Sustainable Development Goals in Sync with Africa's Priorities

December 2015 www.un.org/africarenewal

ccccc Sustainable Development Goals in sync with Africa’s priorities

Support for deal on climate change

Nelson Mandela Prize winners CONTENTS December 2015 | Vol. 29 No. 3 3 SPECIAL FEATURE COVER STORY Sustainable Development Goals are in sync with Africa’s priorities

6 Amina Mohammed: “I foresee a world without poverty” A rally to promote the SDGs in Batare, Rwanda.

8 What are Sustainable Development Goals? United Nations Development Programme 9 Carlos Lopes: Financing Africa’s development agenda 10 Maged Abdelaziz: Africa’s Agenda 2063 in harmony with SDGs 11 Ibrahim Mayaki: Mobilizing funds for regional infrastructure

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Editor-in-Chief Masimba Tafirenyika 12 Nelson Mandela Prize winners feted 13 Women, peace & security Managing Editor Zipporah Musau 14 Ethiopia: Fixing agriculture 16 Towards a unified African market Staff Writers 18 African leaders pledge to fight for a deal on climate change Kingsley Ighobor Franck Kuwonu 20 MDGs: An assessment of Africa’s progress 22 A review of the Millennium Development Goals Research & Media Liaison Pavithra Rao

DEPARTMENTS Design & Production Paddy D. Ilos, II 29 Wired 30 Books Administration Dona Joseph 31 Appointments Distribution Atar Markman Cover photo: A row of wind turbines at a facility in Morocco. Panos/Markel Redondo Page 8 photo: School children attending parade in South Africa. World Bank/Trevor Samson Interns Eleni Mourdoukoutas Africa Renewal is published in English and French organizations. Articles from this magazine may be Sara Canals by the Strategic Communications Division of the freely reprinted, with attribution to the author and United Nations Department of Public Information. to “United Nations Africa Renewal,” and a copy Its contents do not necessarily reflect the views of of the reproduced article would be appreciated. Africa Renewal is published by the United the United Nations or the publication’s supporting Copyrighted photos may not be reproduced. Nations, New York, on recycled paper.

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2 AfricaRenewal December 2015 In a historic event, more than 150 world leaders gathered at the UN in New York on 25 September to adopt a new and ambitious development blueprint known as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This momentous agenda will serve as the launch pad for global action to promote shared prosperity and well-being for all over the next 15 years.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

World leaders listen to an address by Pope Francis on 25 September before adopting the SDGs at the United Nations headquarters, New York. UN/Cia Pak Sustainable Development Goals are in sync with Africa’s priorities

Newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals could transform the continent

BY KINGSLEY IGHOBOR

n 26 September, a day after Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama and UN including US President Barack Obama and world leaders adopted the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Other British Prime Minister David Cameron, new development agenda guests included Nobel Peace Prize Lau- addressed the crowd via video links. known as the 2030 Agenda reate Malala Yousafzai, British billion- Given that the UN had just agreed on Ofor Sustainable Development, prominent aire businessman Richard Branson and the SDGs’ adoption, the festival became as personalities in world politics, social Grammy-Award winning singer Beyoncé much a victory lap as it was a rallying cry activism, business and entertainment Knowles. for individuals, organizations and coun- gathered in New York’s Central Park for Over 60,000 people witnessed the tries to redouble their efforts to make the an annual event organized by the non-gov- event whose aim was to raise awareness world a better place. ernmental organization, Global Citizens. on the issues of gender equality, the envi- “Take your passion and compassion Among the distinguished person- ronment, poverty, peace and justice. Top — and let’s make the global goals a global alities were US Vice President Joseph leaders who could not make it to the event, reality,” said Mr. Ban, in an impassioned

AfricaRenewal December 2015 3 speech at the event. The head of the UN Angela Merkel of Germany put it force- where everyone lives a good life, where was referring to the 17 SDGs and 169 tar- fully: “We want to change our world, and people go to bed with stomachs filled with gets designed to guide the world’s develop- we can.” nutritious food, where the gulf between ment agenda over the next 15 years. These The address by Pope Francis, head developed and developing countries is goals, he said, are “a promise from your of the Catholic Church, to the UN Gen- narrowed, where women and men get leaders. Hold them to it. Demand that eral Assembly was particularly poignant. equal opportunities, where modern infra- they deliver.” Speaking to heads of state and other dig- structure is accessible to rural dwellers Ms. Obama, Ms. Yousafzai and Amina nitaries, he warned: “A selfish and bound- and where climate change no longer Mohammed, former UN special adviser on less thirst for power and material prosper- threatens human existence. A utopian Post-2015 Development Planning, under- ity leads both to the misuse of available dream? scored the message of Mr. Ban, with the natural resources and to the exclusion of Yet could this dream become reality? US first lady putting emphasis on the the weak and the disadvantaged.” Why not, proponents of the SDGs respond. need for education for girls. True to form, But beyond the pomp lay the sub- After all, the Millennium Development Beyoncé spiced up the event, viewed on stance: that the SDGs aim to end poverty, Goals (MDGs), regarded as largely suc- satellite television and the Internet by hunger and inequality, tackle climate cessful, inspired less confidence in their millions worldwide, with a performance change, and build resilient infrastruc- ultimate achievement than the SDGs have that was both entertaining and instruc- tures — all to be achieved between now received. Mr. Ban described the MDGs as tive on the SDGs. and 2030. In particular, efforts will be the “most successful anti-poverty move- deployed to reduce maternal mortality ment in history.” And Ms. Mohammed, in The pomp and the substance to below 70 per 100,000 live births, end an interview with Africa Renewal, defined Some 193 member states, most repre- HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and the 17 goals as “a response to the crises we sented by their heads of state, ratified other tropical diseases; ensure quality have in the world today” (see interview on the SDGs on 25 September at the start of education and gender equality; achieve pages 6-7). a three-day UN summit on sustainable universal access to safe drinking water The logic is if the MDGs were good for development in New York. The 39-storey and energy; address climate change; and the world, the SDGs will be even better. UN headquarters building was bathed in achieve at least a 7% global economic For example, because of the MDGs, the 17 different colours, each colour repre- growth, among other major goals. number of people worldwide living in senting a goal, turning the iconic building extreme poverty (less than $1.25 a day) into a dazzling spectacle. MDGs’ uneven benefits fell from 47% in 1990 to 14% in 2015, while Speaking at the summit, the world Meeting the 169 targets would transform deaths of children worldwide fell to 6.6 leaders pledged to work hard to achieve the world, some development experts say. million from 12.6 million during the same the goals and their targets. Chancellor It would lead to a world without wars, period, notes the World Bank. But positive reviews of the MDGs may not reflect current socioeconomic situ- ations for all developing countries, particularly in Africa. An MDGs assessment report on Africa released in September by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the African Union (AU) indicates mixed results. While there has been progress in areas such as women’s political representation, maternal mortality, and secondary school enrolment, Africa could not meet all the targets, including that on poverty, blamed on poor implementation and a drip-feed of funds. The reduction by more than half of the number of people living in extreme poverty, touted by MDGs proponents, was not universal, some critics say. Impressive economic growth in Brazil, China and

The iconic UN headquarters building bathed in SDGs colours. UN Photo/Cia Pak

4 AfricaRenewal December 2015 Vietnam influenced that data. But the 2063 — a set of seven ‘aspirations’ that growth of these economies is currently resemble the SDGs. These aspirations are slowing down, according to the Interna- not a planning document, explains Mr. tional Monetary Fund, making it doubtful Lopes. Rather, they envision “the Africa that their contribution to global poverty you would like to have 100 years after reduction in the next 15 years will be at the founding of the OAU [Organization of the level witnessed in the past 15. African Unity],” the continental body that morphed into the AU in 2002. Last March, Dealing with realities African leaders approved the aspirations’ In addition, Africa’s economy, which has first 10-year implementation plan. been growing at approximately 5% over The link between the SDGs and Agenda the last decade, will slow to around 4.2% 2063 is clear from the first aspiration: in 2015, according to the World Bank. “We want a prosperous Africa based on Even if growth ticks up to around 5%, and inclusive growth and sustainable devel- China’s economy grows faster, between opment,” specifically an annual growth 6% and 7% of the global population will rate of at least 7% (the same as the SDG still be living in extreme poverty, says target), healthy and nourished citizens, Jim Yong Kim, the president of the World and a three-fold increase in food and agri- Bank. Currently, of the over a billion culture. Under aspiration 6, Africa hopes people living in extreme poverty, 415 mil- to achieve development, “relying particu- lion are in Africa. larly on the potential of women and youth.” Worse, with falling oil and commod- The alignment between Agenda 2063 ity prices, oil export countries such as and the SDGs is clear, experts say. But Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy, and could Agenda 2063 interfere with the Angola, among others, will most certainly SDGs’ implementation? Not at all, says face new economic headwinds that could Mr. Lopes, who envisages a convergence complicate the poverty fight, says Kaushik of both agendas. “Africa will have their Basu, the World Bank’s chief economist. The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks own agenda and then dialogue with the This means that achieving the SDGs tar- at the Global Citizen Festival in New York’s universal agenda,” he says, adding that gets in Africa will require extraordinary Central Park, a day after the SDGs were adopt- African countries creating development efforts. ed. UN Photo/Mark Garten plans on the basis of Agenda 2063 may But statistics from Africa do not tell decide to infuse SDG-related activities in the whole story, counsels Carlos Lopes, those plans. the ECA’s executive secretary, in an inter- of $1.6 billion in economic growth, reck- Considering that many African coun- view with Africa Renewal. “Sometimes ons the World Bank. UNDP added that tries will depend on donor funds to imple- comparisons are not appropriate, method- the West African region as a whole may ment the SDGs, there may be little wiggle ologically speaking. You can’t compare a suffer Ebola-related losses of $3.6 billion room regarding which resources are allo- marathoner with a speed runner by saying per year between 2014 and 2017, due to cated to what sectors. Mr. Lopes hopes that both have the same finish line,” says a decrease in foreign direct investment, Africa will not rely too heavily on donor Mr. Lopes. Countries with better socio- border closures and flight cancellations. funds. “Countries must generate internal economic positions will achieve targets Since the beginning of 2015, there revenue. No countries have developed faster than the others, he says. The real have been 214 million new malaria cases without internal revenue,” he observes, success of the MDGs was that they “helped in Africa and 438,000 deaths. “Fifteen with the caveat that donor money be focus the efforts of [African] governments countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, used only to stimulate domestic resource and development partners on pressing accounted for 80% of malaria cases and mobilization. issues in human development,” according 78% of deaths globally in 2015,” says Ms. Mohammed, the UN special adviser, to the assessment report issued by the the World Health Organization (WHO). hopes that the SDGs, just like the MDGs, AfDB, AU, ECA and UNDP. Eradicating malaria and other tropical will galvanize the continent into taking The SDGs include a heavy dose of diseases would be huge for Africa. action to achieve set goals. Specific indica- pro-poor, pro-women, pro-equality, pro- tors for the SDGs will be released in March development targets, which will chal- SDGs vs. Agenda 2063 2016, she says, which will help to measure lenge Africa, where HIV/AIDS, malaria, Ending hunger and increasing invest- the progress that each country makes to tuberculosis and other tropical diseases ments in rural infrastructure are also achieve set targets. have set back wealth accumulation and priorities for Africa, as are economic Given that most of the SDGs and their development. The Ebola epidemic, which growth, access to energy and water and targets align with Africa’s priorities, the hit Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone from investments in agriculture. In 2013 Afri- continent may well be on the brink of a early 2014, will cost those countries a total can leaders adopted their own Agenda transformation.

AfricaRenewal December 2015 5 INTERVIEW ‘I foresee a world without poverty’ — Amina Mohammed

mina Mohammed is the United Nations secretary-general’s former special A adviser on post-2015 development planning. She was heavily involved in planning the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a new development agenda to be implemented over the next 15 years, and in getting UN member states, the private sector and civil society to agree on them. The SDGs were formally adopted by 193 countries on 25 September. In this exclusive interview with Africa Renewal’s Kingsley Ighobor, Ms. Mohammed talks about the evolution of the process, the commitments made, the challenges ahead, and why the goals, if implemented, could transform the world.

