JUNE 2005: UK GOVERNMENT NEWS REPORTJICA UK OFFICE
Sources:- Department for International Development (DFID) website: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/- Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website: http://www.fco.gov.uk/- HM Treasury website: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/- 10 Downing Street website (PM’s speeches): http://www.number-10.gov.uk/

SPEECHES
30 June 2005
Live website interview with Tony Blair in the run-up to the G8 summit
John Lloyd, Financial Times, Downing Street website (included webchat with general public)
Q: Are the targets set too high for the G8 Summit?
TB: We are aiming to make a significant attack on poverty in Africa to deal with the killer
diseases, to make sure that we are trying to help those countries get on their feet again, to atleast give a signal that we need to open up our markets to their trade, and on climate change.
There is no doubt at all that the biggest moral issue is Africa in the world today and thelongest term threat to the security and stability of the planet is climate change. These are thebiggest challenges the world faces – the G8 Summit should surely be a platform to discuss
the most difficult issues. If you don't try, you don't get anywhere.
Q: How do you answer the scepticism that the money will be wasted?
TB: By saying you can go to places in Africa and see, even where the regimes are bad, that
if people are able to get help with something like malaria that actually makes a difference andsecondly, and every bit as important, there are places in Africa where the countries aretransiting from one government to another in a democratic way, where corruption is being
tackled, where people are trying to introduce proper judicial systems. There is hope as well
as despair in Africa, and it just isn't true or fair to take an appalling regime like Mugabe's andsay that is Africa.
Q: How are climate change and African development related to each other?
TB: The two issues are definitely linked. Climate change will affect millions of people in Africa
through flooding. But also if we help poverty in Africa then African countries will grow anddevelop. It is essential that they do so sustainably without adding even bigger burdens to theenvironment. That's why it's rightly called sustainable development.

29 June 2005
How can we get trade justice?
Hilary Benn at London School of Economics
Trade justice is probably the most important development challenge facing us today.
Campaigners are right to be angry about unfair trade rules and highly protected markets thatwork against the poor. Aid and debt relief alone are not enough because if we achieve tradejustice, the world's poorest countries will have the chance, with the right support, to set
themselves on a sustainable path to higher growth, more jobs, and increased incomes for thepoor. Trade justice will give them the means to end their dependency on aid. This means,ultimately to end poverty. Europe leads the world on development. It is time to demonstrate
the same leadership on trade.
For trade to work for poor people and for the poorest countries, we need three things:• action by developed and developing countries to reduce trade protectionism and end
unfair subsidies• substantially increased aid to build the capacity of the poorest countries to trade• action by developing country governments to create the right conditions for trade, growth,and poverty reduction
Progress in Hong Kong is essential: as the Commission for Africa noted, rich country barriers
and support are "absolutely unacceptable; they are politically antiquated, economicallyilliterate, environmentally destructive and ethically indefensible. They must go."Priorities for the Doha Round:• Make farming fair – this is an area where the system really doesn’t serve developing
countries. Subsidies cost people in the developed world a lot as well.
• Lower market barriers – countries need to be able to export a wider variety of goods andbe able to add value, through processing• Countries need to have freedom to choose whether and what to liberalise - we need theright mix of safeguards and support measures targeted at the poorest to help them integrate
at their own pace and with the right support
Outside of Doha, there is more that can be done to reduce barriers:• Regulations – e.g. Rules of origin, designed to prevent fraud, can have perverse effects
and undermine the ability of countries to buy goods from competitive sources; health andother standards are also becoming a new barrier for poor countries; delays in getting goods
across borders increase costs.
• Many countries do not have the capacity to trade in goods and services that cancompete in global markets – there is a need for investment in infrastructure, humanresources; other priorities for help include trade facilitation, policy reform, and adjustment toloss of preferences.
• Developing countries themselves need to create the right environment for trade anddevelopment - Sound policies and institutions; an environment attractive to local and foreign
investment; social structures that provide opportunities and a safety net for when times are
hard.
Achieving this will not be easy. Trade is also not a cure-all. Increased trade alone will not lift
millions out of poverty - it must be accompanied by peace and security, by appropriate
economic policies, good governance, investment in health and education. People, and above
all, poor people need to be provided with the opportunities for productive employment. For
the poorest countries the challenge is greatest. Progress demands one thing above all -2

political will. A Round that creates real trade justice for poor people and for the poorest
countries - is really something worth campaigning and also voting for.

