| | In February this year Tony Blair held one of his regular press conferences. But instead of tackling the domestic issues of the day, he announced the establishment of a Commission for Africa: Africa is the only continent to have grown poorer in the past 25 years, its share of world trade has halved in the generation, and it receives less than 1% of direct foreign investment, 44 million children do not go to school, millions as you know die through famine, or disease, or conflict, and Africa risks being left even further behind. That's why in the context of our G8 Presidency in the year 2005 I have decided with others to form a Commission for Africa to take a fresh look at Africa's past, present and future. It will be a comprehensive assessment of the situation in Africa and policies towards Africa. What has worked, what has not worked, and what more can and should be done. |
