Africa (Hansard, 24 October 2001)

§ 9. Tony Cunningham
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures her Department is taking to prevent violent conflict in Africa. [6121]

§ Clare Short
Violent conflict remains one of the biggest barriers to development in Africa. More than 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa are currently affected by or recovering from violent conflict and 20 per cent. of the continent's population live in countries affected by armed conflicts.
We are also working jointly with the FCO and MOD to improve the effectiveness of the UK contribution to conflict prevention and resolution in Africa through a new joint funding arrangement. Our joint paper on the causes of conflict in Africa will be published shortly.
The UK Government are strongly committed to bringing the conflict in Sierra Leone to an end and promoting development for the people of Sierra Leone. It is essential that we do not have another failed UN peacekeeping operation in Africa.

§ 27. Andy King
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures her Department is taking to support Africa's development efforts. [6139]

§ Clare Short
The Government are strongly committed to enhance international effort to promote development in Africa. We have in the past four years built strong programmes on a range of issues from conflict reduction to HIV/AIDS and education, to support for anti-corruption strategies. We are also leading the way in formulating innovative and new ways of disbursing funds, for example, providing direct budgetary support to those African countries with the most development focused policies.
This is a vitally important moment in the development of Africa. Not only have African countries recently joined together to agree the New African Initiative, but the Prime Minister has also signalled his own personal commitment to Africa in this Parliament, ensuring that it has also become a focus of the G8 for this year as well.
The New African Initiative is an African led movement to articulate what Africans themselves need to do, and the help they need from donors and the international community, in order to lift themselves out of poverty. DFID have been working closely with the leaders of the NAI to ensure that our response to it is based firmly on the priorities identified by African Governments.