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| Regional Stakeholders Consultation on New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)
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| 2. On NEPAD |
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It was recalled that NEPAD is merger of the Millenium Partnership Plan for the African Recovery Programme (MAP) and the OMEGA Plan. It is an integrated Africa strategic development plan that addresses the economic, political and development dimensions of Africa’s future development and the synergy between these dimensions. It is a fresh start for Africa to meet the globally agreed millennium development goals and targets. The vision and way forward include building a political consensus, the necessary institutions and determining the pace of implementation of the programme.
The issues involved in NEPAD are complex and will need to be further elaborated on and agreed. Success will require special focus on building political consensus between the African countries themselves on the one hand and then Africa as a whole with the outside world. Institution building and strengthening to enable African institutions undertake the difficult and critical tasks required to implement activities to achieve the NEPAD goals is yet another challenge to be faced.
There are so far some 13 economic groupings in Africa. There is unevenness in their strengths and synergies. They, nevertheless need rationalization if they are to constitute strong building blocks for NEPAD.
The bottom-line is that NEPAD is not an opportunity given to stakeholders; rather, the stakeholders must sieze the opportunity to make this new start for Africa become realized by doing things differently from what has been done before. This will require clear mechanisms for various stakeholder interventions to secure shared and agreed on development strategies and their implementation.
NEPAD Priority Areas are:
- Peace and Security (management, prevention and resolution of conflict)
- Political Governance and Democracy
- Economic and Corporate Governance, including Banking and Financial Standards
- Regional Cooperation and Integration
- Human Resources Development: Education and Health
- Regional Infrastructure: including Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Energy, Transport, Water and Sanitation
- Agriculture and Environment
- Market Access and Export diversification
- Capital flows
Leadership and Management structures:
- Heads of State and Government constituting themselves as African Union
- An implementation Committee of 15 African Heads of State (including the African Union Chair and Secretary General as ex-Officials) to meet annually reporting to the AU Summit)
- Steering Committee of 5 countries (but with the ECA, ADB and the AU Secretariat attending the Meetings).
- A Secretariat to service NEPAD is based in Johannesburg. It is more a Facilitating Secretariat rather than an implementing one.
Roles and Responsibilities for the Lead Agencies:
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AU/OAU |
Peace and Security
Political Governance and Democracy |
| ECA: |
Economic and Corporate Governance
Human Resources Development |
| ADB: |
Regional Infrastructure
Banking and Financial Standards |
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