Draft - Please Do Not Quote

THE MILLENNIUM PARTNERSHIP FOR THE
AFRICAN RECOVERY PROGRAMME
(MAP)

"It is impossible to separate (Picasso's) anxiety about (African) influence (on his art) ... from Europe's larger anxiety about the mask of blackness itself, about an aesthetic relation to virtually an entire continent that it represented as a prime site of all that Europe was not and did not wish to be, at least from the late Renaissance and the Enlightenment."

Henry Louis Gates Jr., in Africa: The Art of a Continent, ed Tom Phillips, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1996, pp. 29 ? 30.

I. INTRODUCTION

1. The Millennium Partnership for the African Recovery Programme is a pledge by African leaders based on a common vision, and a firm and shared conviction that they have a pressing duty to eradicate poverty and to place their countries, both individually and collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development, and to participate actively in the world economy and body politic. It is anchored on the determination of Africans to extricate themselves and the continent from the malaise of underdevelopment and exclusion in a globalising world.

2. The poverty and backwardness of Africa stand in stark contrast to the prosperity of the developed world. The continued marginalisation of Africa from the globalisation process and the social exclusion of the vast majority of its peoples constitute a serious threat to global stability.

3. The initiative calls for the reversal of this abnormal situation by changing the relationship that underpins it. Africans are appealing neither for the further entrenchment of dependency through aid, nor for marginal concessions.

4. We are convinced that an historic opportunity presents itself to end the scourge of underdevelopment that afflicts Africa and other parts of the developing world. The resources ? capital, technology and human skills ? that are required to launch a global war on poverty and underdevelopment exist in abundance, and are within our grasp. What is required to mobilise these resources and to use them properly is bold and imaginative leadership genuinely committed to a sustained effort of human upliftment and poverty eradication, as well as a new global partnership based on joint responsibility and mutual interest.

5. Across the continent Africans declare that we will no longer allow ourselves to be conditioned by circumstance. We will determine our own destiny and call on the rest of the world to complement our efforts.

6. There are already signs of progress and hope. Democratic regimes that are committed to the protection of human rights, people centred development and market?oriented economies are on the increase. African people have begun to demonstrate their refusal to accept poor economic and political leadership. But these developments are uneven and inadequate and need to be further expedited.

7. The MAP is about consolidating and accelerating these gains. It is a call for a new relationship of partnership between Africa and the international community, especially the highly industrialised countries, to overcome the development chasm that has widened over centuries of unequal relations.

II. AFRICA's PLACE IN THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY

8. Africa's place in the global community is defined by the fact that the continent is an indispensable resource base that has served all humanity for many centuries.

9. Africa's resources can be broken down into the following components:

9.1 the rich complex of mineral, oil and gas deposits, its flora and fauna, and its wide unspoiled natural habitat, which provide the basis for mining, agriculture and tourism (Component I);

9.2 the ecological lung provided by the continent's rain forests, and the minimal presence of emissions and effluents that harm the environment ? a global public good that benefits all humankind (Component II);

9.3 the paleontological and archaeological sites containing evidence of the evolution of the earth, life and the human species, the natural habitats containing a wide variety of flora and fauna, and the open uninhabited spaces that are a feature of the continent (Component III); and

9.4 the richness of Africa's culture and its contribution to the variety of the culture of the universe (Component IV).

10. The first of these, Component I, is the one with which the world is most familiar. The second, Component //, has only come to the fore recently, as humanity came to understand the critical importance of the issue of the environment. The third, Component ///, is also now coming into its own, emerging as a matter of concern only to a narrow field of science, and of interest only to museums and their curators. The fourth of these, Component IV, represents the creativity of African people that in important ways remains under?exploited and underdeveloped.

11. Africa has a very important role to play with regard to the critical issue of the protection of the environment. African resources include the rain forests, the virtually carbon?dioxide free atmosphere above the continent and the minimal presence of toxic effluents in the rivers and soils that interact with the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean and Red seas. The MAP will contain a strategy to nurture these resources and use them for development and trade by the African continent, while preserving them for all humanity.

12. It is obvious that, unless the communities in the vicinity of the tropical forests are given alternative means of earning a living, they will cooperate in the destruction of the forests. As the preservation of these environmental assets is in the interest of humanity, it is imperative that Africa is placed on a development path that does not put them in danger.

