DC, EJS and the HLP

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.