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The
New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) -
Part 1
Contents
I.
Introduction
II.
Africa in today's world: Between poverty and prosperity
III.
The new political will of African leaders
IV.
Appeal to the Peoples of Africa
V.
Programme of action: The strategy for achieving sustainable
development in the 21st century
-
Conditions
for sustainable development
-
Sectoral
priorities
-
Mobilising
resources
VI.
A new global partnership
VII.
Implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's
Development
VIII.
Conclusions
Abbreviations
and acronyms
I. Introduction
1.
This New Partnership for Africa's Development
is a pledge by African leaders, based on a common
vision and a firm and shared conviction, that they
have a pressing duty to eradicate poverty and to place
their countries, both individually and collectively,
on a path of sustainable growth and development, and
at the same time to participate actively in the world
economy and body politic. The Programme is anchored
on the determination of Africans to extricate themselves
and the continent from the malaise of underdevelopment
and exclusion in a globalising world.
2.
The poverty and backwardness of Africa stand in stark
contrast to the prosperity of the developed world.
The continued marginalisation of Africa from the globalisation
process and the social exclusion of the vast majority
of its peoples constitute a serious threat to global
stability.
3.
Historically accession to the institutions of the
international community, the credit and aid binomial
has underlined the logic of African development. Credit
has led to the debt deadlock, which, from instalments
to rescheduling, still exists and hinders the growth
of African countries. The limits of this option have
been reached. Concerning the other element of the
binomial - aid - we can also note the reduction of
private aid and the upper limit of public aid, which
is below the target set in the 1970s.
4.
In Africa, 340 million people, or half the population,
live on less than US $1 per day. The mortality rate
of children under 5 years of age is 140 per 1000,
and life expectancy at birth is only 54 years. Only
58 per cent of the population have access to safe
water. The rate of illiteracy for people over 15 is
41 per cent. There are only 18 mainline telephones
per 1000 people in Africa, compared with 146 for the
world as a whole and 567 for high-income countries.
5.
The New Partnership for Africa's Development
calls for the reversal of this abnormal situation
by changing the relationship that underpins it. Africans
are appealing neither for the further entrenchment
of dependency through aid, nor for marginal concessions.
6.
We are convinced that an historic opportunity presents
itself to end the scourge of underdevelopment that
afflicts Africa. The resources, including capital,
technology and human skills, that are required to
launch a global war on poverty and underdevelopment
exist in abundance, and are within our reach. What
is required to mobilise these resources and to use
them properly, is bold and imaginative leadership
that is genuinely committed to a sustained human development
effort and poverty eradication, as well as a new global
partnership based on shared responsibility and mutual
interest.
7.
Across the continent, Africans declare that we will
no longer allow ourselves to be conditioned by circumstance.
We will determine our own destiny and call on the
rest of the world to complement our efforts. There
are already signs of progress and hope. Democratic
regimes that are committed to the protection of human
rights, people-centred development and market-oriented
economies are on the increase. African peoples have
begun to demonstrate their refusal to accept poor
economic and political leadership. These developments
are, however, uneven and inadequate and need to be
further expedited.
8.
The New Partnership for Africa's Development
is about consolidating and accelerating these gains.
It is a call for a new relationship of partnership
between Africa and the international community, especially
the highly industrialised countries, to overcome the
development chasm that has widened over centuries
of unequal relations.
II. Africa in today's world: Between
poverty and prosperity
9.
Africa's place in the global community is defined
by the fact that the continent is an indispensable
resource base that has served all humanity for so
many centuries.
10.
These resources can be broken down into the following
components:
- The
rich complex of mineral, oil and gas deposits, its
flora and fauna, and its wide unspoiled natural
habitat, which provide the basis for mining, agriculture,
tourism and industrial development (Component I);
- The
ecological lung provided by the continent's rain
forests, and the minimal presence of emissions and
effluents that are harmful to the environment -
a global public good that benefits all humankind
(Component II);
- The
paleontological and archaeological sites containing
evidence of the evolution of the earth, life and
the human species. The natural habitats containing
a wide variety of flora and fauna, unique animal
species and the open uninhabited spaces that are
a feature of the continent (Component III);
- The
richness of Africa's culture and its contribution
to the variety of the cultures of the global community
(Component IV).
