African countries registered improved economic performance in 1996 – with 5 per cent or more growth rates in many countries – while continuing to assume ownership of their development programmes, according to the Panel of High-level Personalities on African Development, which held its sixth meeting at UN headquarters on 13 March. Despite these positive trends, the Panel warned that poverty in Africa has increased and called for social programmes targeting vulnerable groups to be carried out concurrently with political and economic reforms.
In his first statement to the Panel, Secretary-General Kofi Annan stressed his commitment to use the full capacities of the UN system to promote African development, and urged the Panel to continue to provide a focus for the UN's work in this area.
While there is "not much good news" coming from Africa these days, the Secretary-General said the continent is a "sleeping giant" which will one day wake up. Peace, security, stability, human rights and good governance, as well as sound economic policies, are all essential elements of his vision of African development, Secretary-General Annan said.
The Panel of High-level Personalities was established in 1992 by then Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali to advise him in the implementation of the UN New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s (UN-NADAF) and to play an advocacy role on African development issues.
In its March meeting, the Panel, which was chaired by Baroness Lynda Chalker, the UK's Minister for Overseas Development, focused on three themes: the progress Africa made in implementing economic and political reforms in 1996; good governance as a key factor in development; and agriculture and food security in the aftermath of the recent World Food Summit.
Reviewing some of the major challenges confronting Africa, Mr. Nitin Desai, Under-Secretary-General, Department for Policy Coordination and Sustainable Development, noted that the encouraging economic performance of many countries – due mainly to consistent political and economic reforms and increased attention to agriculture – must be sustained for true progress to be achieved.
The Panel noted that African countries should aim for at least a sustained 7 per cent annual GDP growth target in order to make a meaningful impact on social development and poverty eradication. To sustain growth, the Panel recommended promoting public savings and increased private sector investment.
While urging African countries to continue to boost the agricultural sector, the Panel also stressed the need for diversification into other productive sectors – with financial and technical support from the international community and greater involvement of the private sector. Special measures for the least developed countries proposed by the World Trade Organization in December 1996, including improved market access and increased training opportunities, should be further pursued, the Panel agreed.
It also recommended further improvements in official development assistance (ODA) to Africa, focused on building capacities in health care, education, water and physical infrastructure. Expressing concern over the "future credibility" of the debt initiative for Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) if it does not result in "meaningful" debt reduction for those countries being considered, the Panel urged the World Bank, IMF and bilateral donors to be more flexible in its implementation.
Promoting good governance
Many of Africa's long-running conflicts have ended, and progress has been made in putting in place popularly elected governments and in accepting the need to protect human rights, civil liberties and the rule of law. But institutions which enforce these norms need to be strengthened, the Panel urged, and the concept of good governance should be expanded beyond the electoral process to include civic education, gender mainstreaming, the separation of powers, neutrality of the civil service and the accuracy and timeliness of central statistical information.
African countries should also continue to put in place mechanisms for equitable participation and representation – especially those that promote consensus and power-sharing – so as to avoid the escalation of violence triggered by poverty and ethnicity. Efforts to strengthen the civil service, prevent corruption and create incentives to retain skilled professionals should be stepped up.
In Africa, there is a need to increase food supplies and access to food by the majority of the people, the Panel stated. Food security is a national responsibility, and countries should place an emphasis on rural development and infrastructure, including food storage at national and regional levels, water resources and improved productivity.
The Panel agreed to devote its next meeting, tentatively scheduled for July, to the role of private and foreign direct investment in Africa; the implementation of the HIPC debt initiative; and development assistance for capacity building. It will also review progress on the implementation of the UN System-wide Special Initiative on Africa, as well as the issue of trade access in light of post-Lomé IV future arrangements.