27 June 2005
India: the next decadeJack Straw, Foreign Secretary, at Chatham House, London
The transformation of the Indian economy particularly since the early 1990s has beenastonishing. And not least thanks to continuing economic reform, there is a great deal more
to come – with Indian growth, according to Goldman Sachs, likely to be above 6% every year
for the next two decades. But India's economic rise is not simply down to cheaper wages or
to competition in low-cost sectors. India is not racing the world to the bottom, but to the top:
British and other international companies look to India not just for low-cost call centres, but
for services at every level of expertise and skills. The hospitals of our National Health Service
now look to India for overnight results on medical tests through the use of tele-medicine –images and other data sent through the Internet. India is one of the world's most vibrantsocieties, and the largest democracy on earth, with 5 ½ thousand daily newspapers and thefilm capital of the world in Bombay. That makes for an environment where innovation anddynamism can flourish.
There are two key components to the UK's and India's shared history – some of it good someless so – that has left us with a powerful legacy on which we can build:• The human links between us: Over a million people in the UK are of Indian origin, andthey form one of the most dynamic communities in Britain today.
• The strength of our shared values: We are both pluralist democracies, have embraced
secular multi-culturalism, a model focused neither on simple integration, nor on the barerequirement of tolerance, but instead on a celebration of our diversity.
Three main objectives for the India-UK relationship for the next decade:• Strengthen further our business partnership - the UK is already the second-largest
foreign investor in India; and India is rising fast up the list of investors in the UK• Realise the benefits of an ever-closer relationship between our governments andsocieties - earlier this year, the UK and India broke new ground in their relationship inestablishing a Joint Economic and Trade Committee, and a bilateral financial dialogue• Turn our relationship into a truly global collaboration on the issues which will shape thefuture of our world, on energy security, climate change, development and security India's Prime Minister will be attending the G8 summit in Gleneagles, other joint work is
being done on global security and the Sustainable Development Dialogue327 June 2005
60th anniversary of the United Nations
Jack Straw, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, London
The ideals on which the UN was founded are still as relevant today. But the UN owes its
success over 60 years to more than their strength alone. Two other common threads run
through its history:• The UN was founded not just on high principles but on the realities of international power.
The permanent membership of the Security Council including the P5 vetoes reflects this.
• The UN has had great capacity to change. It has grown from 50 signatories at San
Francisco to 191 members today – many of whom gained their independence with thehelp of the UN's decolonisation machinery, and then chose themselves to join the
Organisation
Today, at 60, the UN remains the keystone of the international system and the strongest
source of legitimacy for collective international action. Yet the world has changed almost
beyond recognition since 1945. So too have the threats to our collective security and wellbeing. The United Nations now needs to respond to those changes, by adapting as it has in
the past, and by finding new and better ways of channelling the collective will of its members.
Following the publication of Kofi Annan's report, In Larger Freedom, we are now working
hard on turning the proposals into action, as we prepare for the Millennium Review Summit in
September. The UN's reform agenda reflects the three pillars on which it was founded:development, security and human rights. The UK supports change in these three areas andreform of the UN machinery itself.
The UK also wants to see a Security Council which reflects today's world and thecontributions of the UN's members to its objectives. The UK therefore supports the
expansion of both the permanent and non-permanent membership, with permanent
representation for Japan, Germany, India and Brazil, and for Africa. A Security Council of 25
need not be unwieldy, providing working practices are changed. But we cannot afford to letdifficulties and sensitivities over Security Council reform hold up progress elsewhere: there is
too much at stake for that – there are other important issues that need to be addressed in
September.
It is important that everyone in civil society is involved in the process of change now
underway in the United Nations. The whole of the international community has a stake in a
United Nations which is quicker to deal with crises such as war or natural disaster; more
effective at protecting people and pursuing abuses of their human rights; more efficient indelivering aid and assistance to the poorest; and running itself in a more modern way. Thatvision goes beyond this autumn's Summit: it is one for the future of the United Nations overthe coming decades. The Charter of the United Nations begins not 'we the member states' or'we the governments', but 'we the peoples of the United Nations'. If the UN is to meet theenormous challenges of this new century, it will need to draw on the energy and ideas of all
those with a stake in its future – and that means all of us.