Africa Renewal: What were the lessons response to the crises we have in the world learned from the Millennium Develop- today. Now, if by trying to solve these ment Goals (MDGs) and how did they crises we are seeking paradise, then yes, shape the SDGs? that is our goal. Ownership of this agenda Amina Mohammed: With the MDGs, is what we wanted. Conversation about we only addressed the symptoms. We the process is not just among countries didn’t really address the root causes of alone, but among stakeholders in many such development challenges as gender of the crisis-stricken countries we see, inequality, lack of access to clean water with solutions coming from the very same and the insufficiencies of health services. people. It is a very heavy agenda. This is a We’ve learned through this experience much more complicated set of commit- that having a set of goals directs people ments. It is a universal agenda. to discuss, create partnerships and find investments to execute plans. We’ve also What about unforeseen circumstances learned to agree on the means of imple- such as wars that break out from time mentation. With the MDGs, we agreed to time? How does the SDGs framework to finance them after the goals were survive such challenges? adopted, so we were always running after We have taken into consideration the the money. This time, finance is part of experience from such unforeseen cir- the package. cumstances and considered what causes them. The goals seek to prevent conflicts Does this mean that money to implement by investing in people, infrastructure, the SDGs is ready? in livelihoods and people’s aspirations. It’s not that money is ready; it’s the frame- What we have done as member states is to work for accessing that money that is include the human rights agenda because ready. It is important not to conclude that the fabric of SDGs is human rights. We there is a stash of money somewhere for have acknowledged that context matters, the SDGs. therefore the humanitarian issues that we face are also embedded in this agreement. There are 17 goals and 169 targets, cov- But we are also saying that human rights ering a wide range of sectors in develop- and peace pillars need to be recalibrated ment. Critics may say you are looking to so we can close that conflict gap. turn the world into a paradise, which is hardly possible. There are lots of development agendas We have taken a reality check. We agree in the world and critics say that there’s on the existing and emerging challenges much talking but little action. How do — from migration to inequality, to con- the new goals change this dynamic? SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS flict, to climate change. The 17 goals are a Those other agendas are the work of

6 AfricaRenewal December 2015 experts writing prescriptions. Ours was poverty. China has also committed to inte- small island states into this conversa- a process that took not just countries on grating SDGs in its five-year development tion was a different dynamic. You have board, but key stakeholders including par- plans. And as chair of the G20, China will to understand the ideology and concerns liamentarians, business people and civil also promote the goals’ implementation. of all parties so that you find a common society. However, there are legitimate narrative on these issues. How will you concerns among some people. There is a When are you releasing indicators to convince somebody in the Arab world that trust deficit between what governments monitor progress in implementation? the SDGs will work when you know that say and what they can actually deliver. The UN’s department of economic and conflict is a present-day reality for them? What the UN does is promote the belief social affairs is responsible through an But that didn’t stop us from agreeing that that the gap between rhetoric and actual independent expert group to produce the even when there is conflict, there are practice can be bridged. indicators by March 2016. children going to school and women giving birth. When it came to inequalities, Latin Some people say you cannot measure America was a new area for us. We strug- countries on the basis of a set of indica- gled with it, but we learned to speak the tors because countries have different language and understand their concerns. socioeconomic conditions. I don’t think that’s the point people are Going forward, what can the UN do to raising. What we have said is, you can ensure that countries live up to their The SDGs seek have a global set of indicators that will commitments? give you some comparisons to show us There are 193 nations that own this to prevent how, as one world, we are moving towards agenda. The expertise of UN agencies will conflicts by a set of objectives. But many more indica- have to become fit for purpose to facili- tors have to be developed at the country tate the SDGs agenda in host countries. investing level to reflect those countries’ priorities The stakeholders at the country level are in people, and contexts. more than they ever were. So the donors, the UN, World Bank — all these partners infrastructure, Do you think it’s fair to use the same need to have some coherence around sus- in livelihoods indicators to measure two countries with tainable development. Also, we have a different economic conditions? broader range of stakeholders, including and people’s If you measure one country doing better businesses, parliaments and civil society, aspirations. than the other one, then one wants to because we are not just carrying out the know whether it’s because of finance, social agenda, but we are also handling capacity or governance. We have to look the environmental agenda and climate at those issues and find solutions. change issues.

In the course of putting the SDGs What do you expect from civil society? together, what were the behind-the- Civil societies have contributed to this scenes challenges? agenda and share the ambitions that we The first challenge was to make this have. They should have a role in hold- Many of the big- a universal agenda. People feared it ing us to account. They can be helpful gest economies like could become too ambitious, and leave in ensuring that the data revolution is China and Brazil are the poor behind. The second challenge fulfilled. We need to invest not only in slowing, and yet you was bringing the poverty agenda and the traditional data, but also in data for real- expect these to help environment agenda together. There were time feedback to help decision makers. In achieve the “end to concerns that one might outshine the some cases, civil society will be partners poverty” goal. How other, although they are two sides of the in implementation. can this happen given same coin. The third was how to find the the current situation? means of implementation. The fourth was How do you see the world in 2030? China, in fact, helped accountability. I see a world where there is no poverty achieve the MDGs target and there is equal opportunity; where of a 50% reduction in How did you deal with these challenges? our economies are inclusive; businesses Head-on. We talked it over with those change their business model and are who had these concerns. We had been no longer exploiting our resources and Amina Mohammed, former Special talking for so long; North talking to South people. I see a world where young college Advisor of the Secretary-General — usually Europe talking to Africa — graduates can find jobs, where there is less on Post-2015 Development and sometimes Southeast Asia. To bring conflict, and where migration is planned

Planning. AR/Pavithra Rao Latin America, the Arab world and the and not forced.

AfricaRenewal December 2015 7 WHAT ARE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS?

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a new, universal set of goals, targets and indicators that UN member states will be expected to use to frame their agendas and policies over the next 15 years. The 17 SDGs follow, and expand on, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which focused only on developing countries.

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture resilient and sustainable

3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production at all ages patterns

4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its promote lifelong learning opportunities for all impacts

5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and and girls marine resources for sustainable development

6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of water and sanitation for all terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable degradation and halt biodiversity loss and modern energy for all 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable sustainable development, provide access to justice economic growth, full and productive employment for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive and decent work for all institutions at all levels

9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

8 AfricaRenewal December 2015 INTERVIEW Financing Africa’s development agenda — Carlos Lopes

stage. We have taken stock and we shall move on. We are ready for the next stage. he Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will build on the expiring T During the Third Financing for Develop- Millennium Development Goals, which ment Conference in Addis Ababa in July were launched in 2000 to end extreme 2015, the question of the price tag for poverty by 2015. What do the SDGs implementing the SDGs was often raised. mean for African countries? Carlos You see, when we had the first Financing Lopes, the Executive Secretary of the UN for Development Conference in 2002 in Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Monterrey, it was about how we fund the shared his thoughts with Africa Renewal’s MDGs by increasing support toward some Jocelyne Sambira in Addis Ababa and of our priorities — the eight big goals. Kingsley Ighobor in New York. I think it captured the imagination of people; they could relate to those goals. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS Now it’s a bit more difficult because the SDGs are quite widespread; they encom- pass almost everything. Therefore it’s going to be difficult to communicate to Africa Renewal: Africa reportedly made the majority this complexity unless we progress on a number of MDGs targets simplify the message, which I think is but fell short on others as compared with Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the needed — it’s a communications issue. Latin America or Asia. What can Africans Economic Commission for Africa.

expect from the new goals? UN/Eskinder Debebe In the coming years Africa will most likely Carlos Lopes: What is important is not get $48 billion per annum in official devel- to think that SDGs are only an African opment aid (ODA). Could that be one of agenda. The SDGs are a global platform agenda. What I hear from our leaders is the key financing sources? to which everyone must contribute. How- basically that they’re following Agenda I know Africa gets about $52 billion of ever, many regions, such as the Euro- 2063 and its 10-year plan, and they see a ODA per year. According to the OECD pean Union, are not going to wait for the convergence with the SDGs. This is very [Organization for Economic Cooperation SDGs to define their strategy for develop- important for African agencies because it and Development], this figure is declining. ment. Nor should Africans wait for the will give much more credibility to what- Maybe we will end up with $48 billion in SDGs to define their particular strategy ever they are doing. There is a whole pro- the next five or six years. The answer to — they have to have their own strategy, cess of African countries submitting their Africa’s financing is very clear: the efforts it’s Agenda 2063: their aspirations and national plans to the AU and NEPAD to have to be internal. We cannot have a vision for the long-term. It has been under make sure they conform to the aspirations situation where our continent is exerting construction for the last three years. We of Agenda 2063. In that process it will be the least fiscal pressure to such an extent now have a 10-year development plan easy to infuse the SDGs. that when you take out a number of impor- within those “aspirations” to tackle all the tant contributions such as the extractive various frameworks that Africans have You just launched a report — an assess- industry, people basically don’t pay taxes. adopted on infrastructure, agriculture, ment of the MDGs — indicating that There are no countries that have devel- industrialization, health and education. poor implementation and reliance on aid oped without internal efforts. So aid is not The African goals don’t contradict the undermined achievements. really what we should focus on, although SDGs. Our goals are specific and more On the MDGs, we advanced the expansion it is important to help maximize opportu- focused on the transformative policies of secondary education. We did well in nities. If I have a choice, I will put all the that can make a difference. women’s representation in the political aid money into catalysing our domestic system, but not in all the gender indica- resource mobilization. Then it will have This means Africa’s focus will be on tors. It is true that we ended up with a a multiplier effect without diverting our Agenda 2063? fragmented agenda that depended to some attention from a single agenda. Africa has developed its own strategy and extent on where the donor money was will provide input on the international going. We are now entering a different see page 32

AfricaRenewal December 2015 9 INTERVIEW Agenda 2063 is in harmony with SDGs — Maged Abdelaziz

in tertiary education. Water security is I believe both agendas can be made to another example. The SDGs call for a sub- work together; so there is no reason to be stantial increase, but Agenda 2063 calls for alarmed. When the negotiations started on a specific increase. The same goes for other the post-2015 development agenda, Africa targets, including ICT. developed a common African position on the issue. This common position has largely This year’s just-concluded Africa Week been accommodated in the 2030 Agenda for looked at creating synergies between both Sustainable Development except for certain agendas. Are there areas of convergence aspects, which the AU has now included in that will require special focus from the UN? Agenda 2063. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS The UN should give African regional economic communities [RECs] much more In the past, adequate financing was one Maged Abdelaziz, Under-Secretary-General and support than they are getting now. Agenda of the main constraints in achieving global Special Adviser on Africa. AR/Paddy Ilos 2063 is structured around activities at the development. With the global economy still country level and the coordinating role reeling from the 2008 financial crisis, is it will be done by the RECs. The Office of the not asking too much from donors to finance t the annual Africa Week in Special Adviser on Africa has been very both agendas? A October 2015 held at the United supportive of the RECs and we always make For the AU, domestic resource mobili- Nations headquarters, representatives efforts to include them in our activities. zation will provide the core funding for of the African Union’s development During this year’s Africa Week, for the first African projects. And domestic resource institutions held discussions with their time, the activities of the RECs were part of mobilization is not only money contrib- UN counterparts on the AU’s Agenda the programme. They participated in the uted by African citizens; it also includes 2063 and the newly-adopted Sustainable discussions of the interdepartmental task proceeds from reformed taxation systems. Development Goals (SDGs). Africa force on Africa, which comprises all UN It also involves recovering money Africa Renewal’s Franck Kuwonu talked to the departments working on African issues. loses through illicit financial flows, which UN secretary-general’s special adviser on The discussions centred on how the AU can amounts to about $50 billion every year. In Africa, Maged Abdelaziz, about UN-AU work closely with the UN. terms of external support, Africa is look- collaboration in implementing the two ing for partnerships rather than handouts. agendas. At the opening of the Africa Week, you said African leaders are not waiting for outsiders the UN was committed to supporting Africa to finance their projects; they are look- in its efforts to achieve the goals set out in ing for people with whom they can form Africa Renewal: To what extent do the the first 10 years of Agenda 2063. What partnerships in developing and financing SDGs relate to Africa’s vision as spelt out kind of support should Africa expect? profitable projects. in Agenda 2063? According to the mandate of my office, we Maged Abdelaziz: Based on our discus- are in charge of advocacy and outreach Is the private sector interested in investing sions with the African Group at the UN in mobilizing the support of the interna- in African development infrastructure? and the African Union, the two agendas are tional community, including the UN, for the There is a lot of interest within the pri- mutually supportive and coherent. There AU goals and in particular, its implement- vate sector to collaborate with the UN. are some differences, but these do not in ing agency, NEPAD [New Partnership for The major impediment to private sector any way affect how the agendas are imple- Africa’s Development]. Agenda 2063’s first involvement in Africa, as I see it, is the mented by both organizations. 10-year plan includes eight projects that issue of peace and security. Some private have been identified for implementation. sector investors still have concerns about What are these differences? We are working with NEPAD on advocating investing in countries that are rich in min- Agenda 2063 is much more specific on the and mobilizing support for these projects. eral resources, rich in human resources, targets to be achieved. In education, for have the right capabilities to undertake instance, the SDGs talk about achieving There are some concerns that the UN’s viable economic activities but suffer from universal primary and secondary educa- 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development internal conflicts. In our interaction with tion, while Africa’s Agenda 2063, in addi- might overshadow or distract attention investors, we see a lot of attention and a tion to targets on primary and secondary from the AU’s Agenda 2063. Is there any lot of interest in Africa within the private education, set a specific target of increase merit to these concerns? sector.

