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Africa: Corruption

My Lords, I join in thanking the noble Lord, Lord Chidgey, for introducing this short debate. I have always been a firm believer that Africa’s problems require African solutions, but there is no doubt that influential countries such as the United Kingdom can play a positive role in the future economic, political and social development of Africa. In my view, this thorough and perceptive report by the All-Party Group on Africa provides a clear indication of how the United Kingdom might play precisely such a positive role in addressing the ongoing problem of corruption in many African countries. There is no doubt that the chairman of the group is absolutely right when he declares in his summary:"““The scale, extent and impact of corruption and capital flight undoubtedly present a critical obstacle to development in Africa””." Few countries, let alone Africa, can afford to lose what the World Bank estimates as US$1 trillion in bribes paid each year and $1.5 trillion in tainted procurement. I was particularly struck by the African Union’s estimate, included in the report, that a total of $148 billion leaves the continent because of corruption. Those figures should not conjure up images of a handful of people enjoying amazing wealth and living the high life in London, Paris and New York, although that is one consequence. When we read those mind-boggling statistics, we must see African children who are deprived of basic medicine and education; starving people who are denied food; communities that are denied clean water and millions of people who are denied hope. That is the true price of corruption in Africa, and it should inspire Her Majesty’s Government not simply to read the report but to act decisively on it. The past decade has been a period of remarkable change in Africa, and it has been change for the better. Countries such as Mozambique, Zambia, Sierra Leone and Angola have taken important steps towards establishing effective, stable democracies and honest governments. Organisations such as Transparency International and initiatives such as NePAD have concentrated their efforts on setting out parameters and realistic guidelines that will help to infuse transparency and good governance to many African Governments. Such efforts are much more than straws in the wind. Two weeks ago, while visiting the DRC, I met the interim President Joe Kabila, and I was extremely encouraged to hear his commitment to upholding the principles of good governance and to supporting the anticorruption campaign. Without being over-optimistic, I believe the tide is moving in the right direction, against corruption in Africa. Change has been initiated at grass-roots level. Many millions of Africans have grown tired of the civil wars and corruption that have been such a deterrent to international investment in their countries and, in election after election, in droves, they have voted to oust leaders who have failed them. That groundswell is timely. At a time when the international community is confronted by ever-increasing demands on natural energy resources, there is a boom in international investment interest in many African countries. The All-Party Group is of course absolutely right to draw attention to corruption as one of the major obstacles to potential international investment. In addition to embracing measures to curb corruption, it is important that international investors are equally sensitive to the need to embrace the principles not only of corporate social responsibility but of securing black empowerment partners in their ventures. The mantra that Africa requires ““trade not aid”” is often repeated and, by implementing the recommendations of this report, Her Majesty’s Government will go a long way to creating the conditions for increased levels of fair trade, which will create jobs. In doing so, perhaps this country could also take whatever steps are necessary to encourage other major countries, notably China, to be equally as rigorous and responsible in their trade initiatives on the African continent.