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27 June 2005
The EU and Africa: Real trade, real lives
Ian Pearson, FCO Minister for Trade, Traidcraft Seminar, London
Over the next six months, there is a real prospect of improving the trade climate for Africa.
Our top priority remains making good progress at Hong Kong towards a successful outcome
to the Doha Development Agenda next year. A successful deal for Africa must see firm
commitments from all the developed countries – with a timetable – to eliminate export
support that so distorts trade and to address their domestic support for agriculture. As part ofa pro-development agreement, we want to see improved market access for developing
country exports, not only for agricultural products but also for non-agricultural goods.
Whilst our priority must be on the DDA, there are other important negotiations taking place
during the UK's EU Presidency. Perhaps the most important from a development point ofview are the Economic Partnership Agreements with the African, Caribbean and Pacificcountries. We are determined that EPAs will deliver the opportunity for Africa and other poor
countries to develop through trade. We support these agreements and believe that they are acoherent and holistic approach and as Peter Mandelson has said, put ‘trade at the service ofdevelopment'.
Three things that can be done to ensure all benefit from trade:• Invest more in Africa's capacity to trade• Alter rules and regulations to assist trade• Over-rigorous product standards need to be addressed
We will continue to push for the markets of the developed world to be fully opened up to
developing countries and to work to bring people in Africa out of poverty through trade.

22 June 2005
British Government’s Progress towards the Millennium Development Goals
Hilary Benn at the Anglican Consultative Council, Nottingham
Making poverty history is the moral issue of our generation. Faith groups have a unique andimportant role in making poverty history. They are often poor people’s most trusted
institutions. They are often the first to which the poor turn in times of need and crisis, and towhich they give in times of plenty. As a result they are closely embedded and committed to
local communities.
Faith groups provide crucial services to the poor, often running the only schools and healthclinics in rural communities: In Sub-Saharan African, faith groups provide more than 50% of
all health and education services. They can and do reach poor people largely untouched byother institutions.
The UK is taking a lead by calling on the international community to take action on: more andbetter aid, debt relief and trade justice. The churches can help. 2005 is unique year ofopportunity in the fight to eliminate poverty. We are already seeing the makings of a new5

compact between the rich countries and the poor. It took faith to persuade us that slavery
was an unimaginable evil that had to be stopped – but they did succeed. Perhaps ending
poverty sounds about as distant a goal today as did ending slavery, but we can do it.
Campaigning works. Aid works. Let 2005 be the turning point for us all. Let it be the year
when we put into action all our good words and promises.

