Commission for Africa: briefing by Department

Meeting report

FOREIGN AFFAIRS PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
16 February 2005
COMMISSION FOR AFRICA: BRIEFING BY DEPARTMENT

Chairperson Mr D Sithole

Documents handed out:
Action for strong and prosperous Africa: Commission for Africa Consultation Document November 2004
Media release: African Voices – Second meeting of the Commission for Africa 7-8 October 2004
Summary Note: African Voices - 2nd Meeting of the Commission For Africa, 7-8 October 2004, Addis Ababa.

Commission for Africa website

SUMMARY
The Committee was briefed about the operations of the Commission for Africa. The Commission for Africa was established to consider the evidence on Africa, and to make recommendations on the further action needed to ensure that Africa shares in the benefits of globalisation, and meets the Millennium Development Goals. It is an independent body with seventeen commissioners, nine of whom are Africans. Focusing international commitment on Africa is a key priority for the Commission for Africa and developing comprehensive, coherent practical proposals for action by the international community. The Commission’s work also builds on the G8 Africa Action Plan agreed to in response to Nepad. The Commission would work with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as well. The Department briefing highlighted challenges facing the African Union and Nepad, such as peace and security, access to trade and debt relief for African countries. The positive developments included the elimination of conflict in Africa through African Initiatives with the exception of the war in Sudan. The steady growth of African economies and the setting up of the Africa Partnership Fund was also an achievement.

The Committee’s response included enquiries about the selling of gold reserves to pay off the debt and the impact of the United Kingdom’s joint chairing of the G8 and the European Union.

MINUTES
Mr Abdul Minty, Department Deputy Director-General, noted the favourable role that Britain had been playing in favour of African development. The United Kingdom had begun to lobby for the inclusion of Africa in the development agenda of the European Union and the G8. The DD-G said the goals embodied by Nepad were similar to the Millennium Development Goals and Africa Action Plan. President Thabo Mbeki, President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo, and President Bouteflika of Algeria, spearheaded the programme which had been handed over to the G8. African leaders had then formulated an interaction mechanism with the G8 known as the Africa Partnership Forum. The Forum also included the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. During the Washington Summit, the G8 had objected to committing itself to some resolutions such as peace, security and agriculture. For an example, EU and US did not want to reduce subsidies to their farmers. The subsidies made it difficult for African farmers to sell their produce in European markets. After lengthy discussions the Forum agreed to follow up the issue of agriculture and development for Africa. Very little comment was made on debt relief and market access. Furthermore, a finance facility would be set up known as the Africa Partnership Fund.

Studies had shown that Africa would not reach its developmental goals by 2015. EU countries were required to fulfil a 0.7% target of their Gross Domestic Product as aid to Africa. Only Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway had managed to fulfil their respective targets. Germany would only be able to meet its target in the year 2087, The Commission had then identified a need to generate aid funds for health, education and commerce. Furthermore debt relief should be linked to poverty relief programmes. Challenges facing the African Union included, the weakness of regional trading blocks. National budgets were not linked to regional development programmes. The Forum had decided that, for development programmes to take off, three to four countries had to co-ordinate development and lead the process at a regional level. That would eliminate the problem of a haphazard approach to development.

There was a need for an independent mechanism of monitoring and evaluating programmes, so as to measure the impact of developmental projects. G8 countries had to move away from favouritism, to more equitable coordinated funding among the needy countries. Other challenges included early warning systems, for disasters such as floods, drought and post-conflict intervention. There was a need for co-ordinated information communication technology, such as the undersea cable systems, which connected East African country telephone systems. There was a need for integrated infrastructure development. The question of mandate posed another challenge, for example, when Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries identified a problem. Currently the AU first had to seek a mandate from the United Nations Security Council, then go around to donor countries and seek aid to address the escalating problems, Indonesia had volunteered to sponsor meetings between Asian and African countries so that they could learn from each other’s experiences. The Commission would have to look at challenges and failures of developmental projects.

Discussion
Dr B Turok (ANC), said that he had been invited to Abuja for the launch of the Nelson Mandela Institute. There had been a gathering of African intellectuals, ICT professionals from India, and African Americans who were enthusiastic about African regeneration. They pledged their research skills and their university faculties to support research initiatives of the AU. The Indian ICT Institute, which was the biggest in the world, had promised to build similar institutions in West Africa and Tanzania. He emphasised the need to build relationships with other African parliamentarians.

Mr O Bapela (ANC) raised a concern about the declining aid to Africa. He also commented that there were countries that received more aid than the revenue they could generate. He asked about the feasibility of selling off gold reserves to finance debt.

Mr Minty replied that selling gold reserves would affect gold-producing weaker economies such as Ghana. Consultation among gold-producing countries was of paramount importance.

Mr Minty commented that the AU would also involve Aid agencies such as Oxfam in integrating African development plans in all EU countries. He suggested the utilisation of connections forged during the anti-apartheid struggle with civil society in furthering developmental goals. Africa could only trade equitably when North countries dropped subsidies to their farmers.

Ms Hajaji (ANC) asked what the impact of Britain’s chairing of the EU and the G8 would be on African development.

Mr Minty replied that the G8 had doubts about the capacity of African countries to handle massive aid donations. Some countries such as Germany had pointed to poverty in East Germany where they faced their own developmental challenges. Britain had become the champion of the African cause.

Meeting adjourned.