13. Modern science recognises Africa as the cradle of humankind. As part of the process of reconstructing the identity and self-confidence of the peoples of Africa, it is necessary that this contribution to human existence is understood and valued by Africans themselves. Africa's status as the birthplace of humanity should be cherished by the whole world as the origin of all its peoples. Accordingly, the MAP must preserve the common heritage and use it to build a universal understanding of the historic need to end the underdevelopment and marginalisation of the continent.

14. Africa also has a major role to play in maintaining the strong link between human beings and the natural world. Technological developments tend to emphasise the role of human beings as factors of production, competing for their place in the production process with their contemporary or future tools. The open uninhabited spaces, the flora and fauna, and the diverse animal species that are unique to Africa offer a rare experience for humanity to maintain its link to nature. Africa is uniquely placed to offer this asset to humanity.

15. Africa has already made a significant contribution to world culture through literature, music, visual arts and other cultural forms, but her real potential remains untapped because of her limited integration to the rest of the world. The MAP will enable Africa to increase her contribution to science, culture and technology.

16. In this new era, when humanity is searching for a new way to build a better world, it is critical that we bring to bear the combination of these attributes and the forces of human will, to place the continent on a pedestal of equal partner in advancing human civilisation.

The Historical Impoverishment of a Continent

17. The impoverishment of the African continent proceeds primarily from the legacy of colonialism, the cold war, the workings of the international economic system and the inadequacies and shortcomings in the policies pursued in many countries in the post independence era.

18. For centuries, Africa has been integrated into the world economy mainly as a supplier of cheap labour and raw materials. Necessarily, this has meant the draining of Africa's resources rather than their use for the continent's development. The opportunity to use the minerals and raw 'materials to develop manufacturing industries as well as a highly skilled human base to sustain growth and development was lost. Thus, Africa remains poor in spite of being one of the most richly endowed regions of the world.

19. In other countries and continents the direct opposite happened. There was an infusion of wealth in the form of investments which created larger volumes of wealth through exports of value added products. It is time that African resources are harnessed to expand wealth creation on the continent.

20. Colonialism destroyed hitherto existing social structures or made them subservient to the economic and political needs of the imperial powers. It also retarded the development of an entrepreneurial class, as well as a middle class with skills and managerial capacity.

21. At independence, virtually all the new states were characterised by a shortage of skilled professionals and a weak capitalist class, resulting in a weakening of the accumulation process. Post?colonial Africa inherited weak states and dysfunctional economies that were further aggravated by poor leadership and corruption in many countries. These two factors, together with the divisions caused by the cold war, hampered the spread of accountable governments across the continent.

22. Many African governments did not empower their societies to embark on development initiatives to realise their creative potential. Today the weak state remains one of the major constraints to sustainable development in a number of countries. One of Africa's major challenges is to strengthen the capacity to govern, to develop long?term policies. There is also the urgent need to implement far?reaching reforms and programmes in African states.

23. Indeed, it is clear that the rate of accumulation in the postcolonial period has not been sufficient to rebuild societies in the wake of colonial underdevelopment, or to sustain improvement in the standard of living. This has had further corrosive effects on the political process and has increased patronage and corruption.

24. The net effect of these processes has been the entrenchment of a vicious circle, in which economic decline, reduced capacity and poor governance reinforce each other, confirming Africa's peripheral and diminishing role in the world economy. Over the centuries, Africa has become defined as, of necessity, the marginalised continent.

25. The MAP seeks to build on and celebrate the achievements of the past, as well as to reflect on the lessons learned through painful experience, so as to establish a partnership that is both credible and capable of implementation. In doing so, the injunction is for the peoples of Africa to gain the conviction that development is a process of empowerment and self?reliance. Accordingly, Africans must not be wards of benevolent guardians, but architects of their own sustained upliftment.

III. AFRICA AND THE GLOBAL REVOLUTION

26. The world enters the new millennium in the midst of an economic revolution. This revolution could provide both the context and the means for Africa's rejuvenation. While globalisation has increased the cost of Africa's inability to compete, we hold that the advantages of an effectively managed integration present the best prospects for future economic prosperity and poverty reduction.

27. The current economic revolution has, in part, been made possible by advances in Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), which have reduced the cost and increased the speed of communications across the globe, abolishing pre-existing barriers of time and space, and in consequence affecting all areas of social and economic life. It has made possible the integration of national systems of production and finance, and is reflected in incredible growth in the scale of cross?border flows of goods, services and capital.

