Africa will need 18 billion US dollar (108 milliarder DKR) more aid by next year, African governments must intensify economic and social reform, and international partners need to honour their financial commitments to see progress in the region, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in a report released Friday.
For Africa to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), to halve poverty and reduce other socio-economic ills by 2015, Mr. Annan estimates that the region will need an additional 18 billion dollar in official development assistance (ODA) by 2006, almost double the actual ODA flow of 19 billion for a total of 37 billion dollar.
That amount is estimated to increase to 84 billion dollar or 65 million more than the 20 billion dollar estimated ODA flow, by the year 2015.
The report also calls on African nations and donors to do their part.
– African countries need to renew their commitment to economic and social reform through sound macroeconomic management as well as a focused emphasis,” Mr. Annan says in a report to the General Assembly on the progress of the New Partnership for Africas Development (NEPAD).
International donors who have promised their help must also make more effort, he says adding: – Making pledges of support is one thing, and delivering the pledged support in an effective and timely manner is quite another.
Delayed redemption (indfrielse/opfyldelse) can hinder the pace of implementation, distort priorities of partner countries and lead to loss of faith in international support, he adds.
“International support must yield results-based action that unleashes Africas economic and human potential,” he says and as such should make “quick financial outlays and in significant amounts” in the areas of “infrastructure, agriculture, health, education, water and sanitation.”
The Secretary-General also calls for international debt holders to broaden their debt-relief to cover all lower-income and middle-income African countries, and to provide short-term aid to make up for the trade loss (“Aid for Trade”) in Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status.
In addition to identifying areas of need, the report covers accomplishments in the region by governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and UN agencies.
One of the most important developments he says was an articulation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), which established regional economic communities and member countries as the primary implementers in agricultural policy.
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