KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY

H.E. MR ERASTUS MWENCHA
DEPUTY CHAIRPERSON, AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION

AT THE THIRD MEETING OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA: 25 JULY, 2013
Your Excellency, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Finance for the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Your Excellency, Dr Armida Alisjahbana, State Minister for National Development Planning / Head of BAPPENAS in the Second United Indonesia Cabinet of the Republic of Indonesia

Your Excellency, Mrs. Justine Greening, Secretary of State for International Development of the United Kingdom (UK)

Distinguished delegates; Ladies and Gentlemen;

It is an honor for me to welcome you all to the 3rd Meeting of the Steering Committee of the Global Partnership. Your presence here today reflects commitment to the process and the important agenda towards an inclusive and representative Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation.

At the outset, let me express my gratitude to the co-chairs for their leadership, and the members of the Steering Committee for your diligence and commitment.
I would also like to appreciate the members of the Support Team, the African Union Commission (AUC) Inter-departmental Task Team, the contribution of our partners, UNDP and OECD for their dedication, support and contributions in ensuring this meeting is a success.
Excellences, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen;

The High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness held in Busan, South Korea in 2011 marked a significant step forward for international development co-operation. Following a decade of rising aid volumes and a series of international agreements to improve the aid effectiveness, the “Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation” came-up with an agenda based on common goals and shared principles. In the Busan outcome document, the imperative of transiting from Aid - to Development Effectiveness has been reinforced. The frontiers of development regarding the new opportunities and orientations were re-defined, driven by emerging economies from the South.

At the same time, Africa itself is breaking new ground and the Continent is transforming. Over the last five (5) decades, African Governments have accelerated reforms and created an enabling environment leading to unprecedented high growth rates. We have witnessed significant progress in governance policies which have resulted in sound macro-economic performance despite current global, financial and economic crisis. Democratic, just, accountable and sovereign governance is pivotal to the attainment of Africa’s development effectiveness agenda.

Africa is taking charge of its own development agenda. Looking forward to the next 50 years, efforts are being marshaled to upscale Africa’s development through African solutions and leadership thereby allowing for ownership of the continent’s destiny. In this regards, African Union is elaborating its 2063 development agenda based on the core achievements of the past, pragmatic assessment of the challenges still facing the continent and renewed acknowledgement of the vital importance of Pan African solidarity towards the achievement of a brighter future for all the peoples of the continent. The New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) as a flagship programme of the AU is Africa’s blue print for socio-political and economic transformation. The NEPAD agenda is guided by fundamental principles of ownership and leadership, enabled by the effective use of Africa’s own human, institutional, financial and material resources. These principles have guided the continent’s engagement with the international community particularly in the reform of aid systems.

On the other hand, the international community accelerates it efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 and is deliberating on the Post-2015 framework for development. The Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation is an opportunity to boost all these efforts going on in Africa as well as in the international arena to support Africa’s development.

Excellences, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen;

At the centre of Africa’s economic transformation is the need for a fine balance between a capable private sector, an empowered citizenry and effective institutions driven by collaborative leadership. The Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation should be the forum for advice, learning and experience sharing to support the implementation of Africa’s development agenda based on the development-effectiveness principles, ownership, results focus, transparency and accountability. Further, Africa has matured in placing its priorities in the global arena through the AUC and NEPAD Agency coordinated Africa Platform for Development Effectiveness (APDev). APDev was key in mobilizing African voices in the lead-up to the 4th High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea, and remains the officially, mandated regional Platform for the monitoring and evaluation of Post-Busan commitments.

The Global partnership should continue to support the use of APDev, which is an African-owned and led innovation set-up in 2011 to promote experience sharing and mutual learning among stakeholder in Africa on best practices towards the ultimate objective of better development result. The African Union welcomes efforts of a Global Partnership that takes into account the full participation of, and alignment with national and regional structures. Africa regrettably continues to face the challenge of interfacing and representing its interest at the Steering Committee in its current format. There is an urgent need to create an enabling environment to allow for the region’s meaningful participation. This will ensure adequate voice and representation in order for the Global Partnership to add enhanced value to the continent.

Excellences, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen;

Africa’s meaningful participation is not limited to adequate participation in the governance structures of the Global Partnership, but it is equally important that the Busan Commitments are supportive of the continent’s socio-economic transformation priorities. Among these priorities is sustainable development financing with a key role for domestic private sector. The commitment to the “beyond aid” approach will ensure that Africa’s sustainable development within the global context is driven through domestic financial, institutional and technical resources. This is echoed in the historic 2011 African Consensus and Position on Development Effectiveness which takes forward the AU’s “Beyond Aid” agenda.

Given Africa’s emerging status as a growth pole, channeling more aid resources to support country and regional Domestic Resource Mobilization (DRM) efforts is paramount. This implies the urgent need for aid to serve as a catalyst to advance financial and fiscal policy reforms. This will form the foundation for a socio-economic environment with a specific focus on capable institutions for DRM. The investment in the requisite capacities forms the bedrock for long-term sustainable development driven by Africa’s internal resources. The Post-Busan legacy will be measured not by what the world has done for Busan but the extent to which the Busan commitments have supported the national and regional priorities and process towards reaching their development goals. This means a partnership framework that will respect Africa’s own established systems and assets at national and regional levels. The Global Partnership interface with Africa should align and be supportive of Heads of State and Government mandated leadership through the African Union.

To re-iterate Africa’s continued commitment to the Global Partnership is closely linked to the space that is afforded to country and regional blocks at the table, and in the interest of Africa’s optimal continued participation. Collectively, we cannot shy away from explicitly addressing the current globally entrenched imbalances, which serve to continually marginalize Africa. This is at the core of both the African Union vision and the Global Partnership agenda. I therefore urge you to give effect to these commitments made by different institutions.

Excellences, Distinguished delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen;

The core message is that there is a need to address the unfinished aid agenda; develop the necessary structures and incorporate the regional dimension into development assistance. It is of overriding importance that development partners align their support to Africa-owned and defined priorities and agenda.

With these few remarks, I wish you a fruitful meeting and look forward to tangible results and good progress in translating the vision of the Global Partnership into reality. The foundation for this will be the readiness of all parties concerned to forge a more inclusive, representative, equitable, adequate, sustainable and value-adding partnership. Only then will the promise of Busan yield effective development results.

I thank you.