28. The integration of national systems of production has made it possible to 'slice up the value chain' in many manufacturing and service sector production processes, while at the same time the easier mobility of finance means that borrowers, whether governments or private entities, must compete with each other for capital in global, rather than national, markets. Both these processes have increased the costs to those countries that are unable to compete effectively. To a large extent these costs have been borne disproportionately by Africa.

29. While no corner of the world has escaped the effects of globalisation, the contributions of the various regions and nations have differed markedly. The locomotive for these major advances is the highly industrialised nations, in particular the United States, and to a lesser extent Europe and Japan. Outside this domain, only a few countries in the developing world play a substantial role in the global economy. Many developing countries, including those of Africa, contribute passively, in the main on the basis of their environmental and resource endowments.

30. It is in the distribution of benefits that the global imbalance is most glaring. On the one hand, opportunities have increased to expand wealth, acquire knowledge and skills, and improve access to goods and services ? in brief, to improve the quality of life. In some parts of the world, the pursuit of greater openness to the global economy has created opportunities to lift millions of people out of poverty.

31. On the other hand, greater integration has also led to the further marginalisation of those unable to compete effectively. In the absence of fair and just global rules, globalisation has increased the ability of the strong to advance their interests to the detriment of the weak, especially in the area of trade, finance and technology. It has limited the space for developing countries to control their own development. The conditions of those marginalised in this process have worsened in real terms. A fissure between inclusion and exclusion has emerged within and among nations.

32. In part, Africa's inability to harness the process of globalisation is a result of structural impediments to growth and development in the form of resource outflows and unfavourable terms of trade. At the same time, we recognise that failures of political and economic leadership in many African countries impede the coherent mobilisation of resources into areas of activity increasingly required to attract and facilitate domestic and foreign investment.

33. The low level of economic activity means that the instruments necessary for the real injection of private funds and risk?taking are not available and the result is a further decline. In a self-perpetuating cycle, Africa's capacity to respond to globalisation is weakened, leading to further marginalisation. The increasing polarisation of wealth and poverty is one of a number of processes that have accompanied globalisation, and which threaten its sustainability.

34. The closing years of the last century saw a major financial collapse in much of the developing world which threatened the stability of the global financial system, and hence the global economy as a whole. One of the immediate effects of the financial crisis was to exacerbate existing levels of deep, structural poverty in which about half of the world's population live on less than US $2 per day, and a fifth on less than US $1 per day.

35. There also exist slower dynamics that pose longer?run risks. These include the rapid increase in the numbers of the socially excluded in different zones of the globe, contributing to political instability, civil war and military conflict on the one hand, and a new pattern of mass migration, on the other. The expansion of industrial production and the growth in poverty contribute to environmental degradation of our oceans, atmosphere and natural vegetation. If unaddressed, these will set into motion processes that will increasingly slip beyond the control of governments, both in developed and developing countries.

36. The means to reverse this gloomy scenario are not yet beyond our reach. Improvements in the living standards of the marginalised offer massive potential for growth in the entire international economy, through the creation of new markets and by harnessing increased economic capacity. This will bring with it greater stability on a global scale, accompanied by the social well?being and cultural exuberance that thrives in conditions of certainty.

37. The imperative of development, therefore, not only poses a challenge of moral conscience. It is fundamental to the sustainability of the globalisation process. We readily admit that globalisation is a product of scientific and technological advances, many of which have been market?driven. Yet, governments particularly in the developed world have, in partnership with the private sector, played an important role in shaping its form and content.

38. The case for the role of national authorities and private institutions in guiding the globalisation agenda along a sustainable path, and therefore one in which its benefits are more equally spread, remains strong. Experience shows that despite the unparalleled opportunities that globalisation has offered to some previously poor countries, there is nothing inherent to the process that automatically reduces poverty and inequality.

39. What is needed is a commitment on the part of governments, the private sector and other institutions of civil society, to the genuine integration of all nations into the global economy and body politic. This requires the recognition of global interdependence in respect of production and demand, the environmental base that sustains the planet, 'cross?border migration, a global financial architecture that rewards good socio?economic management, and global governance that recognises partnership among all peoples. We hold that it is within the capacity of the international community to create fair and just conditions in which Africa can effectively participate in the global economy and body politic.