10 AfricaRenewal December 2015 INTERVIEW NEPAD mobilizes funds for regional infrastructure — Ibrahim Mayaki

brahim Mayaki is the chief executive officer of the New Partnership for Africa’s I Development (NEPAD), a developmental agency of the African Union. Africa Renewal’s Franck Kuwonu caught up with him at the UN headquarters in New York, where he was attending high-level meetings, to talk about the state of the proposed regional infrastructural projects on the continent.

Ibrahim Mayaki, NEPAD CEO. AR/Bo Li was settled for Ruzizi; the dam is almost What is positive is that the project was complete now. decided by ECOWAS. It is their decision, and they have to implement it and then Africa Renewal: In 2014 NEPAD was look- The Abidjan-Lagos corridor in West Africa issue a report. The other positive thing is ing for financing for 16 regional infrastruc- was another one of those bankable pro- that President Ouattara was tasked to lead ture projects in Africa. At that time you jects. Last September Côte d’Ivoire com- the initiative and to report on progress. said these projects were ready to start. pleted a small portion of it—just a 42 km Also, we have NEPAD and ECOWAS work- What is their status now? stretch of the expected 1,022 km highway. ing closely on the technical aspects of the Mr. Mayaki: We selected the 16 infra- Progress appears rather slow; what are the project in order to move it forward. structure projects through a very strict constraints the project faces? screening process. We worked with the It is true that progress is slow. We need Do donors channel funds through NEPAD private sector in Africa and representa- to improve our capacity to manage cross- to finance regional infrastructure projects? tives from the World Economic Forum and border projects. The experience of African No. Financing is not channelled through others. We now have bankable projects. countries is fundamentally about man- NEPAD. We are a facilitating entity and The Algiers-Lagos Highway (about 4,500 aging national projects, not cross-border all we can do is help the countries mobilize km) is one of them. Currently, only 19 km ones. So we are on a learning curve. One resources. are left for it to be completed by 2016. This experience that has proved to be quite is a big achievement for us. useful is from the Algiers-Lagos Highway. We know that most national infrastructure We may face resistance and other difficul- projects are being funded by China. With Yet there have been reports of newly paved ties, but strong political will from ECOWAS China’s economy slowing and commodity portions of the road often disappearing [the Economic Community of West African prices, including oil, declining, can we now under drifts of sand that block the route for States] and President Alassane Ouattara expect a slump in infrastructure develop- days on end. What is being done to address of Côte d’Ivoire, who is championing that ment in Africa, which has been one of the these problems? project, will make it succeed. main drivers of economic growth? I believe those problems have been solved Well, NEPAD is working on regional pro- for now. Since NEPAD is not directly involved in jects, so the impact for us is low because implementing projects, how do you get China is not involved in regional projects, Powering the continent was one of the national governments to live up to their but works with individual governments on three priority sectors highlighted in 2014. commitments and agreements to imple- national projects. Naturally, the slowing Two hydropower projects — Ruzizi III in ment mega-projects? of the Chinese economy will affect coun- East Africa and the Sambangalou Dam On the Lagos-Abidjan road, for instance, tries that are exporting commodities to in West Africa — were also part of the 16 we worked very closely with ECOWAS. China or countries that depend on China projects. Has the financing been settled We received funding from Germany for for investments. Again, remember that and work started? much of the consultancy work that has many of the Chinese investments now are There is no financing for the Sambangalou been done so far. We have close working from Chinese private companies who are Dam as yet, but we are currently work- relations with each of the governments looking for returns. They will not change ing on a scheme that we hope will help that are involved in this highway. So we their behaviour because their economy is us to raise the money by 2016. Financing are doing our job. slowing down.

AfricaRenewal December 2015 11 Nelson Mandela Prize winners feted

A former Portuguese president and a Namibian eye surgeon Most recently, Mr. Sampaio has been are recognized for outstanding public service involved in two main fields of action: as a member of the Global Commission on Drugs BY BO LI Policy, he has been advocating for major reforms of drug policy worldwide; he has also launched the Global Platform for Syrian he planting of a small food garden deposed the dictatorship, Mr. Sampaio left Students, a multi-stakeholder initiative that this summer just outside United his law practice, where he had been defend- provides emergency scholarships to Syrian Nations headquarters in New York ing political prisoners, and entered politics. students that allow them to resume their was more than a decorative effort It marked the beginning of a journey that university studies. Tby a gardener with a green thumb. It was one would take him to the presidency two dec- Dr. Ndume, who describes herself as of many “Time to Serve” activities in the ades later. “just an ordinary eye surgeon,” has helped worldwide ‘Take Action, Inspire Change’ He left the presidency in 2006, having over 30,000 Namibians receive at no cost campaign motivated by former South Afri- enabled the handover of Macau — Portu- eye surgery and intraocular lens implants, can President the late Nelson Mandela. gal’s last remaining colony in Asia — to reversing blindness, cataracts and myopia. Inside the UN, Mandela’s legacy was China and actively promoted East Timor’s To her patients she is a “miracle doctor” for further recognized with the announcement independence. restoring their vision. of the first winners of the UN Nelson Roli- As the UN secretary-general’s first spe- After fleeing apartheid Namibia, Dr. hlahla Mandela Prize, announced by the cial envoy to stop tuberculosis from 2006 Ndume grew up in refugee camps in Zambia president of the UN General Assembly, Sam to 2012, Mr. Sampaio helped bring interna- and Angola. She dreamed of a career in the Kutesa. Speaking to an informal meeting of tional attention to the scale of the disease fashion industry, only to realize, when she the 193-member body, Mr. Kutesa named and its impact on the achievement of the was about to make a career choice, that Dr. Helena Ndume, an eye surgeon from Millennium Development Goals. As the an independent Namibia would need more Namibia, and Jorge Sampaio, former Presi- UN high representative for the alliance of highly skilled people like engineers and doc- dent of Portugal, as the inaugural laureates civilizations from 2007 to 2013, he set up an tors rather than fashion designers. of the prize. important UN forum for dialogue and coop- “The secretary of education of SWAPO The award, said Mr. Kutesa, recognizes eration against hatred and violence, and [South West Africa People’s Organiza- the outstanding achievements of two dis- promoted common action at local, national tion, Namibia’s liberation movement] in tinguished people who have dedicated their and regional levels to meet the challenges of lives to the service of humanity, particularly cultural diversity across the globe. see page 32 in the promotion of reconciliation, social cohesion and community development. Speaking to Africa Renewal, President Sampaio called the honour “a fantastic surprise.” Dr. Ndume, similarly, said she couldn’t believe her eyes when the news came by e-mail. The two were selected from about 200 nominees by third-party organizations that believed their commitment to community health (Dr. Ndume) and social change (Mr. Sampaio) fulfilled Mr. Mandela’s ideal of community service, to which the former South African president devoted most of his life. Mr. Sampaio began his activism at law school. Elected head of the students’ union of the Lisbon Law Faculty, he became a leader in the struggle for the restoration of democracy in Portugal. The government at that time was a dictatorship and the country had no press freedom or political parties. The two laureates, Helena Ndume of Namibia and Jorge Fernando Branco Sampaio of Portugal.

When the Carnation Revolution of 1974 UN/Rick Bajornas

12 AfricaRenewal December 2015 bombers or sex slaves. Although women generally despise war, their bodies have become the new battlefields. Worse still, they are not consulted on issues of peace and nation-building, according to Zainab Hawa Bangura, the special representative of the UN secretary-general on sexual violence in conflict. In Africa women play important roles as custodians of culture and nurturers of families, yet in times of conflict they are not represented at the peace negotiating table or in community reconstruction efforts. According to UN Women, a UN body that promotes women’s empowerment and gender equality, women constitute fewer than 10% of peace negotiators globally and only 3% of signatories to peace agreements. Many experts believe that leaving women out of peace and security pro- cesses hinders communities from finding long-lasting peace. In times of conflict, women’s vulnerabilities and unique needs are often forgotten during negotiations, which in turn limits the effectiveness of both peace and security agreements, and humanitarian responses. Fifteen years ago the international community recognized the importance of women’s participation in creating the conditions for permanent peace. On 31 October 2000, the UN Security Council adopted the landmark resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, which acknowledged the critical role women

A rally in Lagos, Nigeria to mark 500 days of the abduction of Chibok girls. AMO/Ademola Akinlabi could play in preventing and resolving conflicts, negotiating peace, participating in peacekeeping and in humanitarian response and post-conflict peacebuilding. Women, peace & security Among other things, the resolution calls for women to participate fully in all 15 years of implementing UN Security Council resolution efforts to maintain and promote peace and security. The resolution also requires 1325 in Africa the UN to solicit and take into account all viewpoints on gender issues in order to BY ZIPPORAH MUSAU increase the role of women in all peace and security activities. It also requires all parties at war to take special meas- s conflicts and crises in Africa in point. So has the sexual violence being ures to protect women and girls from took a more complex turn in used as a weapon of war in Cameroon, gender-based violence, particularly rape recent years, there has been Chad, the Democratic Republic of the and other forms of sexual abuse. a devastating upsurge of vio- Congo (DRC), South Sudan and Sudan, Despite these requirements, UN Alence against women and girls. The abduc- among others. Women says the percentage of women tion of 200 Chibok girls from a school in Women and girls are singled out as in peace talks has stagnated at single northern Nigeria by Boko Haram mili- targets by terrorist and extremist groups, tants in April 2014 remains a tragic case who abduct them and use them as suicide see page 31

AfricaRenewal December 2015 13 Early this year Masimba Tafirenyika travelled to Ethiopia to see how much has changed since the infamous famine of the mid-1980s. This is the second part of a series on a country in transition.

