African states call for greater effort to meet development goals

from Earthtimes

Algiers (Algeria), Nov 16 - African countries and their development partners have agreed to take urgent steps in terms of increased financial aid for debt settlement and more equitable global trade to help the continent meet the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.

A summit meeting of the Ninth Africa Partnership Forum (APF) here, which ended Nov 13, noted that international commitment to helping the continent, especially of the Group of Eight (G-8) developed countries, has been below expectations. The summit called for the necessary political will to deal with the challenges of poverty.

At the same time, the APF called on the countries of the continent 'to assume their responsibility' in creating by good governance and eliminating corruption an environment conducive to development.

The partners of the forum agreed on taking urgent steps to help the continent achieve the MDGs, which call for eradication of poverty and hunger, introduction of universal primary education, gender equality, reduction of child mortality and improvement of maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS and other diseases, as well as developing a Global Partnership for Development.

The APF called for increased public aid to development, stressing that such financing needed long-term commitments, and urged the international community to facilitate African countries' access to new grants and low interest loans to enable them avert the vicious circle of debt.

It said that corruption and embezzlement of funds at high level were the major obstacles in alleviating poverty and developing democracy in the region.

However, the participants added Africa was experiencing progress in the field of good governance in recent years.

APF was established in November 2003, and its mission is to strengthen partnership for Africa's development. Its members include the African Union Commission, eight African Union recognised regional economic communities, the European Union, the G8 Industrial nations and several other international institutions like UNDP, International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organisation.