World Report

Africa’s own initiative to promote economic growth and good governance offers hope for sustainable development

ambia is committed to working collectively with other African nations to eradicate poverty and place African countries – both individually and collectively – on a path to economic growth and sustainable development. This is the agenda of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), a comprehensive homegrown programme for African socio-economic renewal launched three years ago.

Zambia recently demonstrated its commitment to NEPAD’s ideals by becoming the 24th African nation to join the partnership’s African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), a voluntary self-monitoring system aimed at ensuring that national policies and practices conform to agreed standards of political, economic and corporate governance.
At a national NEPAD sensitisation workshop in September Zambian President President Levy Mwanawasa declared the need to communicate the objectives and the vision of NEPAD to all citizens of Zambia “with passion”. The President says: “We want to develop our nations. NEPAD is a very welcome programme as most African states lack sufficient resources to do this on their own.”

According to Professor Wiseman Nkuhlu, Chairman of NEPAD’s Steering Committee and Head of its Secretariat, NEPAD has become generally accepted by the majority of African leaders. He praises the “sterling efforts” they have made to lay the foundations for sustainable development at all levels; national, sub-regional and continental.
The second breakthrough has been winning the acceptance of the international community. Professor Nkuhlu says: “This is the first time that African nations have come up with their own vision – not a vision that came from others. And the international community has embraced that. It is the first time that Africa has been given that respect and recognition.”

Progress has been made with conflict resolution. “During the last two years, we have witnessed the strengthening of the African Union, which is becoming more effective in resolving conflicts and establishing peace in the continent,” says the Professor.

Wiseman Nkuhlu
Chairman of NEPAD’s Steering Committee and Head of its Secretariat

‘This is the first time Africa has been given respect and recognition’

Advances have also been made in the development and implementation of sectoral programmes. Detailed plans for the renewal of agriculture, provision of infrastructure, environmental protection, health, education, science and technology, and ICT have been finalised, and major funding commitments have been made by the World Bank, the European Union and the African Development Bank.

At the Johannesburg + 2 conference held in September, Professor Nkuhlu urged the international community to take seriously its commitments not only to provide increased development assistance but also to create an international trade regime that would be supportive of developing countries.

He says the need for increased resources to back the reforms that are taking place across the African continent has become urgent. “What is needed is much bigger annual increases leading to the doubling of development assistance in about five years.”