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Africa: NGO Statement to Denver Summit
Africa: NGO Statement to Denver Summit
Date distributed (ymd): 970409
WOA Document
The following is the Executive Summary of a statement drafted
by the NGO Africa Trade Policy Working Group. The working
group is a coalition of Washington, DC-based non-governmental
organizations.
The working group has argued that trade initiatives must be
part of comprehensive social and economic development efforts
if they are to achieve broad-based, sustainable economic
growth. The group's statement identifies key elements of a
comprehensive policy. It is addressed to the leaders of the
industrialized nations who will be meeting in Denver,
Colorado, June 20-23.
The full statement is available on the World Wide Web at:
http://www.igc.org/apic/denver/denindex.htm
A text version may be obtained (in two parts) via e-mail.
Send the message "send denver" to apicdata@igc.org.
Please type it exactly as written, as that will facilitate a
reply.
Organizations are encouraged to endorse the full statement or
to issue parallel statements. If you are interested in
endorsing the statement or suggesting changes, please write to
Doug Tilton (tilton@igc.org). The
drafting committee will
consider suggested changes until April 30. The deadline for
endorsements is May 15, 1997.
For additional background on the G-7 summits, see the
extensive on-line guide, including links to other sites, at
the University of Toronto G7 Information Centre
(http://www.g7.utoronto.ca).
RECOGNIZING AFRICA'S SUCCESS, FACILITATING AFRICAN
INITIATIVE
Executive Summary
Africa is poised at the brink of a "second independence," a
wave of political, social, and economic change which may
enable her peoples to transform societies distorted for
generations by colonial conquest and superpower confrontation.
The United States and other industrialized countries must
discover ways of facilitating African efforts without imposing
their own agendas. In anticipation of the 1997 Economic Summit
in Denver, Colorado, we urge the participating leaders to be
guided by the following general principles in their
consideration of policies affecting African nations:
- Recognize responsibility, interdependence, and shared
interests
Assistance should not be seen as "charity." The legacies of
colonialism and the Cold War have given unique dimensions to
the social and developmental challenges which African
countries face. Former colonial and Cold War powers must
acknowledge a moral obligation to assist Africans in
overcoming these obstacles. At the same time, we must
recognize that in an increasingly interconnected world, a
peaceful and prosperous Africa is in the best interests of all
nations.
- Support African initiatives
Africans are involved in an impressive range of initiatives,
often at the community level, to tackle local social and
economic problems. The primary objective of industrialized
nations should be to support and facilitate African
initiatives; enhance local institutional capacity for policy
research, analysis, and design; strengthen local control and
transparency of program implementation and management; and
encourage the emergence of regional networks.
- Give priority to economically poor majorities
The vast majority of Africans have limited economic resources.
Policies and program should be explicitly designed to promote
broad-based economic growth and address the needs of the
poorest and most marginalized sectors of African societies.
They should focus on creating opportunities for people,
individually and collectively, to utilize their non-financial
resources to achieve economic advancement.
Sustainability must become a central criterion for the
assessment of all economic and social policy, not just in
Africa but around the world. Sustainable human development
improves living standards for all people on a stable and
equitable basis while protecting the environment and resource
base for future generations.
Africa policy development within industrialized nations should
be serious, systematic, and informed by African perspectives
from a broad cross-section of social and economic sectors.
Policy makers should emphasize coordination, not only within
their respective governments, but also among governments both
G-7 and African and between governments and multilateral
institutions in order to promote strategic and effective
deployment of resources.
- Adopt a holistic approach
Africa policy should be holistic and integrated, maximizing
the complementarity of programs and minimizing the risk that
initiatives in one realm will be thwarted by actions (or
inaction) in another. Comprehensive policy must blend a range
of instruments including aid, trade, investment, and debt
reduction. In addition, it must recognize the need for
interaction among economic, political, and social initiatives,
and carefully assess the differential impact of such
initiatives across lines of gender, ethnicity, class, location
(urban/rural), productive sector, etc.
Officials of industrialized nations must reexamine their own
assumptions about Africa and must also challenge their
citizens to do so through extensive public education. Africa
policy should be designed to highlight the continent's
diversity, combat stereotypes, and promote creative and varied
interaction between the peoples of Africa and other
continents.
In addition, we offer specific recommendations to G-7 leaders
and US officials in particular with respect to debt,
development aid, food security, trade and investment, and
conflict resolution. These include:
Policy Development
Acknowledge and strengthen emerging regional networks within
Africa and build their policy research, design, and analysis
and management capacities around permanent and accountable
local institutions and personnel.
Debt
Recognize the HIPC Initiative as a valuable step forward and
enhance its relevance and effectiveness, in particular by
increasing the resources available for debt reduction and
accelerating the implementation schedule. The Initiative's
impact on Uganda, the first beneficiary nation in Africa, has
been disappointing, due to the small amount of funding being
spread over a period of three years.
Development Aid
Reaffirm the continuing need for development assistance that
is focused on poverty reduction, supports efficient and
sustainable programs, enhances local and popular control over
development agendas, and promotes gender equity.
Agriculture and Food Security
Support research and investment to enhance Africa's
agricultural capacity while continuing to provide aid to meet
food security goals. Fulfill commitment to implement fully
the Marrakesh Decision to protect food security in nations
adversely affected by the Uruguay Round amendments to GATT.
Trade and Investment
Introduce new mechanisms to promote trade with and investment
in African nations in ways that are explicitly designed to
reduce poverty, provide benefits and opportunities to the most
economically marginalized groups, build reciprocal
relationships, and promote regional networks.
Conflict Resolution
Expand dialogue with African nations to identify the most
appropriate ways for industrialized nations to facilitate
African peacekeeping initiatives; endorse a comprehensive
global ban on anti-personnel landmines and a Code of Conduct
for arms sales.
Drafting Committee: Ray Almeida, Bread for the World * Maura
Browne, Africa Faith and Justice Network * Carol Capps, Church
World Service/Lutheran World Relief * Marc Cohen, Bread for
the World Institute * Jo Marie Greisgraber, Center of Concern
* Mark Harrison, United Methodist Church, General Board of
Church & Society * Elena McCollim, Center of Concern * Terence
Miller, Maryknoll Justice and Peace Office * Aliyah Nuri,
InterAction * Gmakhan Sherman, Church World Service/Lutheran
World Relief * Douglas Tilton, Washington Office on Africa.
This material is produced and distributed by the Washington
Office on Africa (WOA), a not-for-profit church, trade union
and civil rights group supported organization that works with
Congress on Africa-related legislation. WOA's educational
affiliate is the Africa Policy Information Center (APIC).
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