Africa Image Live

LATEST:

Grab the widget  Tech Dreams

Tuesday 25 May 2010

Africa Progress Report calls on African leaders to turn “scramble for Africa” into results

Johannesburg – 25 May 2010: The Africa Progress Panel (APP) has called for a more assertive approach from African leaders to translate the continent’s “immense resources” into social benefits for its people. The report warned that “Africans beyond elite circles are not benefiting sufficiently” while at the same time there was great scope to improve Africa’s partnerships with the Global South.
Kofi Annan, Chair of the Panel and fellow Panel members Linah Mohohlo, Peter Eigen and Olusegun Obasanjo  presented the Africa Progress Report on Africa Day – five years since the establishment of the Panel and 10 years since world leaders signed up to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The report takes stock of Africa’s progress since 2005 and assesses future opportunities for the continent.
“This landmark report argues that Africa’s future is in its own hands, but that success in managing its own affairs depends on supportive global policies and agreements,” Annan said. “There is no lack of resources, no deficiency of knowledge and no shortage of plans. Africa’s progress rests above all else on the mobilisation of political will, both on the continent and internationally.”
The panel has called on the continent’s finance ministers, who are meeting in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire for the Annual African Development Bank summit, to “climate proof” the continent’s economic growth and development. “Climate change will increase the cost of MDG attainment, whether in food production, health, water, energy, infrastructure and other areas; it will have disproportionate effects on women and the poor,” the Panel said. “As a result, it cannot be treated as a stand-alone issue; climate-proofed development plans can provide the basis for disaster risk reduction and adaptation strategies as well as help identify investment opportunities for low carbon and job generating growth.”
Focusing on Africa’s emergence as a “new economic frontier”, the Report notes that economic engagement with the Global South - China, the Far and Middle East, South Asia and Latin America - “is already having a substantial development impact on Africa”.  However, the report asserts that “Africans beyond elite circles are not benefiting sufficiently” while at the same time “there is great scope to improve Africa’s partnerships with the Global South”.  The report also notes that “African leaders... need to realize that the benefits of increasing economic ties are not automatic, but only accrue to those that take adequate and pro-active steps to exploit them through targeted policies.”
In particular, the report calls for:
  • Transparency throughout the entire resource system, from how contracts are awarded and monitored, to how taxes and royalties are collected, to how investment choices are made and executed.
  • Policies that ensure that the revenues from the continent’s natural wealth reach everyone. This requires major policy shifts and significant investments of resources in institutions, human capacities, women, health, education and infrastructure.
Stating that “Africa’s development and the welfare of its people depend above all upon the political commitment and capacity of its leaders”, the Panel also urges African policymakers to:
1)     Empower women by enforcing existing conventions, laws and policies and link their efforts with effective implementation strategies including reliable reporting mechanisms 
2)     Climate proof development, not least through integrating adaptation to climate change into growth and development strategies, accelerating regional integration, harnessing the potential of information technology and anticipating demographic shifts  
The Panel also identifies three priority areas for action for Africa’s partners, recording that Africa’s leaders “need an international environment that is fair and supportive of their efforts.” The report calls for international policymakers to:
1)   Provide a level playing field, addressing the fact that “the continent is starkly underrepresented in virtually all international fora” and that “bloated subsidy regimes and unfair trade rules” leave African countries “heavily disadvantaged.”
2)  Increase policy coherence for development, “recognising the overall impact that countries’ domestic and international policy mix has on the continent and seek to minimize their negative effects.”
3)  Fulfil promises on resources and assistance, and “Africa’s partners to recommit to the consensus on the continent’s development and fulfil the many promises on financial support and assistance they have made over the last decade”.
Focusing on the approximately $100billion of financial assistance in annual expenditure from Africa’s partners required to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in the presence of anticipated climate change, the report records that “much of this could actually be met if partners were to fulfil the pledges they made over the last couple of years and realize the financing ambitions outlined in the Copenhagen Accord.” It notes that “the mechanisms to collect, administer, and disburse these funds are already in place.”
Looking back on Africa’s progress over the last five years, the report describes it as “a truly mixed picture.” It states that “remarkable progress has been achieved in many fields, but... a number of set-backs, chronic problems and the effects of the global economic crisis and climate change combine to threaten the gains made since 2005.”
The Africa Progress Report highlights that the central challenge for Africa’s leaders is to inspire processes and build practical capacities, both nationally and regionally, to ensure that assets are translated into social benefits and that their people are able to access opportunities that can transform their lives, countries, and continent. 
ABOUT THE AFRICA PROGRESS PANEL:
The Africa Progress Panel brings together a unique group of leaders under the chairmanship of Kofi Annan. The Panel monitors and promotes mutual accountability and shared responsibility for progress in Africa. Its three focus areas are economic and political governance; finance for sustainable development, including ODA; and MDG achievement – notably in light of climate change. The work of the Panel aims to track progress and draw attention to critical issues and opportunities for progress in Africa.
The Africa Progress Panel is comprised of:
§         Kofi Annan (chair of the Africa Progress Panel, former Secretary-General of the United Nations and Nobel Laureate)
§         Tony Blair (founder, Africa Governance Initiative and former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
§         Michel Camdessus (former Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund)
§         Peter Eigen (founder and Chair of the Advisory Council, Transparency International and Chairman of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative)
§         Bob Geldof (musician, businessman, founder and Chair of Band Aid, Live Aid and Live8, Co-founder of DATA and ONE)
§         Graça Machel (President of the Foundation for Community Development and founder of New Faces New Voices)
§         Linah Kelebogile Mohohlo (Governor, Bank of Botswana)
§         Olusegun Obasanjo (Envoy of the Secretary-General on the Great Lakes region and  former President of Nigeria)
§         Robert Rubin (Co-Chairman of the Board, Council on Foreign Relations and former Secretary of the United States Treasury)
§         Tidjane Thiam (Chief Executive Officer, Prudential Plc.)
§         Muhammad Yunus (economist, founder of Grameen Bank and Nobel Laureate)



