Remember to talk about poverty

The UK Commission for Africa has suggested a way out of poverty. Sadly, Uganda seems to only care about Commissioner Bob Geldof’s remarks about Museveni’s long stay in office

By Kimbowa Richard

A year ago, British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, brought together 17 people in the Commission for Africa, CfA. Participants in the Commission are European and African individuals with varied experiences as political leaders, public servants, private sector representatives and civil society actors. The task was to define the challenges facing Africa, and to provide clear recommendations on how to support the changes needed to reduce poverty. According to Tony Blair, the recommendations are intended to constitute “a coherent plan of action on the way forward for Africa’s development.”

At the launch of the commission’s report in London in March, Irish popstar, Bob Geldof who is one of the commission’s members, unsparingly lashed out at Presidents Museveni and Mugabe for holding unto power or extending their stay beyond the constitutionally provided term limits.

Here in Kampala, it sent ripples that saw what seemed to be the beginning of demonstrations for, and against, the third term.

The content of the report relates to key recommendations on good governance and capacity building, poverty reduction, aid quality and quantity, global governance reform as well as those on trade and debt relief.

However, in Kampala, Geldorf’s remarks were made to appear like the whole report was a personal attack on President Museveni for his failure to respect the Uganda constitution, and openly declare his intention not to vie for a third term in office, the so-called Kisanja.

Consequently, media reports have not yet provided the public with information on the key issues raised in the CfA report, but have allowed a prolonged discussion on Bob Geldof’s remarks.

While civil society elsewhere has spent a fair time to debate and make their input about the report known to the public, Ugandan civil society is yet to do that.

The issues still stand and Ugandan civil society should preferably make its opinions known either alone or collectively as we look forward to the different fair trade and development events in 2005. These include the G8 and IMF meeting in Scotland in July, The UN MDG +5 Summit to review the Millennium Declaration in September and the World Trade Organisation, WTO, Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in December.

While the Commission notes that Africans have a role to play, it also calls on them to be more accountable and responsible in any duty that they are involved in. The report for instance suggests, that every man and woman should be part of trimming down the gap between the haves and the have-nots, which keeps on widening every other day.

Here are the key recommendations, hopefully we will soon see them - rather than Sir Geldof - discussed:

Governance and capacity building

The report notes that weak governance is central to holding Africa back, and calls for African governments to draw up comprehensive capacity-building strategies. All states should ratify and implement the UN Convention against Corruption during 2005.

Growth and poverty reduction

The report argues that poverty in Africa will continue to rise unless there is greater economic growth and of a kind in which poor people can participate. It further argues that, out of the US dollars 50 billions, which Africa needs by 2010, 20 billions should go to infrastructure investment, ranging from rural roads and slum upgrading to information and communication technology to support greater integration of Africa’s regions and to enable Africa to access world markets. Africa must also double the area of arable land under irrigation by 2015.

Education, health and water

The report calls on donors and African Governments to increase spending on these. Donors and African governments are called to meet their commitments to achieve Education for All, ensuring that every child in Africa goes to school. Health donors should fully fund the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. For water, starting in 2005, donors must reverse the decline in aid for water supply and sanitation, to enable African governments to achieve the Africa Water Vision commitment to reduce by 75% the proportion of people without access to safe water and sanitation by 2015.

Strengthening and challenging multilateral institutions

The report calls for changes in global governance systems: Shareholders of the African Development Bank should support and aim to make the bank the pre-eminent financing institution in Africa within 10 years. Also African countries should be given a greater voice in the multilateral institutions, notably through greater representation on the Boards of the World Bank and IMF.