11.
The first of these, Component I, is the one with which
the world is most familiar. The second, Component
II, has only come to the fore recently, as humanity
came to understand the critical importance of the
issue of the environment. The third, Component III,
is also now coming into its own, emerging as a matter
of concern not only to a narrow field of science or
of interest only to museums and their curators. The
fourth of these, Component IV, represents the creativity
of African people, which in many important ways remains
under-exploited and under-developed.
12.
Africa has a very important role to play with regard
to the critical issue of the protection of the environment.
African resources include rain forests, the virtually
carbon dioxide-free atmosphere above the continent
and the minimal presence of toxic effluents in the
rivers and soils that interact with the Atlantic and
Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
The New Partnership for Africa's Development
will contain a strategy for nurturing these resources
and using them for the development of the African
continent, while at the same time preserving them
for all humanity.
13.
It is obvious that, unless the communities in the
vicinity of the tropical forests are given alternative
means of earning a living, they will co-operate in
the destruction of the forests. As the preservation
of these environmental assets is in the interests
of humanity, it is imperative that Africa be placed
on a development path that does not put them in danger.
14.
Modern science recognises Africa as the cradle of
humankind. As part of the process of reconstructing
the identity and self-confidence of the peoples of
Africa, it is necessary that this contribution to
human existence be understood and valued by Africans
themselves. Africa's status as the birthplace of humanity
should be cherished by the whole world as the origin
of all its peoples. Accordingly, the New Partnership
for Africa's Development must preserve this common
heritage and use it to build a universal understanding
of the historic need to end the underdevelopment and
marginalisation of the continent.
15.
Africa also has a major role to play in maintaining
the strong link between human beings and the natural
world. Technological developments tend to emphasise
the role of human beings as a factor of production,
competing for their place in the production process
with their contemporary or future tools. The open
uninhabited spaces, the flora and fauna, and the diverse
animal species that are unique to Africa offer an
opportunity for humanity to maintain its link with
nature.
16.
Africa has already made a significant contribution
to world culture through literature, music, visual
arts and other cultural forms, but her real potential
remains untapped because of her limited integration
into the global economy. The New Partnership for
Africa's Development will enable Africa to increase
her contribution to science, culture and technology.
17.
In this new millennium, when humanity is searching
for a new way to build a better world, it is critical
that we bring to bear the combination of these attributes
and the forces of human will to place the continent
on a pedestal of equal partnership in advancing human
civilisation.
The
historical impoverishment of a continent
18.
The impoverishment of the African continent was accentuated
primarily by the legacy of colonialism, the Cold War,
the workings of the international economic system
and the inadequacies of and shortcomings in the policies
pursued by many countries in the post-independence
era.
19.
For centuries, Africa has been integrated into the
world economy mainly as a supplier of cheap labour
and raw materials. Of necessity, this has meant the
draining of Africa's resources rather than their use
for the continent's development. The drive in that
period to use the minerals and raw materials to develop
manufacturing industries and a highly skilled labour
force to sustain growth and development was lost.
Thus, Africa remains the poorest continent despite
being one of the most richly endowed regions of the
world.
20.
In other countries and on other continents, the reverse
was the case. There was an infusion of wealth in the
form of investments, which created larger volumes
of wealth through the export of value-added products.
It is time that African resources are harnessed to
create wealth for the well-being of her peoples.
21.
Colonialism subverted hitherto traditional structures,
institutions and values or made them subservient to
the economic and political needs of the imperial powers.
It also retarded the development of an entrepreneurial
class, as well as a middle class with skills and managerial
capacity.
22.
At independence, virtually all the new states were
characterised by a shortage of skilled professionals
and a weak capitalist class, resulting in a weakening
of the accumulation process. Post-colonial Africa
inherited weak states and dysfunctional economies
that were further aggravated by poor leadership, corruption
and bad governance in many countries. These two factors,
together with the divisions caused by the Cold War,
hampered the development of accountable governments
across the continent.
23.