IV. THE CASE FOR GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP

Strategic and Mutual Benefits

40. Africa recognises the centuries?old historical injustice and the need to right it. However, the central injunction of the partnership is for combined efforts to improve as rapidly as possible the quality of life of Africa's people. In this, there is a shared self?interest.

41. The global technological revolution needs an expanding base of resources, a widening sphere of markets, new frontiers of scientific endeavour, the collective capacity of human wisdom, and a well?managed ecological system. We are aware that much of Africa's mineral and other material resources are critical inputs into production processes in developed countries.

42. In addition to its indispensable resource base, Africa offers a vast and growing market to producers across the world. A developing Africa, with increased numbers of employed and skilled workers and a burgeoning middle class, would constitute an expanding market for world manufactures, intermediate goods and services.

43. At the same time, Africa provides a great opportunity for investment. The MAP creates opportunities for joint international efforts in the development of infrastructure, especially in information and communication technologies and transportation.

44. Africa also provides prospects for creative partnerships between the public and private sectors in beneficiation, agro?industries, tourism, human resource development and in tackling the challenges of urban renewal and rural development.

45. Furthermore, Africa's biodiversity ? including its rich flora and fauna and the rain forests ? is an important global resource in combating environmental degradation posed by the depletion of the ozone layer and climate change, as well as the pollution of air and water by industrial emissions and toxic effluents.

46. The expansion of educational and other opportunities in Africa would enhance the continent's contribution to world science, technology and culture, to the benefit of all humankind. After all, modern science recognises Africa as the cradle of humanity. Fossils, artifacts, artistic works and the remains of ancient human settlements are to be found throughout Africa, providing material evidence of the emergence of homo sapiens and the evolution of humanity.

47. As part of the process of the reconstruction of the identity and self?confidence of the peoples of Africa, it is necessary that this is understood and valued by Africans themselves. In the same vein, Africa's status as the birthplace of humanity should be cherished by the whole world as the origin of all its peoples.

48. Africa's rich cultural legacy is reflected in artifacts of the past, in its literatures, philosophies, its art and music. These should serve both as a means of consolidating the pride of Africa's peoples in their own humanity and confirmation of the common humanity of the peoples of the world.

49. The MAP has, as one of its foundations, the expansion of democratic frontiers and the deepening of the culture of human rights. A democratic Africa will become one of the pillars of world democracy, human rights and tolerance. The resources of the world currently dedicated to resolving civil and inter?state conflict could therefore be freed for more rewarding endeavours.

50. The converse of such an initiative ? the collapse of more African states ? poses a threat not only to Africans, but also to global peace and security. For industrialised countries, development in Africa will reduce the levels of global social exclusion and mitigate a major potential source of global social instability.

A New Global and Continental Context

51. The MAP recognises that there have been attempts in the past to set out continent?wide development programmes. For a variety of reasons, both internal and external, including questionable leadership and ownership by Africans themselves, these have been less than successful. However, there is today a new set of circumstances, which lend themselves to integrated practical implementation.

52. The new phase of globalisation coincided with the reshaping of international relations in the aftermath of the Cold War. This is associated with the emergence of new concepts of security and self?interest, which encompass the right to development and the eradication of poverty. Democracy and state legitimacy have been redefined to include as central elements accountable government, a culture of human rights and popular participation.

53. Significantly, a new corps of African leaders is also on the ascendancy. These leaders are committed to democracy and the integration of Africa into the world economy and body politic. Through their actions, they have declared that the hopes of Africa's peoples for a better life can no longer rest on the magnanimity of others.

54. Across the continent, democracy is spreading, backed by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which has shown a new resolve to deal with conflicts and censure deviation from the norm. These efforts are reinforced by voices in civil society, including associations of women, the youth and independent media. In addition, African governments are much more resolute about regional and continental goals of economic cooperation and integration. This serves both to consolidate the economic turnaround and reinforce the advantages of mutual interdependence.

