Tilting the world towards Africa

In the light of the make Poverty History Campaign and the run up to the G8 Summit in July 2005, this paper compiles a number of arguments, ideas and statements related to African development.

The main points it makes are:

• Make Poverty History has understandably concentrated on the needs of developing countries rather than their shortcomings
• Make Poverty History is providing a real and powerful moral and political impetus to a string of recommendations made by the United Nations, the World Bank, academic studies, etc. that aid has to double if most countries are to achieve the Millennium Development Goals adopted nearly five years ago by the United Nations General Assembly
• in terms of developing countries’ shortcomings, corruption is the most difficult to deal with
• sceptics about aid efficiency should look at the evidence that aid does work effectively to lift people out of poverty
• sceptics should act to reduce the impact of conflicts that have destroyed the hopes for development of so many Africans by working for an effective arms trade treaty that would choke off the supply of weapons to war-torn areas
• Northern governments should abolish the tax havens where corrupt rulers have been able to hide illicit payments.