[Africa] ...to benefit from UK's new strategy to fight poverty

from African News Dimension

By ANDnetwork .com

The British government is to focus on improving governance, fighting corruption in poor countries, increasing spending on public services, and dealing with the impact of climate change to fight poverty in poor countries.

According to a release by the department for international development (DFID) office in Kigali, Rwanda the secretary for DFID, Hilary Benn, issued a new White Paper recently setting out the UK policy on international development.

According to the release, the 'White Paper', titled ‘Eliminating world poverty: making governance work for the poor’, responds to four big challenges: good governance in poor countries; improving security, poverty reduction and tackling climate change.

It also focuses on reforming the international system in organisations like the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and European Union to better deal with international problems.

According to the release, in a bid to improve governance and fight corruption, a new US$185 million Governance and Transparency Fund has been initiated to help people hold their governments to account.

"A long-term progress in the fight against poverty will only be achieved through effective government, and by people with the voice and confidence to hold their governments to account. That’s why governance is at the heart of this White Paper,” the release quotes Benn as saying.


The release further indicates that UK spending on education in developing countries would double by 2010 to over US$1,8 billion a year, and that the UK would also work with developing countries to back ten year health plans, including ways to abolish user fees.

The White Paper that builds on two previous White Papers (1997 and 2000) also indicates that there will be new support to develop technologies for cleaner water and sanitation, with funding more than doubling from US$175 million a year in Africa by 2007 to US$370 million by 2010.

According to the release, the UK currently provides US$85 million each year in development assistance to Rwanda.

The New Times - Rwanda