Africa: Prime Minister's Commission (Hansard, 25 March 2004)

§ Baroness Amos
My Lords, we are determined to achieve accelerated progress towards the millennium development goals in Africa. The commission will set out the facts on Africa and its assessment of past and present policy on Africa, where it has worked, where it has failed and where more could be done. On that basis, it will make policy recommendations to governments in Africa and internationally, and to other development actors.

§ Lord Campbell-Savours
My Lords, we all know that the Prime Minister is deeply committed to this initiative. However, we have already had the Brandt report. We have had a whole series of reports from the United Nations. We have had the work from the New Partnership for Africa's Development. A lot of work has been done already. How can we be sure that on this occasion, this partnership and these organisations will deliver and that this new initiative will make any difference?

§ Baroness Amos
My Lords, my noble friend is right to observe that there has been a great deal of analysis. The key issue here is what will change and what will be different. My noble friend rightly pointed out the commitment of my right honourable friend the Prime Minister to Africa and, of course, that of the Government as a whole. Things will be different. The Commission for Africa is a joint north/south collaboration, which is reflected in its membership, while the Brandt Commission was the north looking at the south. It very much keeps the political focus on Africa and we have made it clear that when we come to chair the G8 summit next year, Africa will be at the top of our agenda.
The commission seeks to take a genuine look at what more can be done, including considering the issue of economic development in Africa, which I fear has been excluded from much of the analysis.

§ Lord Avebury
My Lords, no one doubts the Prime Minister's commitment to Africa and we welcome the priority to be given to African issues at the forthcoming G8 summit. Can the noble Baroness say how this commission can make a specific contribution towards the solution of Africa's many internal conflicts, of which the latest is that in Darfur, where over 1 million people have been displaced? What does she think the commission will be able to do to stop multinationals and governments from colluding to hide revenues from their own people and allowing widespread embezzlement by corrupt officials and Ministers in states such as Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea?

§ Baroness Amos
My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, is quite right. We all know that 20 per cent of the populations in African countries are living either in circumstances of direct conflict or in countries which have just come out of conflict. That is having a huge impact on economic development. One of the themes which we hope will be looked at by the commission, which holds its first meeting on 4 May, is the issue of conflict resolution and peace building. Of course, the particular lessons to be learnt from the conflicts in Sudan, the DRC and others will be investigated.
I turn to the issue of hidden revenues. The noble Lord, Lord Avebury, will know that we have pioneered the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. This is a voluntary initiative, but we hope that it will not stop there. The considerable wealth which a country like Angola could enjoy needs to be shared with its people rather than being siphoned off to companies and those at the top of the administration.

§ Lord Howell of Guildford
My Lords, I am sure that the commission is well intentioned and well meant in its aims. However, is it not worth noting, as the noble Lord, Lord Campbell-Savours, has already hinted, that there is already a UN commission on Africa, a European Union commission on Africa, a Commonwealth commission and countless other commissions and committees? If commissions and committees could solve development problems, Africa would be a rich and prosperous place. Is it not obvious that the most serious problems affecting Africa, over and above the short-term issues of starvation through food shortages caused by drought and so forth, lie in the lack of the rule of law and the lack of good governance? That is where we should concentrate our efforts. If we could do more—in a more resolute way—to bring good governance to Zimbabwe, we would be doing more for the people for Africa than these endless commissions.

§ Baroness Amos
My Lords, this commission is about more than being well intentioned. It concerns providing a political impetus and taking action. The themes on which we shall concentrate, which we hope will be decided at the 4 May meeting, will be the economy; human development; conflict resolution 804 and peace building, which I have already mentioned; governance—mentioned by the noble Lord; natural resources, as well as culture, heritage and participation. While I agree that governance is important, we cannot look at it in isolation. Further, we have to work in a collaborative way between the north and the south if what is happening in Africa is to be reversed.

§ Lord Hughes of Woodside
My Lords, given that Africa's problems are serious and deep rooted, should we not welcome initiatives which look at ways of solving the matter instead of accepting this constant pessimism and downgrading of any initiatives? The negativity which greets new initiatives simply bears out the view that many people in this country and elsewhere are not really interested in Africa; they are only interested in making a fuss.

§ Baroness Amos
I totally agree with my noble friend. We must continue to focus on what is happening in Africa. It is a matter of grave concern that, in terms of the millennium development goals, Africa is the one continent where we seem to be going backwards rather than forwards. The Government's commitment to doing something about that should be welcomed. Indeed, it would be helpful if the Benches opposite would let us know whether the commitment that this Government have given to international development and the growing international development budget will be maintained.

§ Baroness Thomas of Walliswood
My Lords, while I welcome the Government's interest in Africa's problems, can the noble Baroness give a reassurance that the questions of reproductive health and the contribution that women can make to the economy of a country once they gain control over their own fertility will not be sidelined in favour of concentrating on HIV/AIDS issues, serious though those problems are?

§ Baroness Amos
My Lords, the noble Baroness is right to point out that we need to adopt a much more integrated approach: it is not just about reproductive health, HIV/AIDS or maternal and infant mortality, rather, it is about looking at the inter-connectedness between a range of issues and, in particular, focusing on the contribution that women can make to economic development.