§ 15. Mr. SwayneTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the future of the new partnership for African development. [46054]
§ Clare ShortThe New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is an African owned and led initiative that the UK Government strongly supports. Its988W central principle is that it is Africa's responsibility to advance African development. NEPAD has identified as initial priorities the areas of peace and security and political and economic governance, which include an African peer review mechanism. I am placing in the Library of the House a recent speech outlining my views on priorities for NEPAD.
§ 24. Mrs. Betty WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what policies her Department is pursuing to reduce poverty in Africa. [46064]
§ Clare ShortWe are pursuing a wide range of policies to reduce poverty in Africa, including more and better aid and greater coherence among policies which affect African nations.
Bilateral aid to sub-Saharan Africa stands at over £630 million a year and is increasingly provided in the form of assistance to reforming Governments——to enable them to implement nationally-owned poverty reduction strategies. Bilateral aid to Africa has almost doubled since 1997 and is set to rise further.
The UK has been at the forefront of efforts to set up a system for providing debt relief to countries with unsustainable debt levels. So far 19 countries in sub-Saharan Africa have reached decision point on the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and are receiving interim debt relief and three have completed the HIIPC process and are receiving full debt relief; we are working with African countries and with the international community to tackle conflict in the continent, including seeking resolution of existing conflicts as well as finding ways to prevent future disputes; working with the international community and partner countries to tackle key development challenges, including fighting HIV/AIDS, investing in health and education, investing in rural economies and infrastructure, promoting private investment and sustainable development, improved information and communications technology, and improving governance and service delivery; promoting changes in policies of wealthy countries which impact on Africa's development, such as trade and market access, agricultural subsidies, arms proliferation, corruption and bribery by international companies; working with African leaders and institutions to promote closer partnerships between Africa and the rest of the world, and supporting African owned development strategies, including the New Partnership for Africa's Development; and providing funds to, and working with, multilateral bodies such as the World bank, International Monetary Fund, the European Commission, the African Development bank, United Nations agencies, and others.
§ 25. Dr. Julian LewisTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the future of the new partnership for African development following the election results in Zimbabwe. [46065]
§ Clare ShortThe situation in Zimbabwe highlights the need for African nations to improve standards of economic and political governance in the struggle to eliminate poverty. The proposed African peer review system has an important role to play. These proposals are being developed under the New Partnership for Africa's Development. It is clear that the Zimbabwe elections did not meet the standards already laid down by the Southern Africa Development Community.
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§ 28. Ms Oona KingTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the new partnership for African development. [46068]
§ Clare ShortThe New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is one of the most important initiatives that has come from Africa in recent years. It represents a consensus among African countries that Africa should take responsibility for African development. NEPAD countries have identified economic and political governance and peace and security as their initial priorities.