Kathmandu, July 17:

The British government has announced a new ‘White Paper’ with measures to improve governance and fight corruption in poor countries, a commitment to increase spending on public services and action to deal with the climate change.

Hilary Benn, international development secretary unveiled the white paper entitled ‘Eliminating world poverty: Making governance work for the poor’ recently in the UK, states a press release issued by the Department for International Development (DFID), here today.

It responds to four big challenges: First, the importance of good governance in poor countries; second, how to improve security, growth and public services to reduce poverty; third, the need to tackle climate change and fourth, reforming the international system so that it is better equipped to deal with international problems.

Benn said, “Aid works, it saves lives and supports economic growth. Our aid has helped double the number of children in school in Mozambique, abolish health fees and doubled clinic attendance in Uganda, and it has helped Tanzania to build over 30,000 new classrooms.”

“But long term progress in the fight against poverty will only be achieved through effective governments and by people with voice and confidence to hold their governments to account. That’s why governance is at the heart of this White Paper,” he added.

On basic services — health, education, water and sanitation, and social security — Benn announced an overall increase in spending to at least half of the UK’s direct support to developing countries. Social protection, direct help for the very poorest people in developing countries, will be a major new area of work. He confirmed that spending on education would double by 2010 to over £1 billion a year and that the UK would work with developing countries to back ambitious ten year health plans, including ways to abolish user fees.

According to the white paper, the UK’s support on water and sanitation will be doubled to £95 million a year in Africa by 2007 and it wo-uld more than double again to £200 million by 2010.

It argues that climate cha-nge could undermine any progress to eliminate poverty, Hilary Benn said, “Poor countries have made the least contribution to climate change but are likely to be hit the hardest.” He said, “Eliminating the world poverty is in all our interests and a task that none of us can tackle on our own. We need an international development system that’s fit for the challenges of this century.”