Ethiopia: fixing agriculture A no-nonsense agency works to remove bottlenecks

BY MASIMBA TAFIRENYIKA

charity song, “We Are the to identify and fix the bottlenecks that in Ethiopia, and a hotline that dispenses World,” written by US award- have crippled agricultural production for free advice to farmers. winning singers Lionel Richie decades. The result: crop yields have shot The mapping scheme — known as and the late Michael Jackson, up, growth in agriculture has averaged 7% the Ethiopian Soil Information System Araised more than $60 million in 1985 for per year over the past decade and millions (EthioSIS) — is one of the ATA’s most suc- victims of the worst famine to hit the of farmers have been lifted out of poverty. cessful projects and the first of its kind in Horn of Africa in a century. Today, 30 Africa. Its job is to collect and analyze the years later, Ethiopia is again faced with a Cultivating effective institutions nutrient needs of specific soils found in crisis — a crop failure triggered by erratic Ethiopia’s overhaul of its agriculture takes Ethiopia. Launched in 2012, EthioSIS uses rainfall. The drought could pose the same a leaf from the successful models applied remote sensing satellite technology and threat to the livelihoods of about eight by Asian nations like Malaysia, Singapore soil sampling to produce digital soil maps million Ethiopians. and South Korea. The models feature for each region. As a result experts have But conditions are now vastly different two key elements: first, a clear set of pri- generated a national soil fertility atlas, from the dark days of the 1980s: the gov- orities to fix critical bottlenecks (skills, giving the agency the ability to recom- ernment has transformed the economy resources, funding and coordination) in mend the specific type of fertilizer to be into one of the fastest-growing in the specific areas of the sector; and second, used in each region. A farmer simply has world (9.9% in 2014) and made agriculture a dedicated body to advise key players the centrepiece of an economic policy in agriculture on how to remove these designed to ensure that the severity of bottlenecks. The government gave the future famines will not be measured by troubleshooting job to the Agriculture the number of people starving to death Transformation Agency (ATA), a semi- but by the seriousness of other less life- autonomous, donor-sponsored state threatening factors like malnutrition. agency that punches above its weight. Today the story of Ethiopia’s agri- “We are a problem-solving organiza- culture—the nucleus of its fast-growing tion,” said ATA’s CEO, Khalid Bomba, a economy—paints a landscape hugely dif- former employee of the Bill and Melinda ferent from how it was barely a decade ago. Gates Foundation and a one-time invest- The World Bank reckons that in 2014 the ment banker with J.P. Morgan & Co. “Our sector accounted for slightly less than half job is to identify bottlenecks in agricul- of Ethiopia’s gross domestic product, 84% ture and remove them,” he told Africa of exports and 80% of total employment. Renewal in an interview in his office in What has created the turn-around? the capital, Addis Ababa. First, as part of a policy to turn mil- Since its birth in 2011 as the secre- lions of poor farmers into surplus pro- tariat to a board chaired by Prime Minis- ducers for local and export markets, the ter Hailemariam Desalegn and made up government has been setting aside a siz- of heads of key agricultural institutions, able portion of its national budget — 17% the ATA has doggedly focused on accom- in 2015 — to agriculture. This is more than plishing specific goals, or what it calls the 10% that African governments com- “deliverables.” Its latest progress report mitted to apportion to agriculture under lists 84 such deliverables. Among them is the Maputo Declaration of 2003. Second, a nationwide digital soil mapping scheme it created institutions and enacted policies that has transformed the use of fertilizer

14 AfricaRenewal December 2015 to provide a sample of soil from his land extension workers could be distorted, “It can’t just be about producing more and EthioSIS workers advise on the exact lost in translation or misinterpreted as — sure, producing more is important but brand of fertilizer to use. it cascades down the chain. In February we’ve got to figure out how to distribute Before the system was developed, 2014, ATA teamed up with the agriculture it,” Eleni Gabre-Madhin, the founder and farmers had access to only two brands ministry, the Ethiopian Institute of Agri- former CEO of ECX, told the UK-based of fertilizer, regardless of the type of soil cultural Research, and Ethiopian Telecom daily The Guardian. “We’ve got to figure they were working with. EthioSIS workers to pilot-test the country’s first automated out how to make an efficient market work have come up with 12 new types of fertiliz- agricultural hotline. for everybody — for the farmers, for the ers after analyses of assorted soil samples. Formally launched in July 2014, the buyers, because otherwise we’re always They expect to complete the project and system offers free, real-time agricultural going to be in this cycle” of surpluses in release local soil atlases for the whole advice to farmers on how to prepare land, some parts of the country and deficits in country by June 2016. Thanks to the ATA, plant crops and apply fertiliser; it oper- others. The ECX founder has since moved today millions of farmers have access to ates in Ethiopia’s three main languages on and is now helping other African coun- fertilizer matched to their specific soil. — Amharic, Oromiffa and Tigrigna. The tries to set up similar exchanges. Such is the success of EthioSIS that it now hotline also uses crop, geography and ECX guarantees next-day payment serves as a model for other African coun- demographic data from registered farm- for crops. “We do not provide a full range tries, with Ghana, Nigeria and Tanzania ers to “push” tailored information when, covering all commodities,” said Ermias starting similar schemes. for example, there is a drought or an Eshetu, the exchange’s current CEO. outbreak of pests or diseases. It boasts “But for what we have on the table at the Free agricultural hotline more than a million registered callers, the moment, we have been able to normal- The ATA has extended its innovation to majority of whom are smallholder farm- ize and stabilize prices for the buyer and take advantage of mobile phone technol- ers, who have made 7.3 million phone calls the seller. And I think that’s key,” he told ogy. One initiative popular with farmers a year since it launched. Africa Renewal in an interview held in his is a free automated agricultural hotline. While millions of farmers now have modest office, which sits a few floors atop Ethiopia boasts Africa’s largest network free access to critical information, access the exchange’s trading floor. of agricultural extension workers. But to the hotline is still limited because Members of the exchange bring their even this is not enough to get messages out mobile phone penetration in Ethiopia is a commodities to ECX-run warehouses, to millions of farmers in a country of 94 measly 21%. “We accept a certain amount where they are graded, certified, weighed million people, the second largest on the of failure from our partners,” noted Mr. and stored. “We’ve brought in a degree of continent after Nigeria. Worse still, there Bomba, “but the overall success of the security of supply because we also control is always the risk that the message from project has been phenomenal given that the warehouses,” said Mr. Eshetu. it’s been going on for only a year.” Coffee is one of Ethiopia’s major exports; it and sesame account for more Buyers meet sellers than 90% of crops traded on the exchange. Many other innovative agricultural pro- The ECX’s central coffee laboratory was jects are being tried in Ethiopia outside the first in Africa to be certified by the the ATA. Thanks to the government’s Specialty Coffee Association of America, progressive policies, backed by huge a trade organization for the coffee indus- investments, agricultural production has try. According to Bloomberg Business, a surged. Farmers now produce more crops, US magazine, ECX plans to expand the with surpluses sent to local and export range of crops it trades and to introduce markets. But for buyers and sellers to stocks and bonds under a five-year expan- transact business, they need assurances sion plan. of reasonable prices for their crops, reli- Agriculture in Ethiopia has come able delivery and a trouble-free payment a long way. If all goes as planned, the system. Enter the Ethiopia Commodity country will be food secure within the Exchange (ECX) — another first in Africa. next 10 years. To achieve that, Ethiopia The seven-year-old exchange, which is must cover more ground. But so far the state-owned but privately run, provides scorecard is inspiring, officials are com- a reliable interface whereby traders are mitted to seeing results and millions of offered guarantees of quality, delivery smallholder farmers are seeing their lives and payment. improve. This year’s looming drought is likely to test the systems created to make Ethiopia’s agriculture resilient to erratic rainfalls. It is a test the country hardly Ethiopia Commodity Exchange building in Addis wants to flunk; it certainly does not

Ababa, Ethiopia. AR/Masimba Tafirenyika expect a replay of the 1985 charity song.

AfricaRenewal December 2015 15 Towards a unified African market

Newly-signed tripartite free trade area to bring together EAC, COMESA & SADC blocs

BY SARA CANALS

or several years, experts from economic communities to join the group the three largest trading blocs by 2017 in anticipation of an African Eco- in Africa — the Southern Afri- nomic Community by 2028. can Development Community “The conditions [to form the TFTA] F(SADC), the East African Community have never been better,” says Sindiso (EAC) and the Common Market for East- Ndema Ngwenya, the secretary-general ern and Southern Africa (COMESA) — of COMESA. “We have improved govern- were locked in intense negotiations over a ance, and the very fact that we withstood free trade agreement whose aim is to bring the global financial crisis of 2008 attest about a unified and liberalized single to sound macroeconomic policies. This is market. The talks finally bore fruit on what is giving us resilience,” he told Africa 10 June 2015 when 26 African countries Renewal in an interview. signed the Tripartite Free Trade Area The benefits of the free trade area (TFTA) agreement in Cairo, Egypt. are numerous. “It has the potential to Under this agreement, all the 26 increase economies of scale [which are the countries, with a combined gross domes- cost advantages that can be derived from tic product (GDP) of about $1.3 trillion size of a market and production] through and a population of 565 million, will integration, will increase demand for the merge into a common market and elimi- region’s goods and services and make the nate tariff lines and trade barriers. The region more attractive to foreign invest- participating countries will benefit from ments,” says Jason Kapkirwok, senior liberalized intra-regional trade, which is director of TradeMark East Africa, an expected to boost the flow of goods and African non-profit company that supports services. When implemented, the free trade growth in East Africa. “This would trade area will constitute about half of in turn create more jobs and catalyze Africa’s GDP, half of its population and technology transfer.” will cover a combined landmass of 17 Trade between African countries, as million square kilometres, about the size a share of the continent’s total trade has of Russia. hovered at 10-12% for decades, but some At the moment, however, only three experts argue that the actual figure is of Africa’s eight regional economic com- much more than that because a big part of munities are participating in the TFTA. the continent’s trade is conducted infor- Non-participating economic blocs include mally and at times across porous borders the Arab Maghreb Union, the Economic where it’s not recorded. The proportion Community of West African States, the in Europe and Asia, by contrast, is close

Intergovernmental Authority on Develop- to 60%. A factory in South Africa. AMO/ Graeme Williams ment, the Economic Community of Cen- tral African States and the Community Leading the tripartite of Sahel-Saharan States. For now, these South Africa and Egypt, two of Africa’s Democratic Republic of the Congo and blocs are not participating in this new biggest economies in terms of manufac- Ethiopia could also play key roles in fos- initiative for political and economic rea- turing and services, are the main forces tering the region’s economy as they are sons. The Abuja Treaty of 1995 signed by driving the TFTA, followed by Kenya expected to absorb a large share of the 51 African countries mandates all regional and Mauritius. Angola, Mozambique, the region’s exports while supplying cheaper

16 AfricaRenewal December 2015 advanced economies could also benefit Even if two-thirds of the countries do from the TFTA. For example, countries in not ratify the agreement, Mr. Ngwenya, the the EAC, such as Kenya and Uganda, have COMESA official, says the ball will keep the most advanced customs union, which rolling. “In the event that not all the 26 they will be expected to deploy to increase countries sign the tripartite, we shall use the pace and depth of integration. the principle of variable geometry in terms However, experts caution against high of implementation, because those that are expectations of the TFTA because of exist- ready must move on. If we allow one or ing hurdles that may slow down its imple- two countries that are not ready to hold mentation. For instance, the current low up the process, then we will never move.” level of intra-regional trade in Africa could The principle of variable geometry means impede attempts to boost trade volume that members from an integration scheme within the single market. In addition, some will be flexible enough to adopt different countries have overlapping memberships speeds to make progress. in the regional economic blocs, leading to A major sticking point for many unde- incoherent national trade policies. Also, cided countries is the TFTA’s elimination there are varying levels of socioeconomic of trade taxes, which serve as a major development across countries, particularly supplier of domestic revenue. The TFTA in industrial, infrastructure and energy requires all countries to open up their sectors, making it difficult for some partic- markets to duty-free imports, which could ipating countries to implement the agree- spell some revenue loss. To this point, the ment as speedily as others. TFTA includes phased reduction of tariffs, Further, economies represented in this specifically the immediate liberalization and other trade agreements are dominated of just 63% of tariff lines, to address such by agricultural production; the UN Confer- revenue losses. ence on Trade and Development notes that Overall, there are many enticing ele- “the narrowness of African production and ments in the TFTA. By harmonizing poli- export structures and relative dependence cies on trade, movement of business per- on primary commodities are inhibiting sons and industrial and infrastructure factors to the boosting of intra-regional development, the agreement will expand trade in Africa.” the market for goods and services and sub- Open trade with a country with very sequently promote greater intra-regional different economic characteristics will trade. Mr. Kapkirwok hopes that all forms yield predictable results — however, for of trade barriers such as import and export African farmers, opening to trade with restrictions will eventually be eliminated. their similarly agricultural neighbours is a fraught prospect. When considering Africa on international trade scale increased trade between two agricultur- While the TFTA may accomplish its goal ally dominant African countries, it is not of an expanded market for countries in the immediately apparent which country will single trading bloc, Africa still needs to be have the comparative advantage in its more prominent in the international trade existing agricultural production — this arena, says Mr. Kapkirwok. Africa should uncertainty stunts regional economic implement prudent macroeconomic poli- integration. cies and regulatory reforms, he says, and Experts have argued that there is a countries should embrace good governance lack of political will in some countries to and establish competent institutions. implement the TFTA agreement. Already, Currently, massive infrastructure not all participating countries have ratified deficit impedes trade and development, the agreement, although they have until according to Mr. Kapkirwok, and under-

