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British House of Lords leader visits Gambia
By PK Jarju
Feb 4, 2005, 12:44
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Baroness Valerie AmosBaroness Valerie Amos, leader of the British House of Lords and president of the Council of the United Kingdom, will this evening arrive in the country for a one-day working visit.
Hon Amos’s visit is geared towards reaffirming UK’s commitment to Africa during UK’s presidencies of the G-8 and the EU this year. While in the country, she will inform the authorities of the work of the Africa Commission, an initiative of the British prime minister, Tony Blair, and seek their views on the issue.
Prime Minister Blair has called on the international community to renew efforts to systematically tackle and comprehensively deal with the problems of poverty and deprivation in Africa, and global climate change. He had said that these two issues, Africa’s plight and climate change, would be the priorities for the G-8, which Britain chairs this year, and the European Union during the British presidency in the second half of this year.
Mr Blair has further advocated for aid to the continent to be doubled and 100 per cent debt relief given to the most highly indebted nations. He declared that the world cannot confront the endemic perpetual crisis of African poverty on any basis other than a partnership between African governments and those of the developed world.
During her stay in the country, Hon Amos will meet with the Vice president, Isatou Njie Saidy, secretaries of state for Foreign Affairs, Finance and Economic Affairs, Trade, Industry and Employment and Education.
Born in Guyana, Hon Amos studied at the Universities of Warwick, Birmingham and East Anglia, UK. In recognition of her work on equality and social justice, she was awarded an Honorary Professorship at the Thames Valley University in 1995. After working in Equal Opportunities, Training and Management Services in local government in the London boroughs of Lambeth, Camden and Hackney, she became chief executive of the Equal Opportunities Commission from 1989 to 1994. Hon Amos co-founded the Amos Fraser Bernard in 1995 and was also an adviser to the South African Government on public service reform, human rights and employment equity. She was a co-opted member of the Select Committee on European Communities Sub-Committee F (Social Affairs, Education and Home Affairs) 1997 to 1998. She was appointed a government whip in the House of Lords from 1998 to 2001. In addition to her role as spokesperson on international development, she also spoke on social security and women’s issues.
Hon Amos was created a life peer in August 1997 and was made parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2001. She became cabinet minister responsible for international development in May 2003 before becoming leader of the House of Lords and president of the Council in October 2003.
Hon Amos who leaves Banjul on Saturday evening, is also a member of a number of organisations and charities in the UK.
© Copyright 2003 by Observer Company
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