Many African governments did not empower their peoples
to embark on development initiatives to realise their
creative potential. Today, the weak state remains
a major constraint to sustainable development in a
number of countries. Indeed, one of Africa's major
challenges is to strengthen the capacity to govern
and to develop long-term policies. At the same time,
there is also the urgent need to implement far-reaching
reforms and programmes in many African states.
24.
The structural adjustment programmes of the 1980s
provided only a partial solution. They promoted reforms
that tended to remove serious price distortions, but
gave inadequate attention to the provision of social
services. As a consequence, only a few countries managed
to achieve sustainable higher growth under these programmes.
25.
Indeed, Africa's experience shows that the rate of
accumulation in the post-colonial period has not been
sufficient to rebuild societies in the wake of colonial
underdevelopment, or to sustain improvement in the
standard of living. This has had deleterious consequences
on the political process and led to sustained patronage
and corruption.
26.
The net effect of these processes has been the entrenchment
of a vicious cycle, in which economic decline, reduced
capacity and poor governance reinforce each other,
thus confirming Africa's peripheral and diminishing
role in the world economy. Thus, over the centuries,
Africa has come become the marginalised continent.
27.
The New Partnership for Africa's Development
seeks to build on and celebrate the achievements of
the past, as well as reflect on the lessons learned
through painful experience, so as to establish a partnership
that is both credible and capable of implementation.
In doing so, the challenge is for the peoples and
governments of Africa to understand that development
is a process of empowerment and self-reliance. Accordingly,
Africans must not be wards of benevolent guardians;
rather they must be the architects of their own sustained
upliftment.
Africa
and the global revolution
28.
The world has entered the new millennium in the midst
of an economic revolution. This revolution could provide
both the context and the means for Africa's rejuvenation.
While globalisation has increased the cost of Africa's
ability to compete, we hold that the advantages of
an effectively managed integration present the best
prospects for future economic prosperity and poverty
reduction.
29.
The current economic revolution has, in part, been
made possible by advances in information and communications
technology (ICT), which have reduced the cost of and
increased the speed of communications across the globe,
abolishing pre-existing barriers of time and space,
and affecting all areas of social and economic life.
It has made possible the integration of national systems
of production and finance, and is reflected in an
exponential growth in the scale of cross-border flows
of goods, services and capital.
30.
The integration of national systems of production
has made it possible to "slice up the value chain"
in many manufacturing and service-sector production
processes. At the same time, the enhanced mobility
of capital means that borrowers, whether governments
or private entities, must compete with each other
for capital in global rather than national markets.
Both these processes have increased the costs to those
countries that are unable to compete effectively.
To a large extent, these costs have been borne disproportionately
by Africa.
31.
While no corner of the world has escaped the effects
of globalisation, the contributions of the various
regions and nations have differed markedly. The locomotive
for these major advances is the highly industrialised
nations. Outside this domain, only a few countries
in the developing world play a substantial role in
the global economy. Many developing countries, especially
in Africa, contribute passively, and mainly on the
basis of their environmental and resource endowments.
32.
It is in the distribution of benefits that the global
imbalance is most glaring. On the one hand, opportunities
have increased to create or expand wealth, acquire
knowledge and skills, and improve access to goods
and services - in brief, to improve the quality of
life. In some parts of the world, the pursuit of greater
openness of the global economy has created opportunities
for lifting millions of people out of poverty.
33.
On the other hand, greater integration has also led
to the further marginalisation of those countries
that are unable to compete effectively. In the absence
of fair and just global rules, globalisation has increased
the ability of the strong to advance their interests
to the detriment of the weak, especially in the areas
of trade, finance and technology. It has limited the
space for developing countries to control their own
development, as the system has no provision for compensating
the weak. The conditions of those marginalised in
this process have worsened in real terms. A fissure
between inclusion and exclusion has emerged within
and among nations.
34.
In part, Africa's inability to harness the process
of globalisation is a result of structural impediments
to growth and development in the form of resource
outflows and unfavourable terms of trade. At the same
time, we recognise that failures of political and
economic leadership in many African countries impede
the effective mobilisation and utilisation of scarce
resources into productive areas of activity in order
to attract and facilitate domestic and foreign investment.
