'Best chance' to beat African poverty
World leaders have “the best chance we have ever had” to tackle African poverty, International Development Secretary Hilary Benn said today.
Mr Benn said the G8 had a moral duty and a real opportunity to take decisive action to help the impoverished continent.
He said there was a real determination among G8 leaders, tied to a genuine commitment among African countries to improve governance and end conflict.
“I just think we happen to have the best chance we have ever had to make progress if each of us plays our part,” he said.
Mr Benn praised the Make Poverty History campaign. He said there had always been people rightly morally outraged by the condition of other humans.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the world could no longer claim it did not know what was going on in Africa.
He said people realised a failure to act would impact on peace and security across the world.
He also promised new money to help eradicate polio.
Mr Benn insisted real progress had been made on tackling poverty, and he said the British Government had been key to that.
Action Aid has reportedly accused the Government of using millions of poor people to score a PR coup. Mr Benn dismissed the attack.
“The truth is we are making a real effort to try and support Africa in changing its future for the better,” he said.
“The greatest failure of all would be not to try at all. Nobody can say we are not trying.
“What we have seen in the last month – debt cancellation agreement, EU aid agreement, debt write-off for Nigeria – I don’t think any of those things would have happened if Britain hadn’t been leading, if the Prime Minister hadn’t put Africa at the centre of the G8.
“I think we can make pogress and instead of being cynical, people should continue to put pressure on ourselves and we put the pressure on others so that we can make progress.
“Because if we don’t do that, then we are not going to have the future world that we ought to and Africa isn’t going to have the better future that it deserves.”
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