55. The changed conditions in Africa have already been recognised by governments across the global community. The United Nations Millennium Declaration, adopted in September 2000, confirms the world community's readiness to support Africa's efforts to address the continent's underdevelopment and marginalisation. The Declaration emphasised support for the prevention of conflict and the establishment of conditions of stability and democracy on the continent, as well as for the key challenges of poverty and disease eradication. The Declaration further painted to the global community's commitment to enhancing resource flows to Africa, by improving aid, trade and debt relationships between Africa and the rest of the World, and by increasing private capital flows to the continent,

V. KEY PRIORITIES

56. The key priority areas in which the MAP must be implemented simultaneously and interaction with one another are:

56.1 Peace, security and governance
56.2 Investing in Africa's people
56.3 Diversification of Africa's production and exports
56.4 Investing in ICT and other basic infrastructure
56.5 Developing financing mechanisms

Peace, Security and Governance

57. Meaningful economic activity is impossible under conditions of armed conflict. It is also inhibited by the existence of states either captured by narrow private interests, or lacking in capacity to deliver on their development mandates. While commitments to peace and security, democracy, human rights and sound economic governance must be seen as pre?conditions for a programme of Africa's renewal, there will continue to be the need for constant vigilance, consolidation and the strengthening of capacity.

58. Of crucial importance to Africa and the rest of the world is the establishment and protection of a political order and systems of governance that are:

58.1 legitimate and enjoy the support and loyalty of the African peoples;

58.2 strong enough to defend and advance the sovereign interests of African peoples;

58.3 able to address the fundamental development interests of African peoples; and

58.4 able to engage effectively with the various global processes that characterise the world economy.

59. The first step is to raise and maintain the commitment to political processes that sustain equitable and effective governance. This requires bringing about democratic rule and respect for human rights, underwritten by the necessary constitutional, legislative and institutional arrangements.

60. In those regions and countries marred by armed conflict, the overwhelming priorities are to achieve peace, to disarm and demobilise combatants, and to resettle refugees. Africa's capacity to prevent, mediate and resolve conflicts on the continent must be strengthened, including the capacity to deploy African peacekeeping forces when necessary. At the same time, it is recognised that sustainable peace entails creating appropriate conditions for economic development.

61. If peace and security is to lead to sustained growth and development, it is of utmost urgency that the capacity of the state to fulfil its responsibilities is strengthened. These responsibilities include poverty eradication and development, ensuring democracy, popular participation, human rights and the respect for the rule of law, creating a conducive environment for private sector mobilisation, and responding appropriately to the process of globalisation.

62. Only if the state is equipped with the capacity to deliver, can it provide an unambiguous and tangible indication that good governance offers a better alternative to the ways of the past. Partnerships with developed countries and the multilateral institutions to bring about sustainable economic recovery and improvements in the standard of living are critical in this regard.

63. In recognition of the linkage between democracy and development, African governments have themselves made great strides in establishing democratic pluralism. Many African countries have now created more participatory political institutions, in the form of democratic electoral processes, and growing and diverse civil societies. These elements constitute essential ingredients in promoting transparent and accountable governance.

64. This process has also signalled an unambiguous turn from authoritarian political structures, with the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) affirming its support for the process by its isolation of dictatorial regimes.

Investing in Africa's People: From Social Exclusion to Global Inclusion

65. The success of the MAP will be measured by its effect on reducing poverty and enhancing the quality of life of the peoples of the continent. We recognise that humanity in Africa faces a two?pronged crisis, expressed in widespread poverty and disease, which threatens not just the prospects for improving their quality of life, but also the very preservation of the continent's existing stock of human resources.

66. For example, half of Africa's population subsists below the minimum living standards of their own countries. Almost half of the continent's population lives below the income level of US $1 per day. Worst affected by poverty are the rural areas, home to four in five poor people.

67. Infection rates of communicable disease are similarly daunting. HIV/AIDS, malaria, diarrhoeal and respiratory diseases are the most serious, killing or disabling millions of Africans annually. Nearly 70% of the world's infections of HIV/AIDS, and 90% of deaths, occur in sub-Saharan Africa.

68. The prevalence of disease in Africa is in part a consequence of its geography, especially the tropical climate and vegetation. But the spread of disease is also closely linked to widespread poverty. The burden of coping with poverty and disease falls particularly on women, who are the primary care givers for children, the elderly and the sick.

69, The empowerment of women must provide conditions in which they participate actively in decision?making, and become fully integrated into economic activities. It is essential therefore that all harmful traditional practices that inhibit the active participation of women in the development process are removed.

70. In the same vein, the youth must be supported to fulfil their potential through proper parenting and upbringing, as well as through the acquisition of functional education and skills. Adequate recreational and sporting facilities, as well as opportunities in the arts, must be provided to ensure an all-round development of African youth.

