UN official urges support for Africa development initiative

Urging African countries to seize the opportunity of an improved climate for cooperation, a senior United Nations official today urged implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).

The initiative “does not replace national sovereignty, but it reinforces progress and makes the consequences of domestic choices more important,” the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, (ECA), K.Y. Amoako, told the Committee of Experts of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa – the largest gathering of officials dealing with economic policy in Africa since NEPAD’s adoption in July.

To reach the goals of NEPAD, Mr. Amoako called for a number of measures, including increasing the role of the private sector in poverty reduction and providing African States with greater market access in the global economy.

“A new momentum for Africa has been created which is quite promising for our development,” he said, citing the establishment of the African Union earlier this year and other milestone events. “There finally seems to be some advancement on issues that affect us deeply.”

For its part, he said ECA would improve its budgeting and information systems, strengthen its field presence and boost its internal communications. Noting that NEPAD aims to “deliver the resources and political will to accelerate the implementation” of Africa’s development agenda, he said the ECA would support all efforts towards that end.

Also participating in the three-day Johannesburg meeting are central bank governors, leading academics and researchers, and representatives of civil society and the private sector.