(period
2001- 2003)
The
Netherlands has greatly valued the NEPAD initiative since its inception about
two years ago. The main reason for this
positive assessment is the fact that NEPAD indicates growing political will
amongst African leaders to improve their developmental and governance record
with the ultimate aim to
improve
the livelihoods of its populations.
The
Netherlands is encouraged by the high level of African ownership of the
initiative, albeit still amongst a select few. In view of the potential of the
initiative the Netherlands feels that this ownership needs to be broadened
across the African governmental spectrum as well as amongst African civil
society. This is an endogenous process that Africa itself needs to engage in.
The Netherlands government wants to assist this process however and has so far
supported an initiative of the South African Institute of International Affairs
(SAIIA) that takes place in some selected African countries (in your
questionnaire under point 3 this implies Dutch support to the
"others" category). The project monitors the national follow-up
processes in selected African countries to ultimately learn from the experiences
in practice and where possible improve on the overall range and impact of the
Pan African initiative.
The
Netherlands furthermore believes that the regional economic communities in
Africa could have an important and complementary role to play as far as
implementation of the NEPAD vision is concerned. In that sense the Netherlands
is pleased to see that ECOWAS has important ambitions in that respect for the
West African region. The Netherlands already supports ECOWAS as far as the
peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast is concerned and is considering further
support for activities in Liberia.
The Netherlands is a keen observer of the
NEPAD process and assists where possible in all relevant AU, ECA, OECD, EU, G8
with non G8 major donor-for a whenever NEPAD is the main subject.
Comments/ observations on the implementation of NEPAD
Lastly the Netherlands is looking with
great interest to progress concerning the African peer review mechanism. The
Panel of Eminent Persons has in the meantime been set up, Ghana and South
Africa might be the first African candidates for the review, which is envisaged
to start towards the last quarter of the year 2003. The Netherlands sees great
potential in this mechanism and believes that if the mechanism can function in
a positive, non-punitive sense, its effects on improving African governance
records could be substantial.