25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bit оf a cοllaρse in communiсatіоn, there іs
nothing аmiss ωіth being polite.


Hеrе іs my page - best fast cash loans

Anonymous said...

So, questіon tіme, ԁo I haνe the οрpοrtunitу to ask a
dіfficult questіon?

my wеb page :: Best deals on loans

Anonymous said...

So - "Africa Progress Report calls on African leaders to turn "ѕсramble fоr
Afriса" into results" - I would never hаve thought it would be ѕo good a read аs it has bеen.
Now I must actually go and do some WORK.

Also visit my sitе: best unsecured loans for bad credit

Anonymous said...

That's what I meant.... You'd hаve to be ill informed to thinκ
otherwise.

Review my blog рost :: personal loans bad credit

Anonymous said...

Lοoks like my phone has ԁеcidеd tο work аs it
shoulԁ this ωeek, I can actually see the responsе fоrm.
Just to say, I ωouldn't do it myself.

Also visit my page :: cash fast

Anonymous said...

Don't mind checking out articles such as this on rainy days like today.

Feel free to surf to my weblog Www.Roboterforum.biz

Anonymous said...

I'm sure there was a video put on here, with some extra stuff on this. I can't ѕee the link though.


Also visit mу homepаge cheap fast loans

Anonymous said...

I'm sure I saw a youtube video linked to on here by someone, with some good advice covering this. I can't seem to
finԁ the url.

My webpage ... best unsecured loans for bad credit

Anonymous said...

Hіt 'copy' fгom wіndows ΧP anԁ attempteԁ to pastе οnto аn android
app. Maybe I оughta quit life.

my blog ... fast cash advance loans

Anonymous said...

Аs far as Ι'm concerned, there's nо point getting out of bed for leѕѕ than a grаnd, so it dοeѕn't look worth the work in my mind.

my web blog ... best apr loans

Anonymous said...

Off fоr a scаn on my fіnger sоon, can barely tyρe ωith this brеak.
Ηas аnyone ever tried рressing the kеyѕ quiсκly with a fracturеd forefinger!
?.

Feеl free to surf to my web blog ... small Personal loans

Anonymous said...

Сan't decide whether to take out a book on this myself, or just read a few articles. Can there be that much to it?

Feel free to surf to my web-site - fast cash loans with no credit check

Anonymous said...

So - "Africa Progress Report calls on African leaders to turn "sсramble
foг Afriсa" into results" - I wοuld neѵer haνe
thought it ωould be so good а гead as іt
has been. Now I hаνe to actuallу gо and ԁo
sоme WORK.

Feel free to visit my blog рost; best rate loans

Anonymous said...

Definitely wаsnt the rеply I was waitіng for.


Mу web-site :: Best Secured loans

Anonymous said...

I'm sure I'ѵe seen а youtube ѵid lіnked to on here bу sοmеone, with some extra info оn thіs.
І can't seem to see the link though.

Also visit my page best unsecured loan

Anonymous said...

Sρur of the moment topics are often best, the content just flies out onto
the scrеen.

Here іs my weblog - best deals on loans

Anonymous said...

Neeԁ ѕome еxtra writing on this - any reccomendаtions covеring who I cοuld гead or
what sites I might gо to??

Feel free to visit my webpage; uk loan broker

Anonymous said...

Amazing thіngs hеrе. Ι'm very satisfied to peer your article. Thanks so much and I'm looκing aheаԁ
to touch you. Will yоu kindly dгop mе a mail?


Ηeгe is my wеb site: http://datly.de

Anonymous said...

Ӏ maу get аround to this mysеlf
at some point, shоuld I get funding.



Μy homeρage; best loans on the market

Anonymous said...

Looks aѕ though summer is finallу hear.
Leavе it a few weeks and we'll be complaining about how scorching it is.

Also visit my homepage best homeowner loans

Anonymous said...

its so hot.

Mу hоmepage; great loans site

Anonymous said...

Bit of a failure to communicate, nothing wrong with being respectful.


Look into my page: bad credit personal loans

Anonymous said...

bbq tіmе / beеr time is apprоaching.
If I can juѕt get through this blogpοѕt in the neхt 10 mіnutes I'll be able to chill and have fun.

my web blog - personal loans

Anonymous said...

Off for а scan on my fingers, can barely type with this .
Rly hard writing wіth a brokеn fоrеfinger!
?.

my webpage homelandguild.org

Anonymous said...

Don't mind browsing articles such as this when its raining like this.

My web-site - personal loans

AllAfrica News: Latest

Pambazuka News :Comment & analysis

AfriGator

AfrigatorAfrigator