EuropaWorld 15/6/2001 Clare Short Back at Department for International Development

Following the General Election on 7 June, British Development Secretary Clare Short was re-appointed to a second term as head of the Department for International Development.

Under her guidance the department has succeeded in moving international development up the British political agenda. She has also made powerful interventions in the debate over how the European Union should manage its own development assistance budgets and is personally committed to a strong focus on eradicating poverty in the world.

"The last four years saw enormous change for DFID," said Ms Short, "a separate Department with a Cabinet Minister, with an overriding focus on poverty reduction and achieving the International Development Targets.

"I am proud of the progress we have made. In many areas we have seen real improvements in people's lives but the job is far from done. One in five of us on this planet still live in conditions of extreme poverty, and in many countries HIV/AIDS threatens to turn back the progress that has been made.

"Our priority now must be to implement our commitments, and achieve real progress against the Targets, not only through our programmes, but also through continuing to influence our partners in the international community."

The Secretary of State promised to uphold the Government's commitment to increasing DFID's budget, which rose to its highest ever level last year - nearly £3billion - making the UK the fourth largest international donor to developing countries.