35.
The low level of economic activity means that the
instruments necessary for the real injection of private
funds and risk-taking are not available, and the result
is a further decline. In this self-perpetuating cycle,
Africa's capacity to participate in the globalisation
process is severely weakened, leading to further marginalisation.
The increasing polarisation of wealth and poverty
is one of a number of processes that have accompanied
globalisation, and which threaten its sustainability.
36.
The closing years of the last century saw a major
financial collapse in much of the developing world,
which not only threatened the stability of the global
financial system, but also the global economy as a
whole. One of the immediate effects of the financial
crisis was the exacerbation of existing levels of
deep, structural poverty in which about half of the
world's population lives on less than US $2 per day,
and a fifth on less than US $1 per day.
37.
There also exist other factors that pose serious longer-term
risks. These include the rapid increase in the numbers
of the socially excluded in different parts of the
world, contributing to political instability, civil
war and military conflict on the one hand, and a new
pattern of mass migration on the other. The expansion
of industrial production and the growth in poverty
contribute to environmental degradation of our oceans,
atmosphere and natural vegetation. If not addressed,
these will set in motion processes that will increasingly
slip beyond the control of governments, both in developed
and developing countries.
38.
The means to reverse this gloomy scenario are not
yet beyond our reach. Improvements in the living standards
of the marginalised offer massive potential for growth
in the entire international economy, through the creation
of new markets and by harnessing increased economic
capacity. This will bring with it greater stability
on a global scale, accompanied by a sense of economic
and social well-being.
39.
The imperative of development, therefore, not only
poses a challenge to moral conscience; it is in fact
fundamental to the sustainability of the globalisation
process. We readily admit that globalisation is a
product of scientific and technological advances,
many of which have been market-driven. Yet, governments
- particularly those in the developed world - have,
in partnership with the private sector, played an
important role in shaping its form, content and course.
40.
The case for the role of national authorities and
private institutions in guiding the globalisation
agenda along a sustainable path and, therefore, one
in which its benefits are more equally spread, remains
strong. Experience shows that, despite the unparalleled
opportunities that globalisation has offered to some
previously poor countries, there is nothing inherent
in the process that automatically reduces poverty
and inequality.
41.
What is needed is a commitment on the part of governments,
the private sector and other institutions of civil
society, to the genuine integration of all nations
into the global economy and body politic. This requires
the recognition of global interdependence in respect
of production and demand, the environmental base that
sustains the planet, cross-border migration, a global
financial architecture that rewards good socio-economic
management, and global governance that recognises
partnership among all peoples. We hold that it is
within the capacity of the international community
to create fair and just conditions in which Africa
can participate effectively in the global economy
and body politic.
III. The new political will of
African leaders
42.
The New Partnership for Africa's Development
recognises that there have been attempts in the past
to set out continent-wide development programmes.
For a variety of reasons, both internal and external,
including questionable leadership and ownership by
Africans themselves, these have been less than successful.
However, there is today a new set of circumstances,
which lend themselves to integrated practical implementation.
43.
The new phase of globalisation coincided with the
reshaping of international relations in the aftermath
of the Cold War. This is associated with the emergence
of new concepts of security and self-interest, which
encompass the right to development and the eradication
of poverty. Democracy and state legitimacy have been
redefined to include accountable government, a culture
of human rights and popular participation as central
elements.
44.
Significantly, the numbers of democratically elected
leaders are on the increase. Through their actions,
they have declared that the hopes of Africa's peoples
for a better life can no longer rest on the magnanimity
of others.
45.
Across the continent, democracy is spreading, backed
by the African Union (AU), which has shown a new resolve
to deal with conflicts and censure deviation from
the norm. These efforts are reinforced by voices in
civil society, including associations of women, youth
and the independent media. In addition, African governments
are much more resolute about regional and continental
goals of economic cooperation and integration. This
serves both to consolidate the gains of the economic
turnaround and to reinforce the advantages of mutual
interdependence.
46.
