universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support with respect to HIV/AIDS. G8 donors also expressed their ultimate support for polio eradication to achieve a polio-free world and support the control or elimination of high-burden Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).

Food security was also discussed as an urgent global development challenge, exacerbated by climate change, increasing global food demand, past underinvestment in the agricultural sector, and extreme price volatility which has strong damaging impacts on the most vulnerable.

The G8 also expressed concerns about the illicit exploitation of and trade in natural resources including minerals and timber.

The G8, while discussing environmental issues, reiterated its support to the scenario where the increase in global temperature does not exceed 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, setting the goal of achieving at least a 50 percent reduction in global emissions by 2050.

The G8 underlined that in order to achieve climate change and increase energy security, building low carbon and climate resilient economies, characterized by green growth and improved resource efficiency, was essential while underlining the need for transition to low carbon and renewable energies, particularly for job creation. The G8 also encouraged the IEA (International Energy Agency) to develop work on an international platform for low-carbon technologies to accelerate their development and deployment.

The G8 leaders also renewed their longstanding commitment to free and open markets too by pushing the Doha Development Agenda. They further emphasized to continue to resist protectionist pressures, and to promote liberalization of trade and investment under the WTO, through the national reduction of barriers, as well as through bilateral and regional negotiations.