Ireland - Africa's Saviour?

Irish Experience Could Help Famine Relief

Ireland could make a profound and phenomenal contribution in helping Africa grow more food, internationally renowned UN adviser Jeffrey Sachs told a conference in Dublin this week.

Mr. Sachs, an economist and special adviser to UN secretary general Kofi Annan on the millennium development goals, said because the Irish Famine was at the core of Ireland's identity, it knew the tragedy of famine and what could be done.

Mr. Sachs was speaking at a major conference in Trinity College Dublin entitled 'Ireland and Global development'.

He said that the scientific expertise existed to help Africa grow more food, but little had been done by developed nations in helping Africa implement the knowledge.

Mr. Sachs said that given Ireland's history of famine and the country's economic success it was clear that Irish people were aware of the effects of famine and the ability to achieve wealth and success, albeit at a much richer level.

"If Ireland would take up that task (of implementing scientific knowledge in Africa), because very few donor countries have, and lead the way in saying lets help Africa grow more food, lets help Africa have a green revolution, this could be a phenomenal contribution of Ireland," he said.

"It would be a contribution that befits Ireland's history and its understanding".

Mr. Sachs said Ireland has a very 'distinguished tradition' of helping the world's needy and of being a culturally and economically successful people.

"Ireland could really take a lead which nobody else has so far and obviously with its famine knows the shocking tragedy and knows what can be done," said Mr. Sachs.

"It is a real opportunity for Ireland".

Mr. Sachs said that the Celtic Tiger economy had been one of the success stories of the last decade and that across the world Irish people have earned respect for their achievements in business and their innovative approach to challenges.

He said that such characteristics, combined with a knowledge of poverty, made Ireland unique in what it could offer to the developing world.

Minister of State for Development, Conor Lenihan, said the Government would launch its first White Paper on development co-operation in the Autumn to outline the direction and focus of efforts in the area of developmental assistance.

The conference also heard that despite pledges by the G8 last summer to eradicate poverty in Africa much more needed to be done.

Mr. Sachs said that there had been some on the ground progress in areas such as defeating malaria but that the pace of change needs to be speeded up.

The key task facing Africa was of implementing the practical steps needed to fight the spread of Aids, increase agricultural productivity and ensure that the infrastructural changes badly needed by the continent could become reality.