15 June 2005
Africa’s instability is our instability
Lord Triesman, FCO Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State speech at TanzanianParliament, Tanzania
The UK and Tanzania enjoy close political and commercial ties. Hilary Benn, and theChancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, have both visited Tanzania in the last 8 months.
We have, in turn, welcomed to Britain President Mkapa who has played such an importantrole in the work of the Commission for Africa. May I take this opportunity to congratulate
President Mkapa on the strong stand he is taking to draw attention to the Commission's
report, launched in this House last Thursday, not just in Tanzania but across the whole of
Africa too. As the Commission's report states: 'Africa today has its best opportunity forchange for decades.'The UN, the G8, the EU – all the major industrial groupings and countries of the world
recognise that now is the time for action in Africa. As the industrialised world grows richer
and the world becomes ever more interconnected it is unacceptable that millions should still
be dying from hunger or disease; that children should be denied the education that is their
passport to prosperity; that millions die in brutal conflict.
Despite ongoing conflicts and the ravages of poverty, disease and environmental
degradation I believe that we are seeing a new dawn in Africa.
Tanzania is a beacon of stability in Africa. Thanks to the far sightedness of its leaders
Tanzania has enjoyed uninterrupted political stability and peace. President Mkapa has been
instrumental in maintaining the pace and focus of a vigorous programme of economic reform.
Now in its second phase, Tanzania's Poverty Reduction Strategy – the Mkukuta - is showing
positive results. School enrolment has risen and the goal to ensure universal primaryeducation for every child is close to achievement. Healthcare is improving with particularsuccess in preventing malaria through wider use of bed nets, particularly in urban areas.
And we hope that Zanzibar too will continue to grow in political maturity. The UK and all
Zanzibar's friends hope that the forthcoming elections will be peaceful and credible, reflecting
the will of the Zanzibari people. This will send a clear message throughout Tanzania and theregion that Zanzibar is committed to stability and transparency which are crucial to attract
tourists and international investors.

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As President Mkapa and all the Commissioners for Africa agree, trade will have a far greater
impact than aid. A partially reformed legal and judicial system and corruption stand clearly inthe way of greater foreign investment. Contracts can be difficult to enforce. The process isunpredictable and time-consuming. Investors tell me they face constraints on many levels.
British investors say that legally occupied properties are threatened with repossession. It is
important that Tanzania continues working towards a positive environment for investors,
foreign and domestic, as investment in the engine of sustainable growth, jobs and skills.
We have insisted on transparency in our debt relief initiative. What is written off in debt
interest payments must be used for health, education and poverty reduction programmes.
Here in Tanzania we believe that, for transparency to be truly effective, there should bereforms in public financial management, in the legal sector and in public services at national
and local levels. I know that you have made advances on financial management, and arelooking at the other issues. We are helping and remain ready to continue doing so.

14 June 2005
Written Ministerial statement on Zimbabwe
Jack Straw, Foreign Secretary
Recent events in Zimbabwe show Zimbabweans being deprived of their democratic andhuman rights, facing the consequences of chronic economic misrule, and grappling withsevere food shortages. Over the last three weeks the Mugabe regime has launched a brutal
crackdown on some of the most vulnerable Zimbabweans, including inhabitants of urban
shanty settlements and informal traders.
In response, we have joined our EU partners in demanding that the Government of
Zimbabwe end this crackdown, in a statement on 7 June. We also continue to work withother international partners to maximise the pressure on Zimbabwe to end this brutality andare discussing these and other human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, with neighbouring African
states and regional African bodies.
DFID are already responding to this man-made disaster, providing US$ 400,000 so far
towards humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable mainly through the UN andInternational Organisation for Migration. A further contribution is imminent.
Since 2002 the European Union has imposed targeted sanctions on Zimbabwe; an arms
embargo on the country and a travel ban and asset freeze on President Mugabe and leading
regime figures. The EU's Common Position is kept under regular review. We agreed
yesterday to extend the list of those regime figures caught by the travel ban and asset freeze,
from 95 to 120 names.

711 June 2005
G8 Finance Ministers’ Conclusions on Development, London
Reaffirmed commitments:• To help countries achieve the MDGs, particularly Africa who are off-track• That developing countries need to introduce policies for economic growth, sustainable
development and poverty reduction• Donors need to improve the effectiveness of aid• To work together for a successful outcome of the Doha Development Round• To provide support to enable developing countries to benefit from trade opportunities• To scale up support for vaccines and medicines research• To the full implementation and financing of the Enhanced HIPC Initiative• That increased aid is necessary
Pledges for increases in aid to Africa were welcomed.
Nigeria is key to the prosperity of the whole continent of Africa: Nigeria’s progress ineconomic reform was welcomed. Commitment to provide a fair and sustainable solution to
Nigeria's debt problems in 2005, within the Paris Club.
18 countries immediately eligible for 100% debt relief: Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia,
Ghana, Guyana, Honduras, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Niger,
Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia.

