|
SUPPORT FOR INCREASED U.S. ASSISTANCE TO COMBAT POVERTY IN
AFRICA
WHEREAS, the Commission for Africa released its report in
London in March 2005, entitled “Action for a Strong and
Prosperous Africa;” and
WHEREAS, the report calls for debt relief for Africa’s poorest
countries, a $25 billion a year increase in U.S. aid to Africa
by 2010, and a further increase of $25 billion a year by 2015
to address African poverty and stagnation, which would be
shouldered by several nations as donors and supported by G8
and European Union nations as well as the United States; and
WHEREAS, proposals in the report include:
Governance: African states are called upon to improve
their governance, accountability, and transparency and on
rich countries to help by investing in Africa’s capacity
building;
Peace and security: The report calls for better use of
aid to help build the capacity of African states to
prevent and manage conflict and calls for better control
of the international trade in small arms;
More and fairer trade: The report calls on African
countries to make internal changes to improve the
continent’s capacity for trade, including tackling
corruption, cutting red tape, and improving regional
economic integration. It calls upon rich countries to
dismantle the barriers they have erected against African
goods, particularly in agriculture;
Investing in people: The report recommends that half of
the extra $25 billion a year be spent on health,
education, and HIV and AIDS, and half on infrastructure
and development; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-HABITAT,
addressed the June 2005 Annual Meeting of the Conference of
Mayors in order to explain the report and urge action on its
recommendations,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of
Mayors supports the goal of the Commission report of
increasing assistance to African nations and of stirring world leaders into action to achieve measurable and practical
progress and calls upon the Administration and Congress to
give careful consideration to the recommendations of the
Commission report and seek to increase assistance to Africa,
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be forwarded to
the appropriate representatives of the G8 and European Union
representatives to inform them of the Conference of Mayors’
support for the Commission for Africa report.
|