71. African governments have a responsibility to pursue policies that raise the quantity and quality of basic service delivery through improved provision of safe drinking water, sanitation and health services, as well as promotion of awareness campaigns to combat disease.

72. Investing in the health, education and other basic needs of Africa's people is a moral imperative in its own right. But development experience shows clearly that human development reinforces economic growth, and that continued economic growth is partly dependent on the degree to which growth and human development are mutually reinforcing.

73. Within an appropriate policy environment, economic growth is the most effective vehicles for fighting poverty. Rising output and employment are prerequisites for a sustainable poverty reduction programme. It is generally accepted, however, that Poverty reduction must be at the core of any growth process from the outset.

74. The enhanced capabilities of a better educated, higher skilled and healthier population lead to higher output derived from greater worker productivity, the ability to create, adopt and attract new technology, the quality of policy?making and investment decisions, and the management of the key institutions of a well functioning society.

75. Integrated approaches to poverty reduction, in which a range of activities and engagements can be mobilised around a common framework, represent an important opportunity for the peoples of Africa, and others that would seek to participate in their upliftment.

76. Enhanced access to quality education that equips people not only with knowledge, but also with work?related skills, is critical to building households' assets and sustaining growth. As households accumulate assets, their access to credit also improves, leading to improved living standards and increased opportunities for more earnings.

77. There is growing evidence from Africa and elsewhere that poverty and exclusion are reinforced not just by low levels of income and wealth, but also by their highly unequal distribution. The pace of poverty reduction can be accelerated by broadening access to capital assets through appropriate redistribution mechanisms. In Africa, negotiated land reform is the most important vehicle for asset redistribution.


Diversification of Africa's Production and Exports

78. While there remains scope for improvement in Africa's performance in traditional primary exports, there is a pressing need for diversification of the economic activities in which Africa is engaged. Africa's comparative advantage lies in its rich supply of agricultural, mineral and aquatic raw materials. While extracted in Africa, much of the value added to these raw materials takes place outside the continent.

79. This situation must be reversed through a process of African industrialisation based on up?stream and down?stream activities associated with the resource endowments of the continent. Employment creating manufacturing has an important role to play in raising Africa's competitiveness and value?adding.

80. Three sets of conditions must therefore be met if these goals are to be achieved. Diversification into the production of internationally competitive goods will require, in the first place, policies that foster appropriate regulatory and macroeconomic conditions, and support economic activity with necessary infrastructure. Secondly, enhancing Africa's ability to export processed goods will also entail the attraction of domestic and foreign investment into both the extractive sectors of the economy, and into down?stream processing activities. Finally, existing developed country barriers to some processed goods produced in African countries will need to be removed if these goods are to find markets.

81. An important part of the effort to diversify exports must be the further development of the tourism sector. Even though tourism has increased in several African countries over the past decade, the MAP will aim to accelerate its further growth through improving the co?ordination across African countries with regard to marketing efforts in the developed countries, transport and other tourism?related infrastructure and services, border crossings, and support for the development of cultural and historical tourism.

Investing in ICT and Other Basic Infrastructure

82. The inadequacy of Africa's infrastructure provision has been central to the continent's inability to establish a vibrant manufacturing sector based on its relative strategic advantages and resource endowments. The quantity and quality of basic infrastructure has a fundamental effect on the costs of other goods and services in a modem economy. Africa's ability to diversify its economies will rest on the ability to harness a structurally low?cost energy platform, an efficient transport and logistical system, and ICT and social infrastructures that attract modern production facilities.

83. Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) is a major driver of the global revolution. ICT is used at all levels of the production process, in large and micro enterprises, in urban and rural areas. But the benefits of ICT extend beyond efficiency gains in production and trade, in that it can bring the latest in science and knowledge to the remotest parts of the world. As such, great possibilities exist for Africa to leapfrog various stages of development.

84. The ICT infrastructure deficit ? the digital divide ? needs to be addressed as a matter of particular urgency if Africa is to escape from the trap of social exclusion and marginalisation. The benefits of ICT extend beyond efficiency gains in production and trade. Coherent and holistic ICT policy and regulatory frameworks at national, regional and continental levels are essential for the development of an infrastructure that maximises the use of technology in the provision of health, education, social services and environmental management, thus offering Africa a tangible opportunity to leapfrog the stages of development.