6 June 2005
G8 2005: A year for Africa
Ian Pearson, FCO Minister for Trade, Commission for Africa Event, Tokyo, JapanWhy has Tony Blair put Africa, together with climate change, at the top of the agenda for theG8 summit in early July? Quite simply, the challenge of poverty and of inequality is one of thegreatest challenges facing mankind. It is closely linked to wars and conflicts, to disease andto everyday human suffering. If we want peace in the world, we have to tackle this issue. If
we believe in human security, this is the key.
The members of the G8 are now studying the Commission for Africa report and deciding on
their response. But the report is not only addressed to the G8. It says clearly that African
governments must also face up to their responsibilities if Africa's problems are to be
overcome. African leaders must be accountable to their people and must develop
comprehensive policies for development and poverty reduction in their countries. Without
that, none of our efforts to help can ever be truly effective. The good news is that there aresubstantial changes taking place in Africa.
Some significant progress has already been achieved in taking this agenda forward:• The EU has agreed on a new collective target to raise ODA to 0.56% of GNI by 2010.
The original EU 15 members will raise their individual ODA by 2010 to 0.51%, and the new810 members commit to 0.17%. By 2015 the EU 15 undertake to achieve the internationaltarget of 0.7%. Half of the overall increase in ODA will go to Africa.
• US aid levels have increased by over 50% from 2000 to 2004.
• Canada has committed to double its aid from 2001 to 2010, which will take them to an
ODA/GNI ratio of 0.41% by then.
• Here in Japan PM Koizumi has agreed to double aid to Africa.
But there is still more to do – on trade barriers, on debt relief and on speeding up the flow offunds. There is broad agreement that the focus for our ODA should be on the priorities
identified by the Commission – education, health, infrastructure, agriculture. We need also tofocus on developing the private sector for economic growth. In part these priorities derivefrom the experience of Asia. Your region has shown the way – through taking hundreds ofmillions of people from poverty to a reasonable level of prosperity. It is important that weunderstand the Asian experience correctly and learn from it. That is where Japan has a key
role.
Japan is a key partner, which has been active in Africa for many years, eg through the
TICAD process. Japan is a country with worldwide interests, and so it is natural that Japan
should be active in Africa, just as we are active in Asia. Our bilateral cooperation on
development issues has improved significantly in recent years, with joint visits by our
economic cooperation officials to Vietnam, Bangladesh and (soon) Tanzania. So we remainkeen to work closely with Japan on development issue and specifically Africa. If we and theAfricans can get together in a genuine partnership I am convinced that the problems of that
continent can and will be solved.

PRESS RELEASES
30 June 2005
DFID is to give £50 million over the next five years to connect 1.35 million households
and businesses to electricity supplies in under-served areas of Bangladesh, benefiting up
to 10 million people. The Rural Electrification Board, which will carry out the construction
work, has a reputation for efficiency and effectiveness. The DFID programme will strengthen
the work of the local electricity cooperatives, which manage the service at the local level andwill also help improve their performance by funding training for managers and members.
The overall programme cost is £161 million. The Government of Bangladesh will contribute£122 million through the Annual Development Programme. DFID will contribute £38 million
for investment components to the Rural Electrification Board through the Ministry of Finance,£10 million to increase access to electricity for poorer households through micro finance and£2 million through USAID to provide technical advice for cooperative member education,
impact studies and supervision. Disbursement procedures accord with existing rules to fund
Government of Bangladesh agencies, donors and NGOs. The full cost of operation,9

maintenance and asset replacement will be met through user charges. The Rural
Electrification Board will begin implementing the programme from July 2005.

