9 March 2005
Howard: Action on global poverty
Speech at Conservative Campaign Headquarters
"I am delighted to be here this morning with Alan Duncan and Michael Ancram to launch our Manifesto for International Development: Action on Global Poverty. Thank you all for coming. And I am very sorry not to be able to stay for longer but I have to go and get ready for Prime Minister's Questions.
No-one underestimates the scale of the challenge we face to "Make Poverty History". Every day 30,000 children die around the world from diseases that are entirely preventable. AIDS claims five lives every minute of every day. And almost a billion people live on less than a dollar a day.
We have a moral responsibility to help those less fortunate than ourselves. That is why the Conservatives are committed to increasing international development support by £800 million over the next three years and to working towards the UN target of spending 0.7 per cent of Britain's national income by 2013. This matches Labour's commitments.
But we also have a duty to ensure that aid gets through to the right people - and doesn't end up in the bank accounts of the governing elite. So in badly governed countries we will distribute more British aid through non-governmental organisations.
We also need to ensure that aid is targeted at the poorest countries. Despite Chris Patten's heroic efforts at reform, 50 per cent of the European Union's aid still goes to middle or even high income countries. That is why I believe national governments should have far greater control over their international development budgets - so Britain can target her support on the most deserving countries.
But however effective our aid programme is - and it is absolutely vital - we have to recognise that on its own it cannot solve the problems of global poverty. Good governance, free enterprise, free markets and fairer trade - these offer an end to global poverty.
The growth of free markets will do more to lift people out of poverty than all the aid programmes in the world. The failure of many politicians to grasp this fundamental truth has left millions of people stranded in poverty.
But the richer countries must also act in accordance with what they know to be true: free trade spreads prosperity. Protectionism does not. Protection for developed countries at the expense of the developing world must come to an end. It is both immoral and hypocritical. Instead of putting up barriers, we need to open our markets to the developing countries.
I believe in making free trade fairer and fair trade freer. Fairness matters. It is quite wrong for the West to dump its own heavily subsidised good on developing countries - ruining their fledgling markets.
So we will make free trade fairer by pressing the EU to allow poor countries tariff-free access to our markets - benefiting both British consumers and poorer producers.
At the same time, we recognise that less developed economies need a finite period of support before they will have the capacity to compete in open markets.
And we want to see the establishment of an Advocacy Fund, paid for by the developed countries, to help poor countries fight their corner in international trade disputes.
We also support the principle of 100 per cent cancellation of debts to multilateral institutions. This generosity will be matched with practicality, so that money released by debt relief is put to good use and does not line the pockets of corrupt governments.
Living in relative security here in Britain it is sometimes hard to comprehend the extent of the HIV/AIDS crisis. But I am committed to practical action to help developing countries tackle the epidemic - though preventative education, the provision of condoms, the extension of anti-retroviral drug treatment and funding to support the ongoing quest.
No economy will ever fulfil its potential without good, transparent government, independent institutions and freedom under the rule of law. Aid should assist the development of legally enforceable property rights and civic institutions - because they are the foundations of wealth creation.
I am totally committed to releasing the poorest in the world from the scourge of disease, ignorance and neglect.
I believe that the most effective way to do this is freer and fairer trade, more and better aid, and fast and effective debt relief. But recipient governments have to match our commitment by providing good and accountable government to their own people.
Poverty is not inevitable. When poor people are given the freedom to prosper, they will do so. And our policies are designed to help give them that freedom and that prosperity."
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Rt
Hon
Michael Howard QC MP |
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