85. The provision of integrated infrastructure systems is of strategic significance in tapping Africa's considerable resource endowment. It is particularly important in developing agriculture and agro?processing industries on the one hand, and in developing and conserving the environmental domain on the other. Clearly, Africa's agricultural development has to be managed in an environmentally sustainable way, requiring scientific monitoring and advanced technology ? critical elements of the 'knowledge economy'.

Developing Financing Mechanisms

86. Financing development will require the mobilisation of vast resources from both inside and outside the continent. This is clearly impossible, however, as long as African countries continue to bear the burden of unsustainable debt. Such debt remains a heavy burden blocking Africa's development, notwithstanding debt reduction initiatives, and must be addressed as a precondition for a meaningful partnership between African and developed countries.

87. A strategy to attract requisite capital falls into three broad areas. The primary aim of financial policy must be to lower the risk perceptions of potential portfolio and direct investors in Africa. On the one hand, this entails improving the credibility of public financial authorities and the soundness of the public and private, financial institutions.

88. This should serve both to attract private sector equity, lower the cost of loan capital ? much of which is in private hands ?as well as mobilise effectively savings generated on the continent itself, which can be expected to grow with improved economic performance. In this regard, particular attention must be paid to creating the conditions for Africans who have moved their savings off the continent to repatriate this much?needed capital for the financing of African development.

89. On the other hand, reducing risk entails the establishment of policy certainty and consistency, and access to an efficient, modern infrastructure system that is supportive of the speedy movement of goods and services. Certainty and speed are two critical requirements that characterise the behaviour of international capital flows, and consequently the ability to attract equity investments.

90. Ensuring resource allocation to those areas that provide the best returns is the second element of a strategy to attract capital for investment. In effect, an appropriate combination of economic and social returns represents a form of risk and revenue sharing between the public and private sectors.

91. Financial engineering and risk management will be crucial in financing the provision of the infrastructure spines required for sustainable accumulation. This will encourage the crowding in of private capital to finance investment projects in mining, agriculture, industry, tourism, and other sectors linked to the immediate use of such infrastructure.

92. The delivery of economic infrastructure requires the mobilisation of private capital, both domestic and foreign, in partnership with public expenditure and targeted aid where appropriate. Much of the infrastructure that is needed to create basic social conditions and human resource development will have to be financed through government expenditure and grant allocations.

93. The third element is to fill the gap between required and available funding with a combination of deep and far?reaching debt reduction together with targeted official development assistance.

94. At the same time as the financing gap is addressed by these measures, it must be recognised that the size of this gap can be reduced significantly by improved access for African exports to developed country markets. Such measures that provide for a sustainable mobilisation of finance would curtail significantly the further entrenchment of aid dependence.

95. Accordingly, official development assistance must be targeted to catalyse a more lasting market?driven accumulation process, and which among other objectives, links aid to the technical skills that are required for a modem infrastructure.

96. The more programmable and manageable the nature of targeted aid, the easier it is for the state to assume responsibility for the provision of development finance outside the targeted areas. This has the advantage of allowing the state to use the savings generated by debt reduction to provide for those basic social services that sustain the development process.

Programme of Action

97. In the light of the serious situation described above, African leaders recognise that it is their duty and responsibility to accelerate the development of the continent by ending its marginalisation and promoting its integration into the global economy. The leaders have decided to embark on a comprehensive programme of action with the following objectives:

97.1 restoring peace, stability and security on the continent, and promoting democratic systems of government;

97.2 promoting development, reducing poverty and attaining of International Development Targets for health, education and gender equality; and

97.3 raising investment capital from domestic and foreign sources through lowering the risk associated with investing and doing business in Africa.

98. To achieve these objectives, African leaders will take joint responsibility to:

98.1 strengthen mechanisms for conflict prevention, management and resolution at the regional and continental levels and ensuring that these mechanisms are used to restore and maintain peace;

98.2 promote and protect democracy and human rights in their own countries and regions, by developing clear standards of accountability, transparency and participatory governance at national and sub-national levels;

98.3 revitalise and extend the provision of education, technical training and health services, with high priority given to tackling HIV/AIDS and other communicable disease that threaten Africa;

98.4 build the capacity of the states in Africa to set and enforce the legal framework as well as maintain law and order, an essential requirement for promoting
economic activities and development;

98.5 restore and maintain macro?economic stability, especially by developing appropriate standards and targets for fiscal and monetary policies, and introducing appropriate institutional frameworks to achieve these standards;

98.6 institute transparent legal and regulatory frameworks for financial markets, the auditing of private companies and the public sector, and infrastructure sectors;

98.7 promote the development of agriculture and its diversification into agro?industries and manufacturing to serve both domestic and export markets; and

98.8 promote investment in infrastructure construction and sustainable operation, in order to reduce the cost of doing business in Africa and to promote human development.

