ON THE WAY TO MAKING POVERTY HISTORY

It seems impossible that it is already a year since the leaders of the world’s richest countries came together to work out a way to make poverty history. People in this constituency pressed very hard for the UK Government to take a lead on this, but knew that there was an incredible amount of work to see that commitments were followed up. Promises made must be promises enacted.

Progress was made at the summit. Leaders agreed a historic package to increase aid by $50bn a year by 2010; cancel debt; invest more in free health and education; provide universal access to AIDS drugs; fight malaria and TB; train 20,000 African peacekeepers and fight corruption.

But this was only a first step. Now we have to harness the pressure and awareness from constituencies all over the country to make progress. Clearly there is unfinished business on trade and climate change is having colossal impact on Africa. The conflict in Darfur is sadly still not resolved. So I am pleased to see that a new panel of world leaders is being set up to help keep the Gleneagles promises on tackling poverty. Chaired by Kofi Annan, the Africa Progress Panel will maintain the international profile of Africa which Gleneagles started last year. It will encourage and measure progress, reporting annually to the G8 and United Nations.

So what has been done in the last year? The International community is well on the way to the target to provide $130 billion in aid worldwide by 2010, following an increase in aid from around $80 billion in 2004 to over $100 billion in 2005. UK aid has increased from £2.1 billion a year to £5.6 million and will be £6.5 billion by next year.

I am pleased to see the beginning of the end for the scandalous situation where more money would be paid in interest payments on debt than on health and education. The International Monetary Fund has cancelled the debts of 20 countries, 14 from Africa.

There has also been the launch of a new UN emergency fund to respond more quickly to natural and human disasters, like the Pakistan Earthquake and Darfur. The UK has committed £40 million for this year, with another £120m for the next 3 years

And nearly $4 billion was committed in 2005 to replenish the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria. All those countries who put together credible, sustainable AIDS plans should get the funding they need to implement them. There will be $20- 23 billion a year for AIDS work by 2010. This funding is what UNAIDS says we need to spend to provide AIDS drugs for the 5 million people in developing countries who don’t have access to them at the moment, as well as effective prevention and care measures and help to orphans.

All of this is making a real difference to people’s lives. This year in Zambia, for example, has introduced free health care for people living in rural areas, scrapping fees which for years had made health care inaccessible for millions. This was made possible using some of the $5.3bn Zambia received from debt cancellation and aid increases agreed at Gleneagles.

We've come a long way, but we can do more.  In July the leaders of the G8 will meet in Russia to discuss the next steps to take.  It is vital that other world leaders take Britain's lead to increase aid and make trade fairer.  If you live in the constituency and would like to know more, then please be in touch.