NEPAD PLANNING AND COORDINATING AGENCY
PRESS RELEASE
One-size fits all development approach not working for Africa
Mexico City , 2014 –Africa is determined to speak with one voice at the High Level Meeting of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation taking place in Mexico on April 15 and 16.
The meeting will review global progress made towards development co-operation and take steps to boost social and economic growth.
For coherence of message, the NEPAD Agency under the auspices of the Africa Platform for Development Effectiveness (APDev), and the Government of Ivory Coast, hosted a meeting of senior government officials, business and private sector and other key development players to ensure that the continent speaks and articulates Africa’s priorities with one voice
Dr Albert Mabri, Ivory Coast’s Minister of Planning stressed that “Africa is calling for a binding Global Action Plan, which requires a much stronger commitment by all stakeholders towards making concrete progress in ensuring that aid supports the attainment of development results globally.”
Over 12 African Ministers of Finance at the NEPAD / APDev meeting agreed that the recently adopted African Action Plan on Development Effectiveness will inform continental interventions in Mexico. Critical issues include Domestic Resource Mobilisation and supporting the local private sector. Africa’s position is that the “a one-size fits all” approach has failed to work and will not work.
NEPAD is the African Union’s development arm, mandated to coordinate and implement the continent’s transformation through various development programmes on agriculture, infrastructure, social and gender equity among others.
Over 1500 development leaders will join President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other Heads of State to agree on actions to boost progress; and anchor effective development co-operation in the post-2015 global development agenda. With the The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) deadline of 2015 fast approaching, the gathering will reaffirm the importance of effective development cooperation in meeting these 8 goals and the new approach for development after 2015.
The AUC Commissioner for Economic Affairs Dr Anthony Maruping, underscored the need for an expanded, more effective and participatory representation on the Global Partnership governance structures. This is because the continent is not currently adequately represented.
The next two days of negotiations will provide a platform for the continent to strongly articulate its priorities to add value to Africa’s renewal agenda.
