Statement by Dr. Maxwell M. Mkwezalamba
Commissioner for Economic Affairs, African Union Commission

Delivered at an African Plenary on National Strategies for Poverty Reduction and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) held in Cairo, Egypt: March 26- 28.

His Excellency Mr. Osman Mohammed Osman, Minister of Planning and Local Development, Egypt
His Excellency Ambassador Helmy, Acting Assistant Foreign Minister for International Economic Relations, Egypt
His Excellency Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
Honourable Ministers
Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Mr. Gobind Nankani, Vice President, Africa Region, the World Bank
Ms. Zeinab El Bakri, Vice President, Operations, African Development Bank
The Representative of the United Nations Development Programmeme (UNDP)
Representatives of International and Regional Organizations
Members of the Press
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a great honour and privilege for me this morning to deliver a statement on behalf of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, His Excellency Prof. Alpha Oumar Konare, at this important High Level "African Plenary on National Strategies for Poverty Reduction and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Africa". His Excellency Prof. Konare would have loved to attend this conference in person, but could not owing to other pressing and urgent commitments. He, nonetheless, sends his fraternal greetings and wishes the African Plenary great success.

At the out-set, I wish to join Mr. Abdoulie Janneh, the UN Under-Secretary General and ECA Executive Secretary, to sincerely thank the Government and the people of Egypt for the warm welcome and hospitality accorded to all our delegations in this historic and beautiful city of Cairo. In addition, I sincerely thank them for the tremendous efforts made in hosting this African Plenary and making available to us these excellent conference facilities.

Please allow me also to take this opportunity to thank you all for responding positively to the invitation to participate in this meeting despite your very busy schedules. To us at the African Union, this shows your seriousness and commitment to reducing poverty in Africa and indeed ensuring that the Continent achieves the MDGs by the target date of 2015.

As you are all aware, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Union have jointly organized "the African Plenary on National Strategies for Poverty Reduction and the MDGs in Africa" with co-sponsorship of the United Nations Development Programmeme (UNDP). On behalf of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and indeed on my own behalf, I, therefore, wish to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Abdoulie Janneh and his entire team for their close working relationship with the African Union Commission (AUC). This in our view is testimony of the excellent working relationship that exists between our two organizations The AUC appreciates the collaboration and technical support that it continues to receive from the ECA and looks forward to further collaboration with the ECA in various endevours of mutual interest.

The roles played by the ECA Acting Deputy Executive Secretary, Ms. Josephine Ouedraogo, and Members of the Steering Committee in preparing for this meeting deserve special mention. Finally, but not least, please allow me also to thank the UNDP for co-sponsoring this African Plenary.

Chairperson
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

The adoption of the Millennium Declaration and the MDGs by the United Nations Assembly in September 2000 was a commendable initiative by the International Community to fight poverty, accelerate human development and address the integration of the developing world, particularly Africa into the global economy. The re-affirmation of the MDGs in subsequent international conferences such as the Monterrey Conference on Financing for Development in March 2002 and the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development in September 2002, were further indications of this commitment.

Following a Decision taken by African Heads of State and Government in Abuja, Nigeria, in January 2005, the African Union Commission in collaboration with the ECA, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) Secretariat and the UNDP prepared an "African Common Position on the Review of the MDGs". The African Common Position was adopted by the African Union Summit held in Sirte, Libya, in July 2005 to constitute Africa’s input into the Review of the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals that was submitted to the UN General Assembly in September 2005. In preparing the African Common Position, inputs were sought from AU Member States. I, therefore, wish to take the opportunity to thank the Member States for making available to the AUC their national MDG review documents and other relevant information.

Current trends indicate that several African countries, with the exception of North African countries, are unlikely to meet the MDGs by the target date. Further, very few African countries are likely to meet even some of the goals. The available data indicate that almost half of the population in Africa is living in extreme poverty and hunger; the region appears at the bottom of health-related human development indicators; and that HIV/AIDS prevalence is very high.

Although Africa is said to be off- track in achieving the MDGs, there is still a chance to meet them. This, among other things, requires that African countries commit themselves to allocating proportionately more and more of their resources towards pro-poor growth activities and that development partners deliver on their commitments. Developing global partnership for development (Goal 8) remains key to achieving the other seven MDGs. Development assistance needs to be channelled into a more effective framework which is provided by country-owned Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs). Attainment of the MDGs requires greater international cooperation and assistance by the developed industrialized countries in the key areas of (i) Official Development Assistance (ODA), (ii) trade and (iii) debt relief. Specifically, achieving the MDGs requires doubling the present ODA flows and improving on aid effectiveness, reduction of agricultural subsidies and removal of remaining protectionist trade barriers by the industrialized countries and cancellation of external debt.

Chairperson
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

It is clear that the attainment of the MDGs continues to be hindered by the prevalence of conflicts and political instability; bad governance; HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, malaria and other infectious diseases; and high levels of poverty. Conflicts and political instability are among the major obstacles to economic growth and poverty reduction. In many cases, they have destroyed physical infrastructure and human capital, and aggravated poverty and human misery. Bad governance in several African countries has contributed to wastage of scarce resources in our Continent. And HIV/AIDS remains the leading cause of death in Africa.

It is, therefore, time that African countries put emphasis on developing and implementing national policies and strategies aimed at achieving the MDGs. These polices need to focus on a number of key areas including sustained macroeconomic management; growth with employment generation; private sector development; promotion of trade and investment; domestic saving mobilization; rural development; food security; and empowerment of women. This is why, today, we are here to take stock of our national policies and strategies and determine what has gone wrong and propose what needs to be done.

Chairperson
Your Excellencies
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

The success of this meeting will be judged not by the richness of what will be discussed and proposed but by what will finally be implemented. The Plenary should not just be another talk show or academic forum. We need to see action, action and action after this Plenary. It is important that the Plenary comes up with a mechanism of ensuring that the recommendations arising out of it are implemented. It is, therefore, our sincere hope that this African Plenary will propose a monitoring mechanism and action plan, at the continental level, for the design and implementation of national Strategies for Poverty Reduction and the achievement of MDGs in Africa. In addition, we expect the Plenary to come up with policies and strategies for ensuring aid effectiveness and timely delivery of commitments made by the international community. We believe this can be done given the wealth of practical experience you have in designing and implementing Poverty Reduction Strategies and reviewing the attainment of the MDGs at the national levels.

On its part, the African Union undertakes to play an important role in assisting with the preparation and implementation of national Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs) and monitoring the achievement of the MDGs in Africa. At the same time, it will continue to coordinate and harmonize policies, strategies and Programmemes in consultation with the RECs, the ECA and the AfDB, as it focuses on the Continent's integration agenda as a means to fighting poverty and achieving the MDGs. Obviously, this will entail building capacity at the African Union Commission, which is currently being addressed.

Once again, we sincerely thank the Government and the people of Egypt for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to us and for hosting this High Level African Plenary, to all of you for responding positively to the invitation to this Plenary and to the ECA and other partners for the excellent collaboration and support we continue to receive.

I thank you for your kind attention.