UN support to NEPAD

NEPAD has changed the content of the African development agenda and energized action in Africa; and it has transformed the nature of the dialogue with the highly industrialized countries.

Indeed, an important thrust of NEPAD is forging a genuine partnership with the highly industrialized countries, a partnership based on mutual trust, respect, and responsibility. The process started in 2001 with the invitation by the architects of NEPAD to the leaders of G8 countries to partner with Africa in the implementation of NEPAD. The response was the release of the G8 Africa Action Plan in June 2002. Through this plan they made commitments to support the implementation of NEPAD and to produce regular reports on their progress in so doing. At the G8 Summit held in Evian in 2003, it was decided to extend the dialogue between the G8 and NEPAD initiating countries to all OECD countries that contribute substantially to development assistance. Participation on the African side was also expanded to include representatives of all twenty countries serving on the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee, the executive secretaries of the Regional Economic Communities and a representative of the African Union Commission. The establishment of what has been named the "African Partnership Forum" is to undertake a mutual review of progress on commitment to the implementation of NEPAD and to determine high-level political interventions necessary from both sides.

The increased engagement of G8 and other OECD leaders by the NEPAD architects has also contributed to reversing the decline in development assistance flows to Africa. Of course the African leaders are not claiming sole credit for this achievement, but there is no denying the fact that the NEPAD policy framework has provided a common focal point and clarity regarding what Africa wants. Over the past five years, NEPAD has played a critical role in advocating for increased ODA to Africa. African Heads of State have insisted on being invited to Summits of the G8 countries, and have consistently used these opportunities to urge the G8 to put the African Development Agenda high on their priorities. The outcomes of the 2005 G8 Gleneagles Summit are therefore a result of relentless efforts by African leaders to ensure increased resource flows to the continent. The announcement by the G8 at Gleneagles of increased support to Africa demonstrates progress in G8 support to Africa. The challenge for Africa now is to ensure that these commitments, which have been made public, result in concrete aid flows to the continent in a way that accelerates the implementation of already clearly defined priority programmes.