African Center for Gender and Development

The MDGS Poverty Analysis and Monitoring Section (MPAMS) located within the African Center for Gender and Social Development (ACGSD) is a strategically realigned Section to assist in focusing on Africa's special needs particularly in the context of the MDGs.

In operational terms, the Section conducts research and prepares policy papers on the MDGs and poverty and provides advisory services on the MDGs to member states, Regional Economic Commissions, private sector and other stakeholders on poverty reduction strategies and pro-poor policies.

The Section is statutorily tasked to prepare annual reports on progress towards the MDGs in Africa and collaborates with the African Union and the African Development Bank on regional perspectives towards the MDGs on the continent.

The Section also assists in the production of MDG maps and poverty atlases, an innovative policy tool, and provides in synergies with other UN agencies for MDG based planning and MDG needs assessment services to member States. Social transfers, as an anti-poverty policy tool and sub-national progress towards the MDGs is an important area of analysis and advocacy work that MPAMS will undertake.

MPAMS within its mandate of analytical work underpinning poverty reduction strategies and monitoring progress towards the MDGs has two Special Initiatives in its effort to build capacity in member states.

The “ Enhancing Knowledge Sharing to support the Poverty Reduction Process in Africa ” is an ECA-initiated project started in 2005, managed by the MPAMS, with support from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). It is a direct product of a series of meetings of the African Learning Group on Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP-LG), established in 1999 to provide a forum for the exchange of views and articulation of an African position on the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSPs). Its main objectives are to strengthen knowledge sharing and peer learning among African policy makers engaged in the preparation and implementation of PRSPs or national development strategies (NDS).
ECA through MPAMS is participating in the “ Interregional cooperation to strengthen social inclusion, gender equality and health promotion in the Millennium Development Goals ”, another special initiative t o increase the capacity of Governments to promote the social inclusion of vulnerable groups and address gender equity concerns in national development plans through development of contextualised targets and indicators in the MDG process.