A factory in South Africa. AMO/ Graeme Williams the end of the year to do so. Even South scores the need for Africa to understand Africa, one of the most influential within properly the international markets, and the block, along with Botswana, Lesotho, to build better trade facilitation and ser- inputs such as electricity, petroleum, gas Mozambique and Zambia, have yet to sign vices programmes across all the regional and other raw materials. the TFTA, which must be ratified by two- economic communities. Even as the bigger economies take thirds of the participating countries before Overall, the hope is that TFTA’s success advantage of the opportunity of an it comes into force by the expected date — will strengthen one of Africa’s ambitions — expanded and liberalized market, less January 2016. the establishment of a single market.

AfricaRenewal December 2015 17 The shrinking Gilgel Abbay River, Amhara region, Ethiopia. Panos/ Petterik Wiggers African leaders pledge to fight for a deal on climate change An opportunity to emphasize the link between climate and development

BY DAN SHEPARD AND KINGSLEY IGHOBOR

s African leaders, climate said extreme weather variations on the the details of an agreement that will put change experts and scholars continent had led to devastating human the world on a pathway to meeting the goal understand it, the climate costs, affecting livelihoods. Taking action of limiting the rise in global temperature change agreement currently to address climate change is essential to less than 2 degrees Celsius (which is Abeing negotiated and expected to be for promoting sustainable development, the point at which climate change’s worst adopted in Paris in December is an oppor- the leaders told the UN, as they joined impacts can be prevented) and reduce tunity to emphasize the link between in adopting a new global agenda — the greenhouse emissions blamed for causing climate and development. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) extreme weather variations. At the Sustainable Development — to end poverty, promote prosperity and To ensure a unified approach during Summit held at the United Nations in New protect the environment. the negotiations, African experts from the York in September, various African lead- The 196 countries that are parties to government, the private sector, academia ers forcefully made the case for a strong the UN Framework Convention on Cli- and the media met last March in Addis climate change agreement in Paris. They mate Change (UNFCCC) are negotiating Ababa, Ethiopia, under the auspices of

18 AfricaRenewal December 2015 excessive rainfall, floods and land degra- Some experts are sceptical about the dation. “These developments have devas- availability of finance to implement any tating human costs and are affecting food agreement to be reached in Paris. South security, livelihoods and the very survival Africa, which currently chairs the Group of our people,” said President Buhari. of 77 representing 134 developing coun- Unlike earlier climate talks that fea- tries in the negotiations, has advised that tured “top-down” targets, for the Paris a viable finance package is essential for agreement individual countries will come a deal. South African President Jacob up with plans for carbon reduction. These Zuma warned that “a Paris package that is national plans, designed to make coun- hollow and weak on finance would not be tries accountable for their pledges, will acceptable,” urging developed countries in turn be included in the global goal. to honour existing obligations. Experts do not anticipate the plans, which While referring to climate change were submitted before the conference, to as the “greatest challenge confronting be sufficient, and the Paris agreement will humankind,” Djibouti President Ismaël need to outline how the world will move Omar Guelleh added that Africa’s request forward to strengthen the will needed to for assistance was legitimate and under- avoid the worst impacts of climate change. standable, because the continent has more to lose than other regions. Rising temperatures Money matters aside, the African African policy makers are aware of the experts who met in Addis Ababa would like consequences of inaction on climate change, future discussions about climate change which includes temperatures rising by more to involve more African experts. “African than 4 degrees Celsius by the end of the cen- scientists and scholars are grossly under- tury. According to the Intergovernmental represented in the IPCC process,” they said. Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a UN body With the ECA recommendations as a that evaluates and reports on the state of guide, African negotiators will argue that climate change, the region is already facing any climate change agreement should also faster acceleration of climate change than include a plan that addresses social issues the rest of the world. “An increase of global such as poverty, health, education and temperatures of 2oC by 2050 is going to be gender. Adaptation programmes must be the UN Economic Commission for Africa catastrophic for Africa,” warns the report at designed by a group that includes repre- (ECA) at the Conference of African Min- the meeting in Addis Ababa. sentatives from the private sector, civil isters of Finance, jointly organized by the The IPCC says there is already increas- society and academia. commission and the African Union. At ing evidence of warming over land regions In addition, African experts will call the end of their deliberations, in addition across Africa, which is precipitating pat- for more climate observation networks to existing individual countries’ efforts terns, water availability and food security. on the continent to assist in real-time and resources from international part- And African heads of state made it clear monitoring and data collection. The ECA ners, the experts requested additional at the SDGs Summit in September that report indicates a need for “appropriate resources to address Africa’s climate any agreement needed to be supported by capacity building and technologies for change challenges, according to a report a climate finance package that will allow climate-smart development.” on the ECA meeting. their countries to develop low-carbon President Zuma wants negotiators The African experts argued that Africa economies as well as adapt to the impacts in Paris to close the existing ambition is contributing little to global warming, of climate change. gap between now and 2020, including by and that emissions coming from the activ- For financing climate change adapta- ramping up action before the new agree- ities of multinational companies should tion and mitigation activities, Africa will ment goes into effect to meet the goal of be blamed on the beneficiaries of such rely heavily on the Green Climate Fund limiting the rise in global temperatures investments, not on the host countries. (GCF), which was created by parties to the to less than 2 degrees Celsius. It is not yet UNFCCC to assist developing countries. But clear if all the African leaders’ and experts’ Extreme weather variations the snag is that rich countries are slow to ful- recommendations are included in the final There are many ways climate change is fill their financial commitments. For exam- agreement. taking a toll on African countries, Afri- ple, Japan and the US have disbursed just Meanwhile, as Africa pushes its inter- can heads of state maintained at the UN $15 million of the $4.5 billion each country ests at the negotiations leading up to the in September. Nigeria’s new president, pledged to support Africa’s efforts. “This is a Paris conference, the hope is that the Muhammad Buhari, said these include drop in the ocean,” states the report, adding current global enthusiasm for a climate extreme weather variations, rising sea that Africa may need between $20 billion change agreement will be matched by levels, encroaching desertification, and $30 billion per year for adaptation. action during implementation.

AfricaRenewal December 2015 19 AFRICA’S MDGs PERFORMANCE AT A GLANCE MDGs: An assessment ON TRACK

of Africa’s progress MDG2 Was development goals’ yardstick unfair to Africa? In 2012, over 68% of African countries had a net enrollment rate of BY JASPREET KINDRA AND JULIET WASSWA-MUGAMBWA at least 75% in primary education n just two decades, primary school sufficient data were available “have reg- enrolment in two of the world’s poor- istered better-than-expected progress on MDG3 est countries — Niger and Burkina some MDG targets, even though they are GPI in primary Faso — increased from 20% to more not ‘on track’ to meet them.” education increased Ithan 60%. Despite this encouraging trend, “This country-level application (of from 0.83 to 0.92 in both countries are rated as having failed global targets) has been problematic in Sub-Saharan Africa; to reach the Millennium Development some cases and promotes a mispercep- region leading on Goal (MDG) of universal primary education of real progress made,” the authors numbers of women in tion by 2015. asserted. “Applying the same targets to parliament Over the years, the lack of an appropri- all countries suggests similar efforts will ate yardstick to monitor progress in poor result in similar ‘gains’ across different MDG6 countries’ development programmes has countries. But our analysis – alongside Deaths related to and often been criticised by experts. that of others – shows progress is rarely prevalence of HIV/ As the MDGs come to a close, some linear: improvements in people’s lives AIDS, malaria and experts believe the global community across different dimensions occur at vary- tuberculosis are down needs to be aware that the assessment ing rates across countries. For some MDG process was unjust to Africa and that pro- targets, progress has been faster for coun- gress made by countries such as Burkina tries further from a target; for others it has Faso and Niger ought to be recognized. been slower. “It took the United States over a cen- New York University professor and tury to make the transition from Burkina economist William Easterly has argued against Africa in setting the target for Faso’s current enrolment rate to univer- that making the first MDG about halving each of the MDGs, such as claiming Africa sal primary schooling,” noted Michael poverty by 2015, compared to its level in has failed to reduce maternal mortality Clemens and Todd Moss, senior research 1990, “biased the campaign against Africa by two-thirds, despite the lack of reliable fellows at the Centre for Global Develop- in the sense that it was much more likely data indicating this. ment, a US-based think tank, in their that Africa would ‘fail’ than other regions, Many of these critiques are well- paper, What’s Wrong with the Millennium for two reasons.” known and have been documented by Development Goals? First, in his influential 2007 paper, various researchers over the years. The Long-time critics of the MDGs, Mr. How the Millennium Development Goals criticism has influenced the monitoring of Clemens and Mr. Moss asked: “Would it Are Unfair to Africa, Mr. Easterly is criti- the progress of the MDGs, leading observ- not energize the development community cal of the choice of 1990 as the base- ers away from simply noting that “Africa more to celebrate Burkina Faso’s perfor- line year (the MDGs campaign started in is off track” to a more nuanced approach, mance than to condemn it as disaster?” 2000) when economic growth in Africa one that considers the level of progress of A March 2015 paper by Laura Rodri- was particularly poor. “This means that each country in its own specific context. guez Takeuchi, Emma Samman and Lies- countries and regions are judged not only According to the MDG 2014 report, bet Steer of the Overseas Development on their progress during the campaign, Assessing Progress in Africa toward the Institute (ODI), a UK-based think tank, but also for progress made (or not made) MDGs, African countries have made some also faults the MDGs’ evaluation system before the campaign started,” he said. progress towards achieving the MDGs for failing to account for national realities. Second, Mr. Easterly argues, the deci- despite difficult initial conditions. Thirty- Countries are classified as either “on sion to make reduction in poverty a goal four out of the 48 countries that are clas- track” or “off track” in a non-linear way places more weight on economic growth sified as least developed countries are in with countries at various stages of devel- as a driver of poverty reduction (a trickle- the Africa region. opment, notes the paper. The authors down effect) than on efforts to improve “Producing country case studies to found that depending on the indicator, the incomes of those already living below better understand both the level of pro- up to 46% of poor countries for which the poverty line. Mr. Easterly finds bias gress achieved and the specific factors

20 AfricaRenewal December 2015 AFRICA’S MDGs PERFORMANCE AT A GLANCE

OFF TRACK NATIONAL OWNERSHIP INNOVATIVE POLICIES AND POLITICAL WILL AND PROGRAMMES MDG1

48.4% Poverty in Africa excluding Huge payoffs on the E.g. South Africa and North Africa declined from 56.5% in s goals, where there Rwanda’s multiple social 1990 to 48.4% in 2010 has been national protection systems, MDG4 ownership and political Ghana’s school feeding

Under-five mortality rate fell by 55% will to implement social insurance between 1990 and 2012, while the effective policies, programmes, Ethiopia’s infant mortality rate fell by 40% strategies and rural development programmes for MDG efforts and Malawi’s MDG5 achievement. fertilizer subsidy By 2013, Africa had 289 maternal scheme. deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to the world average of 210 GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS SUSTAINED ADVOCACY maternal deaths per 100,000 live births AND FINANCING AND MONITORING

MDG7 The Global Fund on HIV/AIDS, Declining forest cover in 2012, only 64% tuberculosis and malaria; Helped focus efforts. of Africans excluding North Africa used the Global Environment The UN Millennium an improved drinking water source Facility on the environment; Campaign, national THE WAY FORWARD FOR THE FORWARD SDG THE WAY the Millennium Challenge and regional, global MDG8 Account on economic growth reporting of MDG Wide gap between trade and ODA and poverty reduction are achievements, kept the commitments and delivery some example. momentum on MDGs.

