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Africa: Gleneagles Plan

My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for International Development (Hilary Benn) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. In my Written Statement of 12 December, I set out the Government's commitment to ensuring that the pledges on Africa and development made at the G8 summit at Gleneagles in July are implemented. The Gleneagles implementation plan for Africa consists of the milestones that the Government believe need to be achieved, and I indicated that we would update this plan monthly. I am placing a copy of the first update in the Libraries. This highlights progress made against the milestones set for December and January; and also incorporates new milestones that have been adopted by the international community. All the milestones for December and January have    been achieved, with the exception of the implementation of the multilateral debt relief initiative by the African Development Bank (AfDB). This is now expected by July, and the AfDB will apply debt relief retrospectively to January 2006. As expected, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) implemented this initiative in January, and the World Bank will be implementing it in July. EU Heads of Government agreed a new EU strategic partnership with Africa at the European Council in December. This provides a framework to guide Europe's activities as it increases its support to the continent. The World Trade Organisation Ministerial in Hong Kong in December did not achieve as much as the Government would have wished. However, it did agree a deadline of 2013 for the elimination of agricultural export subsidies; and that developed countries should provide quota and duty-free access to their markets for most products (97 per cent) from least developed countries by 2008. Substantial new funds were also pledged to build developing countries' capacity to trade, including £100 million a year by 2010 from the UK. The United Nations Peace Building Commission was established and the UK have been elected as a member. The United Nations Convention Against Corruption entered into force on 14 December, following ratification by 30 countries. The UK have sent their instrument of ratification to the UN on 30 January and ratified it on 9 February. A new global plan to stop tuberculosis was launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos. My right honourable friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who attended the forum, confirmed the Government's strong support for this plan. Two future milestones have been adjusted. The first is the bonds for the International Financing Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm), which are now likely to be launched in April rather than February, due to delays in finalising the legal documents with donors. The second is the Central Emergency Revolving Fund, which is now expected to be launched in March rather than February.