David Cameron was in Liberia on Friday on
the last leg of his African tour. While in Algeria and Libya his focus was how
Britain and the international community deals with extremism, in Liberia it was
poverty which I would argue is a greater threat to peace and stability, not
just in Africa but across the world. Poor people are hungry people, people
without access to education, clean water, health care, people who see their
children die of diseases which wouldn't kill them if they lived in the West.
Extremists of any persuasion like poor people because they are easy pickings.
We have to do something to tackle global poverty. And that is what Cameron was
doing in Monrovia.
He is co-chair, along with Indonesian
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf
Johnson (ESJ) of a high level panel of "eminent persons" (HLP) convened by
UN Secretary General to agree the global development priorities to succeed the
Millennium Development Goals.
The theme of the Monrovia meeting was
putting in the national building blocks for sustained prosperity. In Liberia
and indeed most of the rest of Africa this means short- and medium-term foreign support
so that long-term Africa can stand on its own two feet. Because no matter what those
opposed to the concept of international development would have you believe, no
African country, or in fact any country, wants to be aid-dependent.
This is why it is significant that ESJ is
co-chairing the Panel. She is having a direct impact on the development
priorities the world sets itself. She can and will ensure that the priorities
of Africa and Africans are properly reflected.
ESJ knows well that countries like Liberia
need help to get in place the basic infrastructure upon which its future
prosperity is dependent. The civil war destroyed the national grid, the road
network, the ports. Without these crops don’t get to market, children
don’t get to school, the sick don’t get healthcare, goods don’t get traded. The
formal economy is stifled, taxable income is suppressed, countries remain poor.
Ok, I know it is a bit more complicated than that but not much.
So Liberia needs help now to help it not
need help in the future. It is doing what it can but can’t do it on its own. And
why should we give help? Well I could write at length about theories of
under-development and the role of the developed world in the impoverishment of
Africa but I think it is simpler than that.
- We can: we can afford it no matter what those opposed to it tell you
- It will have a real impact: done effectively it is a short-term investment that will be transformational
- It is better for us: poor people are vulnerable not just to disease but to the allure of extremists and instability Africa is not good for anyone
- We should: it is the right thing to do
I hope that Cameron enjoyed his visit to Liberia. It would
be great if he fell in love with it as I have, but at the very least I hope he
has returned with a strong commitment to do the right thing and supports EJS, Liberia and Africa.