29 June 2005
A new study provides insights on how to increase the impact of economic growth onpoverty reduction: ‘Pro-Poor Growth in the 1990s: Lessons and Insights from 14 Countries’.
The study presents evidence that underscores the importance of promoting strong andsustained growth as part of any pro-poor growth strategy. But at the same time, it also
demonstrates the need to implement policies that enhance the ability of poor households toparticipate in growth.
The study forms part of a joint work programme sponsored by The World Bank, Agence
Française de Développement (AFD), German Development Policy (BMZ, GTZ, KfW) and the
UK Department for International Development (DFID). The case studies include: Bangladesh,
Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Romania, Senegal,
Tunisia, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia.
• Executive summary: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/growth-poverty-summary.pdf• Full report: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/growth-poverty-report.pdf

13 June 2005
The UK will increase its contribution to the African Union Darfur mission to £19m,
bringing the total contribution to the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) since its
inception to almost £32m.The money will be used to purchase up to 500 additional vehicles
and further rapid deployment equipment.
• DFID's Sudan country homepage: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/countries/africa/sudan.asp

NEWS
28 June 2005
As part of the Government’s 10 year Investment Framework for Science and Innovation,
DFID is producing a Science and Innovation Strategy and launching an online
consultation. The consultation will run for 12 weeks, until 19 September 2005. The Scienceand Innovation Strategy is due to be published by the end of the year.
• Consultation overview: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/consultations/science-main.asp

21 June 2005
A new report by the Marine Resources Assessment Group (MRAG) on combating illegal
fishing in the developing world shows that every year at least $4 billion of fish is caught
illegally. The report, commissioned by the UK's Department for International Development(DFID), suggests that small investments would reduce illegal fishing and enable poor
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countries to benefit from their own resources. The initiative on illegal fishing has been
implemented with cooperation from the Norwegian International Development Agency(Norad).
• Synthesis Report: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/illegal-fishing-mrag-synthesis-report.
pdf• Full Report: http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/illegal-fishing-mrag-report.pdf

17 June 2005
Announcement of Infrastructure Consortium for Africa: Senior-level representatives fromthe G8, African Union, The New Partnership for Africa's Development (AU/NEPAD), African
Development Bank, The Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS), theWorld Bank and the European Commission, met in London on May 5 to discuss
infrastructure in Africa. Recognising that infrastructure in Africa is key to accelerating growth,
reducing poverty and promoting regional integration and that a step-change in approach is
required to meet urgent needs and address the scale of the problem an infrastructure
consortium will be established to work together, building on the valuable work already ongoing. Precise mechanics and possible additional participants will be discussed at theinaugural meeting of the consortium on 6 October 2005, in London.
Role of the consortium:• Effectiveness - poor coordination amongst donors remains a problem• Advocacy and awareness – emphasising the scale of the problem and to encourage amore effective response, including greater attention to country PRSs
• Coverage - the focus is on continent-wide cross-border/regional projects and at thenational level, the focus is on sub-Saharan Africa• Sector focus - water and sanitation, energy, transport, telecommunications and urban
infrastructure.
• Data - current baseline data on funding and activity levels is poor - there is an urgent
need to establish who is doing what, where, and with what money, so as to identify gaps
• Capacity building – focus to be in areas responsible for current bottlenecks• Comparative advantage - respecting the comparative advantages and complementarityof different donors, and the appropriate type and mix of funding for different types ofinfrastructure is key, if more resources are to be mobilised and effectively used
• Scaling up - mobilising additional funds for infrastructure, more effective use of existingsources of finance and identifying funds in the near term for a number of priority projects• Monitoring - monitoring of actions and outcomes

13 June 2005
Chancellor Gordon Brown announced a £30 billion package of debt relief for thedeveloping world after agreement was reached by the G8 finance ministers in London. The
move provides relief for 18 nations, mostly in Africa, freeing up revenue to spend on health,education and development. Under the deal, the World Bank, the International Monetary
Fund and the African Development Fund will write-off 100 per cent of the money owed to11them by selected nations. Other countries could be eligible for similar help if they met strict
targets for good governance and tackling corruption.

7 June 2005
DFID Departmental Report 2005 published. This records progress towards the PublicService Agreement agreed with the Treasury and sets out achievements during the financial
year 2004/05.
• Links to individual chapters of Departmental Report 2005:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/news/files/2005/dr2005-launch.asp• DFID’s Public Service Agreement with the Treasury:
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/servicedeliveryagree03-06.pdf

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