Sources: Economic Commission for Africa, African Union, African Development Bank, UNDP

that have driven it is crucial,” notes Susan were communicated to the Sustainable major requirement as well. Aid played Nicolai, head of the Development Pro- Development Goals (SDGs) negotiators an important part in the MDGs’ imple- gress project at the Overseas Development through civil society. mentation. However, unlike the MDGs, Institute. The institute has produced 49 Discussions on setting indicators to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Devel- case studies exploring the progress differ- measure progress on the 17 SDGs are still opment is universal and is expected ent countries have made over the past two continuing, says Ms. Nicolai. The need to to receive global financial support decades and what lessons can be drawn for use country-specific indicators to show for implementation as spelt out in the the global community. progress is feeding into the discussions. Addis Ababa Action Agenda, which was If a country establishes its own param- adopted by world leaders at the Third The way forward eters of development, it will require International Conference on Financing Following the adoption of the 2030 strong incentives to push itself towards for Development held in Ethiopia in July Agenda for Sustainable Development at excellence. 2015. The Action Agenda emphasises the the end of the MDGs process in Sep- need to mobilize domestic resources, and tember, ODI’s Ms. Takeuchi noted that Financing sustainable development lays the foundation for implementing the the process of developing this new set Ms. Takeuchi reckons that surveys such SDGs. To broaden the revenue base to of goals had “been much more inclusive, as MyWorld2015 can be powerful tools finance the SDGs, member states agreed both in terms of bringing the voices of in ensuring national targets are in line to improve their tax collection systems different countries to the table but also with national priorities. “Data is another and to combat tax evasion and illicit of different groups within countries.” great incentive. We now have much more financial flows. They hope to encourage She cites as an example MyWorld2015, data to track progress than we did in more private investment and aid for poor a global survey conducted by the UN to 1990 (although my colleagues at ODI countries. gather the views of over 7 million people have shown that there are still huge gaps) There is no doubt that the interna- “from around the globe on what they and we can use it as an input to know tional community expects the SDGs think would make their lives better in what is realistic for a country to achieve.” to benefit from the invaluable lessons the next 15 years.” The survey results Money to finance development is a learned from implementing the MDGs.

AfricaRenewal December 2015 21 MDG 1: ERADICATE EXTREME POVERTY AND HUNGER Sub-Saharan Africa lags behind

BY FRANCK KUWONU

credited for most of the progress across the continent. Ethiopia appears to be a good example of when concerted and deliberate policies supported by economic growth can have an impact on poverty levels. By 2011, poverty levels in Ethiopia had fallen from 44% to 30% in just over a decade, with the main driver of poverty reduction being sustained agricultural growth. Authorities created the Agriculture Trans- formation Agency and staffed it with highly trained people who act as problem solv- ers in transforming the agricultural sector, Haddis Taddesse, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s representative in Ethiopia, told Africa Renewal. The country “has con- sistently allocated 10-17 % of its budget to agriculture.” While sub-Saharan Africa’s economic expansion has been remarkable over the last two decades and has contributed to alleviating poverty, growth levels were not enough to engineer structural economic

A slum in Kibera, Kenya. Poverty remains a challenge in Africa. AMO/Colin Walker transformation, as periodic assessment reports on MDGs progress have consist- ently pointed out. Although unemploy- urkina Faso, a landlocked West Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ment remained stable at around 7.5% African country south of the over the next 15 years. in 2012, this number, according to the Sahara Desert, has been in the For all this progress, however, sub- International Labour Organization, gave news since political unrest Saharan Africa fell far short of halving no indication of the great proportion of Berupted there in 2014. Had peace pre- the proportion of people living in poverty workers (77%) in vulnerable employment, vailed, the country would have had a and the proportion of those suffering from or the large share of those involved in moment to savour the finding that they hunger — the two targets that would have subsistence agriculture. were among the few African countries indicated that extreme hunger and pov- While progress was modest in a major- that reduced poverty over the last 15 years. erty were being eradicated. ity of countries, Kenya and Nigeria expe- The Gambia, a narrow strip of land In 1990 just over five out of every rienced a rise in poverty levels, as did the tucked inside Senegal, topped the list of ten people (56.5%) in the continent were Central African Republic, Mauritania, countries showing a single digit reduc- living in poverty. Twenty years later and Zambia. tion. Overall, Gambia reported a 32% pov- that proportion was estimated at about Having Nigeria and Kenya, with their erty reduction. Other countries faring 48.4%. This translates to a 14% reduction, overall relatively well-performing econo- relatively well were Ethiopia, Malawi, but to achieve the target the reduction mies, at the bottom of the list for poverty Niger, Swaziland and Uganda, according should have been at least 28.3% — half reduction illustrates the challenges faced to the Africa Millennium Development Gap the 1990 levels. Moreover, poverty levels by many African countries. Population Report 2015. increased in five of the 30 African coun- growth, unstable commodity prices, natu- Launched in late September in New tries assessed. ral disasters, including droughts leading York, the report assessed Africa’s progress to failed crops and persistent conflicts towards achieving the Millennium Devel- Growth not strong enough causing massive displacement are some of opment Goals (MDGs). It highlighted good Steady economic growth in the region and the main causes of the underperformance practices and policies to support the new specific poverty reduction strategies are in Africa, the report said.

22 AfricaRenewal December 2015 MDG 2: ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION More students in school but still not all

BY FRANCK KUWONU

ne objective of the Millen- nium Development Goals (MDGs) was to ensure that all children entered primary Oschool at an appropriate age and completed the full educational cycle. That is how the goal of universal primary education would have been achieved. Fifteen years later, sub-Saharan Afri- can countries are close to enrolling all school-age children, but they have not met the target. While the region has made progress in keeping a greater number of children in school, one out of three children is likely to drop out before completion. Ensuring equal education for boys and girls was also part of the goal. Yet 33 million children did not attend school in 2012, 56% of whom were girls. This includes 5.5 million in Nigeria and more than a million in Ethiopia.

While progress for the region as a First day at school at the JP Brand School in Utuseb, Namibia. AMO/Graeme Williams whole remains just below target, perfor- mances differed from country to country. In 2012, 10 countries, including Rwanda, needs) and providing food in impover- Rebecca Winthrop, the director of the South Africa, Tunisia and Zambia, were ished areas also helped keep children Centre for Universal Education at the able to get more than 90% of their school- at school. Yet progress is still slow in Brookings Institution, a US think tank. age children into classrooms, the 2015 serving “hardest-to-reach” populations Nonetheless, getting a greater number Africa MDG Report said. The other coun- such as children with disabilities, children of children in classrooms appears to have tries were Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, living in conflict-affected states, nomadic considerably improved literacy rates Cape Verde, Congo and Mauritius. people and some ethnic minorities, said on the continent. While according to Rwanda made remarkable progress. the MDG report. UNESCO, Africa remains the only con- With 97%, the country had the highest tinent where more than half of parents primary school enrolment rates on the More youth can read and write are not able to help their children with continent in 2012. Girls’ enrolment (98%) Earlier this year UNESCO and the UN homework due to illiteracy, a growing exceeded boys’ (95%), while the percent- Children’s Fund (UNICEF) called for proportion of people aged 15 to 24 are age of children completing their primary strengthening and expanding education able to read and write, with the ability to school cycle stood at 73% — “a dramatic systems, including by specifically target- understand a short simple statement on increase from 53% in 2008,” according to ing those children who are the “hardest- their everyday life, as literacy is defined. the United Nations Educational, Scientific to-reach.” On the other hand, education Chad, Côte d’Ivoire and Niger were and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). specialists fear that the target of getting the only African countries in 2012 with The completion rate for girls was 78% all children to school is getting in the way youth literacy rates below 50%, while during the same period. of providing quality education. There is Algeria, Botswana, Equatorial Guinea, A combination of awareness cam- more to education than just getting boys Libya, South Africa, Swaziland and Tuni- paigns and deliberate, targeted policies and girls into classrooms, they say. sia had 95% literacy rates, according to the contributed to boosting enrolment num- Looking beyond 2015, “one fundamen- MDGs report. bers. Reducing or eliminating school fees tal step for the education community is Overall, four in five young adults in 17 in public institutions, making the school to refocus their energy on girls’ and boys’ out of the 30 African countries for which environment gender-sensitive (more learning and to move beyond the goal data are available are now able to read accommodating to boys’ and girls’ specific of just getting students in school,” says and write.

AfricaRenewal December 2015 23 MDG 3: PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER WOMEN Closing Africa’s ‘elusive’ gender gap

BY ZIPPORAH MUSAU

rchitects at the drawing board Mlambo-Ngcuka, the executive director of parliamentary seats in sub-Saharan of the Millennium Develop- of UN Women told Africa Renewal in an Africa were held by women and by August ment Goals (MDGs) iden- interview. “Widespread and persistent 2015 the numbers had increased to 23%. tified gender equality and gender inequalities are holding back pro- Hope prevails though that Africa is Awomen’s empowerment as key to achiev- gress for all,” she noted. making steadier progress than other ing all the other goals. Six out of the eight Countries have been making strenu- regions in increasing the proportion of MDGs mentioned women and girls as ous efforts to address these inequalities. seats held by women in national parlia- priority targets. By the end of 2015, UN Development Pro- ment, but much still needs to be done to The third MDG was designed to programme (UNDP) projects that 18 Afri- bridge the gender gap in secondary and moting gender equality and empowering can countries will have achieved gender tertiary levels of education. By 2013, only women by eliminating gender disparities parity in primary level education. “Four 12 African countries had achieved parity in primary and secondary education; by countries — Guinea, Benin, Guinea-Bis- in secondary education enrollment. increasing the number of seats held by sau and Chad — made an astonishing In eight countries — Angola, Benin, women in national parliaments; and by improvement between 1990 and 2011 (70 Central African Republic, Chad, Demo- raising the number of women in formal to 86.9%),” says UNDP’s MDG report. cratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Niger employment in non-agricultural sectors Countries that performed poorly were and Togo — the gender parity index, which by 2015. Malawi, Mauritania and Senegal. is used to measure the ratio of girls to boys In fulfillment of this goal, Africa came in school, is still lower than 0.7, meaning close to attaining gender parity in pri- Political participation there are fewer than seven girls to every mary level education, with the ratio of On women’s political participation, even ten boys in secondary school. girls to boys enrolled in primary school though Africa could boast of one country Nine countries — Algeria, Botswana, improving in many countries. A girl born with the highest number of female mem- Cape Verde, Lesotho, Namibia, Rwanda, in Africa today has a better chance of fin- bers in parliament globally (Rwanda with Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles and ishing primary school, going to university, 64%) in 2015, the continent also had the South Africa — had surpassed the target getting a job or becoming a member of most countries with the least number parity level of 1.03, says the UNDP report. parliament than her grandmother had. of women in parliament. For example, On wage disparity, although the Yet gender parity on the continent is still women in Comoros, Congo, Egypt, Gambia number of women in non-agricultural far from sight. and Nigeria still have national parlia- employment in Africa rose modestly “Progress on gender equality has been ments made up of less than 9% women, from 35% to 39% between 1990 and 2011, unacceptably slow and uneven,” Phumzile according to the report. In 1990, only 3% women continue to earn much less than their male counterparts. Only in Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Malawi, Uganda and Zambia do women earn 75% or more of men’s wages for doing similar jobs. In Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Mauritania, women earn less than 60% of what men earn. To achieve full gender parity in Africa, countries need to address structural barriers that discriminate against women and girls in accessing education, employment and finance, as well as restrictions on the right of women to use or own land. Early marriages, female genital mutilation and violence against women are some of the cultural impediments that hold back progress on the gender front in Africa today.

