HL Deb 09 June 2003 vol 649 cc2-5WA
Lord Judd

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What will be their specific objectives at the G8 Summit in June 2003 with respect to economic and social support for the people of Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Zimbabwe. [HL3051]

The Secretary of State for International Development (Baroness Amos)

The G8 has actively supported African efforts to achieve and consolidate peace and security throughout Africa but particularly in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sierra Leone and Sudan.

At the summit in Evian G8 leaders reaffirmed their commitment to achieve the objectives set out in the Doha Development Agenda and reported on progress made on the Africa Action Plan since the summit in Kananaskis in June 2002. Beyond Evian, DfID's development assistance programme in Africa will rise to £1 billion by 2005–06.

The Africa Action Plan focuses on conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction in Africa, including in Sudan, the DRC, Angola and Sierra Leone.

The UK supports humanitarian and peace building work in Sudan. With others in the international community, we are now planning for the hard work of recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction when there is peace.

In the DRC we are working actively within the international community supporting implementation of the proposed new transitional national government and a sustainable settlement of the long-running DRC conflict. We have committed ourselves to a significant increase in development assistance once the new government is established. The UK has also committed to a contribution to the rapid deployment multinational force which will help to stabilise the current crisis situation in Ituri region.

In order to cement the Angolan peace process, we are contributing to the multi-donor demobilisation and reintegration programme, and are continuing our support to meet urgent humanitarian needs. With others we are also helping the government to focus on longer-term reconstruction and poverty needs, including work on a proposed national poverty reduction strategy.

In Sierra Leone our key objectives are resolving conflict, improving standards of governance and combating corruption, reforming the security sector, reducing poverty, ensuring macro-economic stability and developing human resources. These are shaped by our 10-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Sierra Leone.

In Zimbabwe our programme is entirely focused on the humanitarian crisis and mitigating the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Other activities are limited by the difficult policy environment. We expect to remain one of the three largest donors along with the USA, and European Commission with which we share similar objectives and co-ordinate our efforts. In Evian the G8 expressed concern about the reports of further violence by the authorities in Zimbabwe and called on the Government of Zimbabwe to respect the right to peaceful demonstration.

The UK does not have a bilaterial programme with Liberia, although we provide humanitarian assistance when the need arises.

Lord Judd

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What will be their specific objectives at the G8 Summit in June 2003 with reference to:

  1. (a) the fulfilment of NePAD (the New Partnership for Africa's Development) objectives on conflict prevention, management and resolution and on peacemaking, peacekeeping, peace enforcement, post-conflict resolution rehabilitation and reconstruction;
  2. (b) the establishment of a G8/African Joint Task Team on Peace Support Operations; and
  3. (c) support for the African Peace and Security Agenda. [HL3052]

Baroness Amos

The objectives achieved at the G8 June Evian Summit included the following commitments to support the African peace and security agenda, in line with the G8 Africa Action Plan, support to NePAD and the African Union (AU). These commitments are set out in the Implementation Report by Africa Personal Representatives on the G8 African Action Plan as follows;

Conflict Resolution: the G8 has actively supported African efforts to achieve and consolidate peace and security throughout Africa but particularly in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Sudan and in other countries such as Burundi, Central African Republic and Côte d'Ivoire.

The G8 remains committed to continuing this support. In particular it has invited the international financial institutions to strengthen significantly their instruments for the consolidation of peace and post-conflict reconstruction and will work to this end in their governing bodies.

Development of peace support capacity in Africa: the G8 is taking the following steps in pursuit of this objective:

A joint Africa/G8 plan to enhance African peace support operations, developed through the Berlin Process, that aims to mobilise technical and financial assistance so that, by 2010, African partners are able to engage more effectively to prevent and resolve violent conflict on the continent, and undertake peace support operations in accordance with the United Nations Charter. Initial steps in implementation will include the following:

  • the establishment, equipping and training by 2010 of coherent, multinational, multi-disciplinary standby brigade capabilities including civilian components, at the AU and regional level, in particular integrated mission planning capability, mission field headquarters and strategic headquarters which would be available for UN-endorsed missions undertaken under the auspices of the UN, AU or an African regional organisation;
  • the development of capacities to provide humanitarian, security and reconstruction support in the context of complex peace support operations; and, WA 5 the development of institutional capacities at the continental and sub-regional level to prevent conflict through mediation, facilitation, observation and other strategies.

Lord Judd

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What will be their specific objectives at the G8 Summit in June 2003 with reference to:

  1. (a) combating the illicit proliferation of small arms, light weapons and landmines; and
  2. (b) curbing the activities of arms brokers wherever they operate. [HL3053]

Baroness Amos

The UK played a significant role in promoting small arms issues at the G8 Summit in June. Our aims at the summit were to:

  1. (1) highlight the need to reinforce the fight against illicit trafficking of arms and promote the adoption of stringent controls and careful scrutiny of arms transfers by all exporting states;
  2. (2) reaffirm our commitment to tackle the problem of small arms and light weapons, by maintaining and strengthening the momentum created by the adoption in 2001 of the UN Programme of Action to Combat Eradicate and Prevent the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its Aspects; and
  3. (3) to agree to work jointly to promote strict implementation of national legislation and guidelines.

At the summit itself, the volume of issues under consideration prevented the full discussion of small arms issues that the UK would have liked. The final statement notes that G8 States "welcomed the upcoming meeting of States on the illicit traffic in small arms to be held at the United Nations in New York in July 2003".

Her Majesty's Government will hold further discussions with partners at the United Nations Biennial Meeting of States on the importance of strengthening international controls on the illicit trade in small arms, including on arms exports. The Government will also emphasise the importance of effective and co-ordinated international assistance to affected countries, particularly those in Africa.