§ 9. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department's priorities are for aid to west Africa in 2003. [92212]
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§ Clare ShortMy priorities in West Africa are:
- To help consolidate peace and security in Sierra Leone:
- To support Ghana's poverty reduction strategy;
- To encourage Nigeria to pursue effective reforms in order to reduce poverty; and
- To support poverty reduction strategies elsewhere in the region, particularly in the Gambia and Cameroon.
An immediate priority for the region is to resolve the crisis in Cote d'lvoire. We are fully supporting the regional and international communities' efforts to assist.