| The Future
With regard to the future, Dr Mayaki says he, and NEPAD, see the future in a very positive light. “We have highly skilled staff and an exceptionally good reputation with our partners. Our strategic plan will, very strictly, encompass the mandate which has been defined for us. We are building an organisational culture based on participatory mechanisms which will help us to collectively describe and attain our programmes and activities.
“The image which has to be created and disseminated by NEPAD,” Dr Mayaki emphasises, “is that the NEPAD is an inclusive African initiative for the whole of Africa and not a closed club. The five founder member countries, as well as our Steering, or Orientation, Committee – comprising representatives from an additional 15 African countries (three countries per region)”.
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“The Committee,” he continues, “also has representation from regional development communities and regional development banks. This just re-emphasises and reiterates that NEPAD must not be seen as an exclusive initiative – but as an all-inclusive club, which was the aim promoted by the founder members when NEPAD was originally conceived. Our ideal,” Dr Mayaki stipulates, “is to expand to a membership-base of all 53 countries on our continent with the key dimension being broad ownership.
| Successes
“A great deal has been done in terms of delivery at the NEPAD secretariat level with regards to science and technology – we have built sufficient networks of research at an excellent level throughout Africa. In the Agriculture sector we have Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, Chief Executive Officer, who conceived the main African framework for the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) which has been adopted by the AU. As far as gender main-streaming is concerned, we have helped realise 300 projects in about 14 countries.”
network of e-schools which is an original experience throughout the continent – integration of e-learning in primary and secondary schools. We also have an actionplan for the environment and for each of the sectors we’ve mobilised resources for each of these products. Our partners have given us the resources to implement these.”
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The Youth
“We are an extremely young continent,” Dr Mayaki stipulates, “as more than half of our population are less than 18 years of age. With this in mind we are working for the youth – this makes sense when you realise it is the empowerment of a well-educated and gender-balanced young population that will effectively allow the continent’s development. You cannot govern a young population in the same way as you govern an old population,” he says, “and if you don’t integrate the necessities of this you will be in trouble politically.”
Primary Objectives
Eradicate poverty; place African countries, both individually and collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development; halt the marginalisation of Africa in the globalisation process and enhance its full and beneficial integration into the global economy; and accelerate the empowerment of women.
Principles
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Good governance as a basic requirement for peace, security and sustainable political and socio-economic development.
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African ownership and leadership, as well as broad and deep participation by all sectors of society.
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Anchoring the development of Africa on its resources and resourcefulness of its people.
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Partnership between and amongst African peoples.
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Acceleration of regional and continental integration.
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Building the competitiveness of African countries and the continent.
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Forging a new international partnership that changes the unequal relationship between Africa and the developed world.
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Ensuring that all Partnerships with NEPAD are linked to the Millennium Development Goals and other agreed development goals and targets.
Priorities
a. Establishing the Conditions for Sustainable Development by ensuring: peace and security; democracy and good, political, economic and corporate governance; regional co-operation and integration; and capacity building.
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b. Policy reforms and increased investment in: agriculture; human development with a focus on health, education, science and technology and skills development; building and improving infrastructure, including Information and Communication Technology, Energy, Transport, Water and Sanitation; promoting diversification of production and exports, particularly with respect to agro-industries, manufacturing, mining, mineral beneficiation and tourism; accelerating intra-African trade and improving access to markets of developed countries; and the environment.
| c. Mobilising Resources by: increasing domestic savings and investments; improving management of public revenue and expenditure; improving Africa’s share in global trade; attracting foreign direct investment; and increasing capital flows through further debt reduction and increase ODA flows.
Desired Outcomes
- Africa becomes more effective in conflict prevention and the establishment of enduring peace on the continent.
- Africa adopts and implements principles of democracy and good political economic and corporate governance, and the protection of human rights becomes further entrenched in every African country.
- Africa develops and implements effective poverty eradication programmes and accelerates the pace of achieving set African development goals, particularly human development.
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- Africa achieves increased levels of domestic savings, as well as investments, both domestic and foreign.
- Increased levels of ODA to the continent are achieved and its effective utilisation maximised.
- Africa achieves desired capacity for policy development, co-ordination and negotiation in the international arena, to ensure its beneficial engagement in the global economy, especially on trade and market access issues.
- Regional integration is further accelerated and higher levels of sustainable economic growth in Africa is achieved.
- Genuine partnerships are established between Africa and the developed countries based on mutual respect and accountability.