Ethiopian women in a skills training workshop. UN/Eskinder Debebe

24 AfricaRenewal December 2015 MDG 4: REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY A glass half-empty, yet half-full

BY KINGSLEY IGHOBOR

easured against the Millen- nium Development Goal for 2015 of a two-thirds reduction in child mortality, Mwhich is the probability of death between birth and fifth birthday, Africa managed a reduction of 55%. Some people view Africa’s achievement as a glass half-full, others consider it a glass half-empty. In a sense, both views are correct. Those who view the glass as half empty maintain that the continent did not meet the fourth MDG target, and that the number of child deaths was still unbear- ably high. With 81 deaths per 1,000 live births in Africa currently, an African child is seven times more likely to die before the age of five than a child in other regions of the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). In Europe, by com- parison, the figure is 11 deaths per 1,000 live births.

Of the seven countries worldwide Maternity ward at the King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban, South Africa. AMO/John Robinson with more than 100 deaths per 1,000, the majority are in Africa, including Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Morocco and Rwanda achieved reductions in the form of health insurance for children Congo, Somalia and the Central African of 60% or more in child mortality. In in very poor households. Republic, according to the MDG Report Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zim- Neonatal mortality, which is the prob- 2015: Lessons learned in implementing babwe, however, the rate of child deaths ability of a child’s dying within the first the MDGs, co-authored by the UN Eco- increased, largely due to HIV/AIDS. month of birth, remains stubbornly high nomic Commission for Africa, the African Policies put in practice, such as afford- in Africa. The joint report states that many Union, the African Development Bank, able treatment, innovative ways of attend- African countries made “slow progress or and UN Development Programme. ing to the poor in rural areas, combined [had] stagnating neonatal rates,” especially Globally, of the 6.6 million children with political commitment, were effective in rural areas where there are no health under-5 who died in 2012, some 3.2 mil- in preventing child deaths. In Ethiopia, services.” lion were in Africa. Up to 16,000 children for example, 38,000 health workers were WHO Assistant Director Flavia Bus- die every day in Africa, notes UNICEF, the hired, trained and sent to isolated parts of treo says that newborn deaths can be pre- UN Children’s Fund. the country to treat malaria, malnutrition vented if there is “quality care around Although Africa did not meet the MDG and diarrhea, which are responsible for the time of childbirth, including simple target for 2015, the continent made sig- many child deaths. Malawi, another coun- affordable steps such as ensuring early nificant gains since 1990, experts say. In try that met the target, effectively linked skin-to-skin contact, the exclusive practice that year, Africa recorded 146 deaths per poor mothers with maternal resources. of breastfeeding and extra care for small 1,000 live births. In fact, of the 99 coun- The result was an increase in child sur- and sick babies.” tries out of 188 that “observed significant vival rates in both countries. Overall, progress made so far should decreases in child mortality during the A national policy of affordable and be continued or even accelerated, says Wu 2000–2013 period, 43 are in sub-Saharan quality health services, public education on Hongbo, UN under-secretary-general for Africa”, notes the joint MDG report. the need to seek early care, and rewards for economic and social affairs. And if the world This time, Egypt, Ethiopia, Tunisia, healthy behaviour will make an immediate is to achieve the target for child mortality, he Liberia and Malawi met or surpassed the impact, according to WHO experts. The adds, efforts must intensify “in high-mor- MDG target while Algeria, Eritrea, Libya, joint report recommends social protection tality countries of sub-Saharan Africa.”

AfricaRenewal December 2015 25 MDG 5: MIXED RESULTS IN MATERNAL HEALTH GOALS ACROSS AFRICA Lack of resources affecting interventions

BY ZIPPORAH MUSAU

espite some success by Africa amount — at least 15% of its budget to in achieving much of the Mil- health. In fact, 11 countries cut govern- lennium Development Goals ment spending on health during that (MDGs), improved maternal period and in another nine countries, Dheath has proved the hardest to deliver. progress had completely stalled. The fifth development goal sought to In the midst of insufficient funding to reduce the maternal mortality ratio by implement health programmes overall, three-quarters between 1990 and 2015. maternal health was the first casualty. Despite modest improvements in some Since 2001, several regional and national areas, Africa falls short of the set targets. initiatives and campaigns have been initi- The continent still has the highest number ated to specifically support Africa’s efforts of maternal deaths in the world. In 2013, towards achieving the maternal health for example, of the total 289,000 maternal goal. These include the Maputo Plan of deaths reported worldwide, 62% of these Action in 2006 by 48 African countries to occurred in Africa, according to the World ensure universal access to comprehensive Health Organisation. This is about 800 sexual and reproductive health services women dying each day due to complica- on the continent. The African Union tions from pregnancy or childbirth. launched a major campaign to acceler- Maternal mortality in Africa is largely ate the reduction of maternal and child associated with three kinds of delays mortality, which has been enacted in 40 of during the childbearing process – delay the 53 AU member states. There are also in seeking healthcare, delay in reaching other regional and national initiatives and caregivers, and delay in receiving care, campaigns on saving mothers in Africa.

according to the MDG Report 2015: Les- An expectant mother. AMO/ Nikki Rixon These efforts seem to have borne some sons learned in implementing the MDGs. fruit. Africa reduced its maternal mortal- The report, released in September 2015, ity ratio from 870 deaths per 100,000 live was co-authored by the UN Economic as it was difficult to know which interven- births in 1990 to 460 in 2013, a 47% reduc- Commission for Africa (ECA), African tions to prioritize or whether the inter- tion, although still short of the target. Union (AU), the African Development ventions were working or not. Bank (AfDB), and the UN Development The road to safe motherhood with Some steps forward Programme (UNDP). Simple healthcare access to sexual and reproductive health- Between 1990 and 2013, four African interventions such as antenatal care and care in Africa has been long and bumpy, countries – Cape Verde, Equatorial having skilled care during and after child- with missed targets and lack of follow- Guinea, Eritrea and Rwanda – reduced birth could help prevent these deaths. through on the promises made to fund maternal mortality ratios by over 75%, Although the use of contraception the implementation of the agreed pro- according to the UN ECA report. would reduce the number of unplanned grammes. A year after the launch of the Countries like Angola, Egypt, Ethio- pregnancies, unsafe abortions and mater- MDGs in 2000, African heads of state and pia, Morocco and Mozambique also did nal deaths, the irony of unmet needs for governments signed the Abuja Declara- well and reduced their ratios by 60%. contraceptives for women aged 15-49 in tion in Nigeria and pledged to allocate at Those with a slight improvement of less Africa is disturbing. The ensuing acute least 15% of their annual budgets to the than 10% were Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa shortage of contraception means that health sector. and Zimbabwe. Countries affected by con- women who want to prevent or delay An assessment of the progress after flict such as Burundi, Chad, Democratic pregnancy are not able to. Adolescent 10 years showed disappointing results, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone and childbirth has also been a cause for alarm, with WHO reporting that only three Somalia reported exceedingly high mater- considering its harmful consequences on countries were on track in meeting the nal mortality ratios. both the girls and the babies they bear. health MDGs, while 27 countries made Shockingly, Mauritius, which usually In addition to these challenges, the insufficient progress or none whatsoever. leads in economic indicators, actually absence of accurate and reliable maternal Twenty-six countries had scaled up gov- increased its maternal mortality ratio mortality data further complicated the ernment spending on health but by 2010, by 4.3% (70% in 1990 to 73 % in 2013), successful implementation of this MDG, only Tanzania had allocated the pledged according to the report.

26 AfricaRenewal December 2015 MDG 6: COMBAT HIV/AIDS, MALARIA, TB AND OTHER DISEASES New cases drop, but numbers still high

BY PAVITHRA RAO

frica made good progress in On malaria, there has been a 54% Africa and Swaziland reduced malaria meeting Millennium Devel- reduction in deaths since 2000, accord- rates by more than 75%. opment Goal (MDG) 6, which ing to a 2013 WHO report. Insecticide- On tuberculosis, although cases called for halting and revers- treated mosquito nets and artemisinin- have decreased in sub-Saharan Africa Aing the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015, based malaria therapy contributed to a to between 15% and 26% in countries achieving universal access to treatment decline in cases. such as Central African Republic, Egypt, for the virus and stopping and reversing Even so, about 90% of all malaria Eritrea and Ghana through treatments incidences of malaria and tuberculosis fatalities in the world still occur in Africa, such as the Directly Observed Treatment by 2015. states WHO. Sub-Saharan Africa is home Short course (DOTS), new incidences of The 2015 Africa Progress Report, to half the malaria cases worldwide, with the disease are up by 14% in Cameroon, released by the Africa Progress Panel the Democratic Republic of the Congo Equatorial Guinea, Lesotho and Liberia, that advocates for the sustainable devel- and Nigeria accounting for a staggering among others. WHO has concluded that opment of Africa, stated that by adopt- 34% and 39% respectively of all malaria this could be due to strains of tuberculosis ing the World Health Organization’s deaths. A lack of effective anti-malaria becoming increasingly drug-resistant. recommended interventions such as the policies and populations impacted by con- Experts point out that countries facing promotion of condom use and the wide- flicts impedes progress on the malaria security challenges may be less likely to spread availability of antiretroviral medi- front. commit resources to health issues than cation for HIV/AIDS patients, African North African countries, including countries which are not. countries managed to contain the rate of Morocco and Egypt, eliminated malaria Nevertheless, all African countries transmission. even before the MDGs came into force. have signed off on the just-launched global New HIV infections declined on the Cape Verde and Algeria have reached Sustainable Development Goals, which continent by 40%, from 1.8 million people pre-elimination and elimination stages, means that the fight against HIV/AIDS, to 1.1 million, between 2005 and 2013, respectively. Botswana, Eritrea, Namibia malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious according to the APR report. Rwanda, in Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, South diseases will continue. particular, made impressive gains, with AIDS-related deaths declining by 76%, while Eritrea and Kenya followed closely at 67%. However, Angola and Uganda did not make as much progress as the other countries, according to the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). Progress was also seen in the drop in new HIV infections per year in the 15-49 years age bracket, which was reduced by more than half in Southern, West and Central Africa. In East Africa it was reduced by 46%, while the number remained unchanged at 0.1% in North Africa. In spite of such progress, Africa accounts for an overwhelming 71% of the virus globally, with South Africa having the highest number of cases (6.3 million) followed by Nigeria (3.2 million), according to UNAIDS.