99. Such a programme of action will be implemented under the leadership and direction of the African Heads of State or Government. They will take responsibility for:

99.1 formulating milestones and timeframes to measure progress in achieving the three objectives specified above;

99.2 creating the necessary capacity to manage the proposed programme of action; and

99.3 ensuring its implementation and the monitoring of its progress.

100. In implementing the programme of action, joint activities and initiatives involving several countries will be undertaken using, wherever possible, a multi?track approach. This will serve to enhance the implementation and monitoring of progress, and to promote deeper economic integration among African countries.

Partnership with Developed Countries and Multilateral Institutions

101. The African leaders realise both the keen interest of developed countries and the multilateral institutions to participate in the renewal of Africa's development and the advantages of such participation. The leaders of developed countries and the multilateral institutions are therefore invited to join this initiative as partners.

102. The new partnership will be anchored on the following principles:

102.1 African leadership and responsibility for the development of the continent;

102.2 binding commitments by the developed countries and multilateral institutions to an agreed set of obligations with accompanying milestones and timeframes; and

102.3 agreement on the objectives and programme of action specified above.

103. The African leaders envisage that the obligations and responsibilities for the developed countries and multilateral institutions will be to:

103.1 support materially mechanisms and processes of conflict prevention, management and resolution in Africa, as well as peacekeeping initiatives;

103.2 accelerate debt reduction for heavily indebted poor countries, in conjunction with more effective poverty reduction programmes, for which the Strategic Partnership with Africa and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers initiatives are an important starting point;

103.3 reverse the decline in ODA flows to African and other developing countries, and meeting the target level of ODA flows equivalent to 0.7 per cent of each developed country's GNP within an agreed short?term period. Increased aid flows will be used to complement funds released by debt reduction for accelerating the fight against poverty;

103.4 translate into concrete commitments the international strategies adopted in the fields of education and health;

103.5 facilitate the development of a partnership between states, international pharmaceutical corporations and civil society organisations to urgently secure access to existing drugs for Africans suffering from infectious diseases.

103.6 countries into markets of the developed countries through bilateral initiatives, and negotiating more equitable terms for African (and other developing) countries in the WTO multilateral framework;

103.7 work with African leaders to encourage investment in Africa by the private sector in developed countries, including the establishment of insurance mechanisms and financial instruments which will help lower risk premia in Africa;

103.8 raise consumer protection standards for exports from developed countries to developing countries to the same levels applied in developed country domestic markets;

103.9 ensure that the World Bank and other multilateral development finance institutions participate as investors in the key economic infrastructure projects, to support the securing of private sector participation;

103.10 provide technical support to accelerate the implementation of the programme of action, including strengthening capacity in planning and development management, financial and infrastructure regulation, accounting and auditing, and infrastructure construction and management;

103.11 support governance reforms of multilateral financial institutions to better cater for the needs and concerns of developing countries, especially those of Africa; and

103.12 set up co?ordinated mechanisms to combat corruption.

Mechanism for Directing the Millennium Partnership for the African Recovery Programme

104. The MAP will be directed by a Forum of African Heads of State or Government. The functions of the Forum will be to:

104.1 make decisions about sub?programmes and initiatives within the framework of the programme of action, including sequencing of initiatives and identification of implementing agencies. These decisions will be binding on participating countries;

104.2 review progress on implementation of past decisions and take steps to address problems and delays; and

104.3 make decisions about additional participants in the Forum.

VI. CONCLUSION

105. In proposing the partnership, Africa recognises that it holds the key to its own development. We affirm that the MAP offers an historical opportunity for the developed countries of the world to enter into a genuine partnership with Africa based on mutual interest, shared commitment and binding agreement.

106. The adoption of a development strategy as set out in the broad approach outlined above, together with a detailed programme of action, will mark the beginning of a new phase in the partnership and cooperation between Africa and the developed world.

107. In fulfilling its promise this agenda must give hope to the emaciated African child that indeed the 2ft Century is the century of Africa's renewal.

PRETORIA
March 2001