1. Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Africa Regional cooperation in accelerating progress towards the MDGs Abdoulie Janneh, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa

2. Context Ten years since the adoption of Millennium Declaration, progress towards MDGs in Africa has been mixed across countries. There is unequivocal progress on practically all MDGs. A number of targets will not be met, as the rate of progress is slower than required. Africa is on track to achieve some of the targets especially in areas of education and gender.

3. Progress at a glance, contd There is concern about slow rate of progress in health-related MDGs in particular maternal and child mortality. The high level political commitment in Africa towards achieving the MDGs has not been eroded by recent economic and financial crises. This political commitment has had institutional and goal-specific interventions at regional, sub-regional and national levels to keep momentum towards achieving the MDGs.

4. Goal-by-goal situation MDG 1: Most difficult MDG and vulnerable to economic volatility MDG 2: Africa is making the most progress in this MDG MDG 3: Progress continues to be made with regard to the empowerment of women MDG 4, 5&6: The health MDGs continue to be a source of concern; improving maternal health remains a key challenge; there has been appreciable progress in combating HIV, TB & other diseases but malaria remains a challenge MDG 7: There is progressin 2008, 9 African countries reached over 90% coverage for access to safe drinking water.

5. MDG8: Partnership for Development strong, but many commitments remain unfulfilled International cooperation and global partnership are crucial for achieving the MDGs. The partnership remains strong. Net official development assistance (ODA) to Africa rose in 2008 despite the global financial and economic crisis. However, this fell far below the commitment of 0.7% of GNI of OECD countries.

6. Success factors Three broad set of factors: –Strong political support in many countries –Policy innovations have played a role: goal-specific and broad-based institutional innovations. –Commitment of regional and subregional institutions and African Development Partners to the MDGs remains strong

7. Regional initiatives Pan-African institutions and the UN family are committed to support achievement of MDGs. The 2010 MDG report is a joint effort of the UNECA, AUC, AfDB, and UNDP –-denoting the strong collaboration among institutions in their commitment to accompany Africa on its development journey. The African Common Position on the MDGs contains set of recommendations that will bolster the achievement of MDGs by 2015.

8. Regional initiatives, contd At the AU Heads of State meeting held in Kampala, the AU Commission launched a reinvigorated focused programme on maternal and child mortality acknowledging slow progress so far. –A theme that was also a focus of the Muskoka G-8 Summit which should provide additional impetus for efforts in this regard. ECA and UNDP are at the forefront of the Action plan of MDG Africa Steering Group and in its implementation in the Africa Regional Working Group.

9. Sub-regional initiatives ECA supports the African Union (AU) and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) on the implementation of regional and subregional programmes in support of the MDGs –agricultural value chains to transform agricultural production and contribute to improved food security –Knowledge sharing to implement the MDGs ECA supports MDG-related efforts of the RECs through its Multi-year programmes with the 8 RECs: –ECOWAS, SADC, EAC, ECCAS, COMESA, AMU, IGAD and SENSAD

10. Some national initiatives Virtual Poverty Fund –Uganda and Nigeria introduced Virtual Poverty Fund to utilize debt relief for MDG specific expenditure on combating poverty and hunger. Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty –Ghana Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty provided fertilizer subsidies, school feeding and nutritional supplements. Gender budgeting initiatives –Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda are undergoing gender budgeting initiatives at national and sector levels in efforts to achieve gender empowerment. Implementation of Outcome Document 2005 –Over 40 African countries implemented the Outcome Document 2005 recommendation on MDGs-based improving coordination between line Ministries and budget formulation. MDGs-consistent national development planning –Uganda launched its 5-year national development plan which is fully MDGs-consistent

11. Some national initiatives, contd Social protection –Senegals national social protection strategy extended health insurance to 50% of rural populations. Safety Net Programme –Sierra Leones Safety Net Programme insures against natural disasters thereby mitigating possible negative effects of climate change. Productive safety net and BRIGHT programmes –Ethiopias productive safety net targets food insecure households and links this to the extension of time children spend in school in a synergic fashion. –Burkina Fasos BRIGHT programme provides daily meals and take home rations to reduce time on household chores thus integrating nutrition to gender education targets.

12. Risks still remain Despite notable progress and good practices, risks remain Unstable global economic environment Inequality and inequity Global partnership, short of promise Resource mobilization Climate change

13. Towards an agenda for Action –Maintain sound and stable macroeconomic policies; –Improve national capacity to monitor and report on the MDGs. –Strengthen MDG-based planning at all levels (tiers) of government; –Scale up public sector investments to achieve the MDGs; –Promote active private sector, CSO and NGO involvement in efforts to achieve the MDGs; –Harness the potential of regional integration, including South-South regional integration. –Conclude Doha Round of Trade Negotiations

14. Role of ECA Partnering with AUC, AfDB and UNDP to monitor the MDGs and provide and assist member states Strengthening analytical work to support MDG policy making in Africa and vigorous reporting on each of the MDGs Deepening collaboration with African institutions – AUC, AfDB, RECs, AERC and other stakeholders to advance the MDG agenda Working with the NEPAD agency to implement the AU/NEPAD Capacity Development Strategic Framework within South-South Cooperation Advocating and supporting recommendations of the SGs MDG Africa Steering Group

15. Role of ECA, contd Enhancing capacity for sound macroeconomic and sectoral policies to promote high level growth, employment, poverty reduction and achievement of the MDGs Strengthening statistical capacity in member states through the African Centre of Statistics Advocating economic policy options for employment creation Establish a knowledge management platform for information sharing and peer learning Advocating the production of gender disaggregate data and gender budgeting

16. Conclusion Africa is unequivocally making progress on all the targets of the MDG Rate of progress is however mixed – rapid in some slow in others but all pointing in the same direction; With commitment, all the targets are within reach Challenge is not to relent in the efforts or panic in the face of ephemeral adverse shocks but to harness all the resources and all the talents of the continent to achieve the goals

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