Canada and the G8: partners with Africa
At the 2002 G8 Summit in Kananaskis, G8 countries adopted the Africa Action Plan. This plan was the response of the G8 to the launch by African leaders of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD).
The objective of NEPAD is to achieve sustainable growth and eliminate poverty in Africa. The NEPAD approach is grounded in a simple concept: African countries have decided to strengthen collectively good governance of their countries in political and economic matters, in order to attract higher flows of private and public capital to Africa required to achieve sustained growth. This commitment is given credibility by the fact that Africans themselves have chosen to institute a peer review mechanism covering all aspects of the initiative.
Canada is committed to this partnership, as are the other G8 countries: a partnership between governments, but also between citizens. This partnership aims to end Africa's marginalization from the global economy.
However, the task will not be easy. It involves patience, perseverance and realistic expectations all around. It will take a long-term commitment of leadership and resources to undo decades of decline and crisis. This commitment resides with African governments to push forward NEPAD's political and economic reforms. The commitment also resides with donor governments and international institutions to provide the necessary support to fulfil the NEPAD objectives. The challenge in the months and years ahead is to strengthen the partnership and accelerate the progress made since the Kananaskis Summit. Canada is committed to doing just that.
Canada supports the NEPAD through its response contained in the commitments of the G8 Africa Action Plan in the areas of peace and security, governance, economic growth, debt relief, health, education, agriculture and water.
An additional vehicle for Canadian engagement in support of Africa and NEPAD exists in the Africa Partnership Forum launched at the Evian Summit in 2003. The Forum that emanated from the G-8 response to NEPAD, the Africa Action Plan, now joins G-8 and other OECD donor partners with representatives from Africa and key international organizations to take stock of progress achieved and identify and respond to future challenges in advancing the NEPAD agenda.
This year at Gleneagles, the G8 will once again focus on its partnership with Africa. Leaders will review progress on the Africa Action Plan based on a report by their Personal Representatives for Africa and consider further measures in support of the G8-Africa partnership. Forward - looking measures may also be informed by the recommendations of the Commission for Africa report.
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