Peace and development
Building durable peace in Africa requires both good governance and sustainable development, the Secretary-General emphasizes, devoting a section of his report to the broader political, economic and social conditions needed to prevent a recurrence of conflict.
Respect for human rights and the rule of law are vital components of any effort to make peace durable, and are also cornerstones of good governance, Mr. Annan says. He calls on all African countries to ratify the UN and African instruments on human rights and, as a priority, embody them in national law. Laws must be fairly and impartially enforced, he says, for if laws are applied only selectively or are particularly harsh toward certain groups, "it creates resentment and fosters the environment for a violent response." African government must "make the fight against corruption a genuine priority."
While a majority of African countries have held multiparty elections in recent years, much more needs to be done to ensure that individuals feel protected, civil society is able to flourish and governments carry out their responsibilities effectively and transparently. "Democratization gives people a stake in society," Mr. Annan argues. "Its importance cannot be overstated, for unless people feel that they have a true stake in society lasting peace will not be possible and sustainable development will not be achieved."
Development is a human right, the Secretary-General affirms, and is central to the prospects for reducing conflict in Africa. Governments should review their priorities to focus on basic human needs and place a primary emphasis on reducing poverty. Investment in human development is crucial, especially to ensure basic education and public health priorities. In addition, Mr. Annan adds, "attention to social justice is vital if development and economic growth are to produce positive results and if society is to develop in a balanced way." In this direction, the institutional barriers that prevent women's exercise of equal rights must be identified and removed through comprehensive policy reform.
African governments that have not completed "the first generation of economic reforms" must implement them without delay, the Secretary-General urges. He suggests that they convene national conventions to explain the need for and ramifications of structural adjustment and to consider any modifications that may be warranted.
Photo credit: UNDP Sustainable livelihoods: Development is a human right, and is central to the prospects for reducing conflict in Africa.
At a time of dramatic cuts in development assistance to Africa in recent years, new sources of funding are required from the international community. To make aid more effective, and to better meet Africa's sustainable development priorities, it also should be restructured to focus on high-impact areas (rural water supply, basic education, primary health care) and reduce dependency. Noting that 90 per cent of the $12 bn spent each year on technical assistance is still spent on foreign expertise, Mr. Annan urges donors to strive to ensure that at least 50 per cent of their aid to Africa is actually spent in the continent.
Africa's debt burden remains unsustainable, the Secretary-General declares, noting that actual debt repayments consumed more than 17 per cent of the continent's export earnings in 1995 while arrears mounted. Despite the urgency of Africa's debt crisis, international debt-reduction initiatives have been "disappointing," he affirms. Among other measures, he recommends that the scope of the Highly-Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund be greatly expanded, since only four African countries currently meet its requirements.
Long-term sustainable growth in Africa also will depend on the continent's capacity to diversify exports and achieve export-led growth in manufactures, alongside the production of primary commodities. Unfortunately, the practice of "tariff escalation," whereby tariffs increase in proportion to the degree of processing of African exports, serves to discourage and penalize African efforts to develop. Mr. Annan recommends that the next meeting of the Group of 8 industrialized countries take up the question of eliminating trade barriers to African products.
Above all, for peace and development in Africa to gain new momentum, sufficient political will is required from both Africa and the international community, the Secretary-General says. Africa must demonstrate the will to reply upon political rather than military responses to problems, take good governance seriously, and enact and adhere to reforms needed to promote economic growth. The international community must summon the political will to "intervene where it can have an impact, and invest where resources are needed." He calls upon the Security Council to meet every two years at ministerial level to assess efforts undertaken and actions needed to support peace and development in Africa, and to consider, within five years, the convening of a summit-level session of the Security Council for the same purpose.
Kofi Annan
http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/sgreport/
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