Britain's Global Responsibilities: the international rule of law

Speech by Malcolm Bruce MP delivered to Liberal Democrat Conference, Brighton on Thu 21st Sep 2006

Last week Hilary Benn withheld £50 million of UK funding from the World Bank saying he wanted reforms in the way the bank dealt with developing countries - especially in imposing conditions on development support.

This was inevitably welcomed by international NGOs although it was lightly at odds with previous claims by ministers that such criticism of the bank were out of date and the UK was influencing Bank policy.

However, it reveals Hilary Benn's dilemma. As the UK| aid budget rises exponentially and DFID's staffing levels are being cut the department lacks the capacity to deliver the aid money directly.

As a major aid donor the UK, through DFID has a deserved reputation for the quality of aid, for taking a lead and co-ordinating effectively with other donors.

Nevertheless it is inevitable that more of the rising aid budget will be diverted to international agencies such as the World Bank and the European Commission.

Alternatively donors and international agencies will provide more aid through direct budget support which has problems - witness the Government cuts to budget support in Ethiopian and Uganda.

Tonight, in Aberdeen, I will be launching the Orskov foundation. Bob Orskov is a constituent of mine and is a remarkable man. A research scientist in his mid seventies I frequently meet him at Aberdeen Airport en route to or from some of the remotest and poorest rural areas on the planet.

He has just returned from the high plateau of Tibet.

Bob works with local people to help them improve the output of their agriculture boosting livelihoods and quality of life. He tells me that his community projects achieve a great deal with remarkably small funds.

That's the problem for large agencies. It is difficult to reach the grass routes and the long gap between the source of funds and recipients allows leakage through admin, diversion and corruption.

We need thousands of Bob Orskovs. The Orskov foundation will support research projects by students in developing country so will make a contribution.

For aid to be effective we need to find mechanisms that shorten the travel distance of funds and engage as directly as possible with poor people.

I understand what move Hilary Benn to his gesture. I look forward to hearing his report back to the Committee I chair as to how he has ensured the money we give through the World Bank reaches the poor in ways that meet their needs and will directly reduce their poverty and help create viable livelihoods.

There are many causes of poverty- but one of the worst is war and conflict - especially in large swathes of Africa. The world holds its breath over Darfur. Tension and uncertainty surrounds the outcome of elections in the DRC.

War may have ended in Sierra Leone but poverty remains a huge challenge.

I have just returned from my second visit this year to northern Uganda.

After 20 years of terror people are beginning to dare to hope that this frozen conflict may soon be resolved.

Against all predictions the LRA and the Government of Uganda are engaged in peace talks in Juba brokered by the Government of South Sudan.

This appears to have been brought about by effective operations by the UPLA, the Ugandan Army; the loss of safe haven for the LRA in southern Sudan, the strong plea by northern leaders that the war is undermining their culture; and the issues of arrest warrants against the LRA leaders by the International Criminal Court.

Peace negotiations are fragile and may best be resolved by the parties directly affected. There must be justice for the murder, rape, mutilation and abductions perpetrated by the LRA.

But if peace is agreed it would not reflect well on the international community if the only obstacle to allowing 2 million people to return to the land was applying the jurisdiction of the IDC.

If peace is secured then aid can be diverted to development and bringing an end to poverty - and the same challenge will apply - getting the aid to the people for whom it is intended.

ENDS

Malcolm Bruce was speaking in favour of the policy motion on the international rule of law: F51 Britain's Global Responsibilities: the international rule of law. For further information see: http://www.libdems.org.uk/conference/agendalist.html?day=2006-09-19&navPage=conferenceagenda.html