Preparations underway for forth-coming “Mutual Review of Development Effectiveness” Report

A delegation from the ECA attended an ECA-OECD Mutual Review of Development Effectiveness (MRDE) technical meeting from 17-18 September 2007 at the OECD Secretariat in Paris. The meeting, which comprised experts from OECD and the Africa Partnership Forum (APF) Support Unit aimed at concretizing the work plan, including outputs, timelines and responsibilities for outputs, and outlining key milestones for the production of the 2008 MRDE Report.

The report monitors and assesses development progress in Africa and its OECD development partners relative to their shared goals and commitments already made in support of the NEPAD objectives. The review is comprehensive, encompassing the full range of NEPAD priorities and programmes, including cross-cutting issues such as gender, capacity development and infrastructure. It focuses on seven thematic issues:
(i) Progress towards achievement of the MDGs;
(ii) African agricultural performance and trade issues;
(iii) Economic and political governance;
(iv) Capacity development;
(v) Aid flows;
(vi) Aid quality; and
(vii) Policy coherence issues.

A similar meeting will be held towards the end of 2007 in Addis Ababa where the Technical Team will meet with experts from ECA.

Background
At the behest of the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) in 2002, the responsibility for the production of the MRDE Report lies with the ECA and OECD Secretariats.

Although the Governance and Public Administration Division (GPAD) is the Focal Point for MRDE at ECA, other divisions will be involved in the production of the MRDE Report, as agreed at the ECA Retreat in April 2007.
The first report, “Development Effectiveness in Africa, Promise and performance: Applying mutual accountability” was published in October 2005 and provides the framework for subsequent reports. The second report is scheduled for the end of March 2008.