The changed conditions in Africa have already been
recognised by governments across the world. The United
Nations Millennium Declaration, adopted in September
2000, confirms the global community's readiness to
support Africa's efforts to address the continent's
underdevelopment and marginalisation. The Declaration
emphasises support for the prevention of conflict
and the establishment of conditions of stability and
democracy on the continent, as well as for the key
challenges of eradicating poverty and disease. The
Declaration further points to the global community's
commitment to enhance resource flows to Africa, by
improving aid, trade and debt relationships between
Africa and the rest of the world, and by increasing
private capital flows to the continent. It is now
important to translate these commitments into reality.
47. The New Partnership for Africa's Development
centres around African ownership and management. Through
this programme, African leaders are setting an agenda
for the renewal of the continent. The agenda is based
on national and regional priorities and development
plans that must be prepared through participatory
processes involving the people. We believe that while
African leaders derive their mandates from their people,
it is their role to articulate these plans as well
as lead the processes of implementation on behalf
of their people.
48.
The programme is a new framework of interaction with
the rest of the world, including the industrialised
countries and multilateral organisations. It is based
on the agenda set by African peoples through their
own initiatives and of their own volition, to shape
their own destiny.
49.
To achieve these objectives, African leaders will
take joint responsibility for the following:
- Strengthening
mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and
resolution at the regional and continental levels,
and to ensure that these mechanisms are used to
restore and maintain peace;
- Promoting
and protecting democracy and human rights in their
respective countries and regions, by developing
clear standards of accountability, transparency
and participatory governance at the national and
sub-national levels;
- Restoring
and maintaining macroeconomic stability, especially
by developing appropriate standards and targets
for fiscal and monetary policies, and introducing
appropriate institutional frameworks to achieve
these standards;
- Instituting
transparent legal and regulatory frameworks for
financial markets and auditing of private companies
and the public sector;
- Revitalising
and extend the provision of education, technical
training and health services, with high priority
given to tackling HIV/AIDS, malaria and other communicable
diseases;
- Promoting
the role of women in social and economic development
by reinforcing their capacity in the domains of
education and training; by the development of revenue-generating
activities through facilitating access to credit;
and by assuring their participation in the political
and economic life of African countries;
- Building
the capacity of the states in Africa to set and
enforce the legal framework, as well as maintaining
law and order;
-
Promoting the development of infrastructure, agriculture
and its diversification into agro-industries and
manufacturing to serve both domestic and export
markets.
IV. Appeal to the Peoples of
Africa
50.
The African Renaissance project, which should allow
our continent, plundered for centuries to take its
rightful place in the world, depends on the building
of a strong and competitive economy as the world moves
towards greater liberalisation and competition.
51.
The New Partnership for Africa's Development
will be successful only if it is owned by the African
peoples united in their diversity.
52.
Africa, impoverished by slavery, corruption and economic
mismanagement is taking off in a difficult situation.
However, if her enormous natural and human resources
are properly harnessed and utilised, it could lead
to equitable and sustainable growth of the continent
as well as enhance its rapid integration into the
world economy.
53.
This is why our peoples, in spite of the present difficulties
must regain confidence in their genius and their capacity
to face obstacles and be involved in the building
of the new Africa. The present initiative is an expression
of the commitment of Africa's leaders to translate
the deep popular will into action.
54.
But the struggle they would be waging will be successful
only if our peoples are the masters of their own destiny.
55.
This is why the political leaders of the continent
appeal to all the peoples of Africa, in all their
diversity, to become aware of the seriousness of the
situation and the need to mobilise themselves in order
to put an end to further marginalisation of the continent
and ensure its development by bridging the gap with
the developed countries.
56.
We are, therefore, asking the African peoples to take
up the challenge of mobilising in support of the implementation
of this initiative by setting up, at all levels, structures
for organisation, mobilisation and action.
57.
The leaders of the continent are aware of the fact
that the true genius of a people is measured by its
capacity for bold and imaginative thinking, and determination
in support of their development.
58.
We must not relent in implementing this ambitious
programme of building sound and resilient economies,
and democratic societies. In this respect, the African
leaders are convinced that Africa, a continent whose
development process has been marked by false starts
and failures will succeed with this initiative.
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