Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-06-12-Speech-2-489-000"
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"en.20120612.21.2-489-000"2
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"Mr President, if we cannot see elections re-run in the Congo, let us at least strive for better governance. The connection between natural resource dependence, armed conflict and weak governance is all too evident in sub-Saharan Africa and what has been occurring in the post-election environment in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a prime example. The trade patterns in favour of hard commodities, due to the growing demand of China and India, set significant challenges for governance and peace-building for both state and non-state actors alike.
However, natural resources do not have to be a curse. When European settlers arrived in North America, this curse was avoided. These settlers found a resource-rich continent, good soil, timber, vast reserves of gold, silver, coal and oil, and subsequently, over two centuries, America grew to become a prosperous region and a world leader.
Africa can be the America of the 21st century. It has 60% of the world’s undeveloped arable land, reserves of coal, oil and minerals, as well as large amounts of renewable energy resources. For this reason, and in the interests of good governance, new legislation requiring extractive companies to publish payments to governments on a project-by-project basis is welcome. It is a first step in the right direction. Four hundred million of the world’s poorest people live in sub-Saharan Africa. Effective management of their natural resources and investment in health and education must go hand in hand with strengthened democratic structures and good governance.
If we succeed in changing what has caused the resource curse, then Africans should be able to use these resources – their resources – to build stable, democratic societies. The DRC can be turned around. Good governance will be central to this. That is why good governance must remain a key objective of EU policy."@en1
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