A woman has her blood taken for a test at a

clinic in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Panos/ Giacomo Pirozzi

AfricaRenewal December 2015 27 MDG 7: ENSURE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY Light at the end of the tunnel

BY RICHARD MUNANG AND ROBERT MGENDI

nvironmental sustainability is crucial to Africa’s development. As the target date for achieving the MDGs comes to a close, Eachieving environmental sustainability remains a challenge. While African countries made great efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the use of ozone-depleting sub- stances while strengthening the protection of their territorial and marine areas, more forest cover in the region was lost — either through devastation by natural causes or because the land was converted to other uses. As for ensuring safe drinking water, the rest of the world met the target by 2010, but 45 countries — 18 of them in Africa — did not meet the 2015 deadline. Still, improvement was registered. According to the 2014 MDGs report, by 2012, 69% of the African population had

access to an improved drinking water Logged plantation in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. AMO/David Larsen source, up from 48% in 1990, and about 14% of countries that met the water target in 2012 were in Africa, while a further six Africans without an improved sanitation non-medical aerosol propellants and sol- countries, Benin, Cameroon, Ethiopia, facility increased by almost 200 million vents. The MDGs report observes that in Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Morocco, were people — to 612 million. In most rural the period 2000-2011, more than half of on track. areas of Africa, sanitation coverage is still African countries achieved reductions Urban areas tended to have better below 50%. Even in urban areas, where in ozone depletion of over 50%. Alge- access to water distribution than rural coverage is better, the expansion of slum ria, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Mauritius, areas, although with exceptions. For areas continues to pose a challenge to Seychelles and South Africa emitted the example, in Angola, Chad, Niger, Djibouti achieving this goal. most CO2, while Lesotho emitted the and Guinea-Bissau, access to safe drinking Thirty-two countries reached the least. Countries that reduced their CO2 water has increased more in urban areas target of having at least 10% of their ter- emissions were the Democratic Republic than in rural areas, while rural coverage ritorial and marine areas protected, com- of the Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Mauritania, has increased faster than urban coverage pared to 19 countries in 1990. Guinea-Bis- Rwanda, and Zambia, while significant in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, sau, Guinea, Republic of Congo, Morocco emission increases were registered in Namibia, Swaziland and Uganda. and Namibia registered the most remark- Algeria, Angola and Nigeria. Enhancing access to piped drinking able progress. To avoid trading off productivity for water on premises has been the strategy Although Africa’s emissions are neg- degradation, Africa has to harmonize applied globally to ensure safe drinking ligible, the region accounts for 20% of industrial development with environmen- water for the population. Only 16% of the global net annual CO2 emissions derived tal sustainability, contrary to taking the population in Africa is connected to piped from land use — that is CO2 emissions “pollute first, clean up later” approach water on their premises — the lowest in resulting from changes in the use of land. that most industrialized countries took. the world. Africa registered remarkable progress in Finally, as Africa transitions with the rest On sanitation, Africa was off track. reducing the use of ozone-depleting sub- of the world to the Sustainable Development Between 1990 and 2010, sanitation cover- stances, such as commercial and domes- Goals, its priorities should centre around age increased by just 4%, to reach about tic refrigerants, domestic air condition- environmentally sustainable and socially a third of the population. The number of ing, motor vehicle air conditioners, and inclusive industrial development.

28 AfricaRenewal December 2015 MDG 8: GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR DEVELOPMENT How did partnerships work for Africa?

BY TIM WALL

newly tested vaccine against Drug development to defeat the Ebola access is only a dream. Its very exist- Ebola and a giant drone that virus had been negligible until the out- ence illustrates value of the MDG 8 target can beam Internet access to break in three West African countries, of making available the benefits of new poor isolated areas — two as deaths prior to 2014 never went above technologies, especially information and Aprojects announced just a few months to the triple-digit range and the lack of a communications, developed by the private the expiration of the Millennium Devel- guaranteed market forestalled necessary sector. opment Goals (MDGs) — exemplify the research and development that might The lightning-like spread of mobile initiatives unleashed by the goal on global have found a solution. Currently, clinical phones in Africa made possible by govern- partnership for development. But multiple trials for several candidate vaccines are ment liberalization and private ingenu- frustrations have also accompanied the in various phases and a safe and effective ity, including many African firms, is well 15-year effort to advance the partnership. vaccine is hoped for by the end of 2015. known. So is the impact: more shared Results of a trial vaccine developed As regards the internet project, Face- knowledge, support for small-scale com- by two pharmaceuticals and field-tested book, the social media tech firm, has panies and farmers, and an expansion of by the World Health Organization and purchased Ascenta and Titan Aerospace, economic and social liberties for many Médecins Sans Frontières, a non-govern- manufacturers of high-altitude solar- women. mental organization that provides health powered drones with the wingspan of a Still, according to the International care in poor countries, indicate a possible, Boeing 737 and the weight of a standard Telecommunications Union, barely more but far from guaranteed, end to Ebola. car to bring the Internet to places where than 20% of Africans were online by late 2015 and this number is skewed by country. Nigeria, for example, was a top 10 Internet country in 2015 with 92% penetration, according to Internet World Stats. Tunisia was at the bottom with 5.2%. Further, the annual price of basic broadband in 20 countries, most of them sub-Saharan, was more than 50% of average personal income in 2013. Strong progress has been seen on the MDG 8 target of providing access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries in cooperation with pharma- ceutical companies. But growth in this area depends on the natural forces of innovation and competition; the prospect of markets assured by donor countries, multilateral institutions and multi-sector partnerships; the goodwill of companies; and supporting companies based in countries where costs are lower and consumers are closer. Reduction in the costs of medicines (as distinguished from vaccines) differs from disease to disease, according to the UN’s MDG Gap Task Force Report 2015 and in some cases it has been spectacular. At the start of the MDGs, adopted in 2000, the annual cost of antiretrovirals to fight HIV

Together in a stronger partnership. UNDP

AfricaRenewal December 2015 29 was $10,000 and fewer than one million But protectionist measures persist, the past decade, but it has been increasing Africans were receiving treatment. But including suspiciously high standards of in some countries in recent years. partnership efforts, including those led by entry for imports from poor countries, However, a number of developing UNAIDS, a coalition comprised of 10 UN and farm subsidies in rich countries that countries, particularly small states, con- agencies against AIDS, using legal chal- hold back African farmers who want to tinue to face some of the highest debt-to- lenges to intellectual property and license export. GDP ratios in the world, and their under- rights, brought the cost down to $100 and Developing countries received duty- lying economic problems warrant further some 10.7 million in sub-Saharan Africa free treatment on only 65% of their attention. An urgent need remains for the now are being treated. exports to developed countries in 2000, international community to assist coun- According to a recent UNDP report, but on 79% in 2014 (excluding arms). tries to enhance their policies towards the availability of essential medicines is Duty-free imports from least developed debt-crisis prevention and to facilitate still low in developing countries. Accord- countries increased from 70% to 84% of resolution of crises. ing to the data on medicine availability their trade over the same period, reports and prices collected in 26 surveys from UNDP. The partnership effect 2007 to 2014 in a sample of low- and But, the merchandise exports of least As this review of targets indicates, MDG middle-income countries, generic medi- developed countries accounted for only 8 was a “partnership” in fact as well cines were available on average in 58.1% 1.17% of world trade in 2013. According to as name, including North-South and of public sector facilities and in 66.6% of the report, there is the need for developed public-private. private sector facilities. countries to eliminate more barriers to More generous official development Nevertheless, there have been efforts trade, while the remaining Doha Round assistance (ODA) for countries committed to increase treatment access, in particular issues need to be tackled. to poverty reduction is also listed in this for some diseases such as HIV, tuberculo- Due to visible economic and politi- target. ODA to the continent grew from sis and malaria, largely owing to a massive cal progress, investors have been eyeing less than $20 billion in 2000 to $56 bil- influx of national and international fund- Africa with more optimism. The UN Con- lion in 2013. This is an increase that might ing, such as from the Global Fund. ference on Trade and Development annual have been considered utopian in 2000, but It should be noted that these outcomes reports show foreign direct investment falls well short of promises made outside are skewed by country. In Mali, for exam- to Africa rising from $9 billion in 2000 to the MDGs framework. ple, a 50% cost reduction in ARVs trans- $55 billion in 2014. WTO’s Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh lates into about 45,000 CFA per month Freeing countries from crippling debt points out that among the soft spots in (about US$88). Yet, given that the cost is was another MDG 8 target. Under an the global partnership were weak regula- higher than the average monthly house- initiative for heavily indebted poor coun- tory regimes in Africa itself. hold income, ARVs are still inaccessible tries spearheaded by the World Bank and “Countries were moving quickly from to 90% of the HIV-infected population the International Monetary Fund, debt centralized economies to market-based of Mali. relief has reduced financial pressures for systems,” he told Africa Renewal. “But 36 countries out of 39 highly indebted they often failed to realize that when you Trade, finance and debt poor countries, 30 of them African, and liberalize you actually need to regulate For years, trade has been the key that achieved $76 billion in debt cancellations. more, provide more guidance, because unlocks new wealth, new technologies, Only three countries—Eritrea, Soma- the government is no longer carrying out and new ideas. By all appearances, the lia and Sudan—have yet to start the debt- all the economic functions on its own.” system was stacked in favour of the richest relief process. The overall ratio of external The governance effect, good or bad, countries. The first MDG 8 target there- debt to gross domestic product (GDP) of can be seen in areas like trade, investment fore was to “develop further an open, rule- developing countries has declined over and productive capacity. based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and financial system”. Creation of the World Trade Organiza- tion (WTO) in 1996 replaced a previous trade pact — the General Agreement on IN MEMORY OF TIMOTHY WALL Tariffs and Trade — with a more extensive guideline and rulebook covering trade 26 January 1950 – 4 November 2015 relations. The African Growth and Oppor- tunity Act instituted in 2000 by the US Timothy Wall, a long-time United Nations public information officer and created openings for African products a regular contributor to Africa Renewal on economic development issues, in US markets. According the UN’s MDG passed away on 4 November. He will be missed by many, including his Report 2015, the margin of trade prefer- colleagues at the United Nations. Tim is survived by his wife and a son. ence allotted to sub-Saharan Africa in the He submitted this story shortly after the September Summit on Sustainable Development. clothing sector in 2014 topped that of all May His Soul Rest In Peace. other developing regions.

30 AfricaRenewal December 2015 Women, peace & security human rights and peacebuilding efforts. the Security Council or [a] watch list of from page 13 The organization trains women as peace countries failing to meet the resolution’s mediators, election observers and gender objectives were not established,” said advisers. Namibia’s deputy prime minister Netumbo digits since the resolution was passed. The In January 2014 the AU appointed Nandi-Ndaitwah during Africa Week, last results have had a devastating impact on its first special envoy for women, peace October. women’s lives: over half the world’s mater- and security. Bineta Diop helped coor- nal deaths occur in conflict and fragile dinate Africa’s efforts in implementing Where is the money? countries; about half of out-of-school chil- 1325. Since her appointment, Ms. Diop Despite some progress, gaps in the imple- dren of primary school age live in conflict has worked closely with the UN, touring mentation of resolution 1325 persist in areas; and girls’ net enrolment rate in conflict areas in Africa. In the Central Africa, in part because of lack of funds. primary education is 17 points below the African Republic, the plan is to dedicate “We have made some advances, but we global rate. In these conflict areas, the risk funding to support women’s participa- must do much more, and we must do of sexual violence, child marriage and HIV tion in the forthcoming elections, rule- it faster,” Mr. Ban told reporters at the infection has increased since 2000. of-law reform and transitional justice launch of the global study, which was com- UN Women wants urgent action to mechanisms. missioned by the UN Security Council. increase women’s active participation At the same time, both the AU and the The study found that unpredictable in peace and security matters. “This UN have increased the number of women and insufficient funding, lack of data anniversary must mark that threshold military and police officers in peacekeep- analysis on gender issues and also lack moment where words become action,” ing missions, which has in turn improved of technical expertise on gender, atti- says Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the head the reporting of sexual assaults. They have tudinal obstacles, and insufficient map- of UN Women. also set up units that provide protection ping of needs in planning and budgeting The resolution was passed on the eve of to civilian victims of abuse. Similar units have harmed the long-term effectiveness International Women’s Day in 2000 after that shelter victims of gender-based vio- of interventions for peace and security, “extensive stonewalling” by some members, lence also exist in Somalia and the Darfur humanitarian causes and development. recalls Anwarul Chowdhury, a former per- region of Sudan. In Rwanda, Liberia and “The most immediate solution is to manent representative of Bangladesh to the the DRC, the UN provides support to sur- divide the funding pie more equitably,” says UN, who was the president of the UN Security vivors of gender-based violence. Africa Development Bank (AfDB)’s special Council at the time. envoy on gender, Geraldine Fraser-Mole- As the world marked the resolution’s Challenges keti. “It is important to expand the funding fifteenth anniversary in October, UN Sec- Despite impressive efforts on the ground, pie for women, peace and security so that retary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the there are still challenges when it comes gender is not seen as a zero-sum game.” global study on resolution 1325, carried to women, peace and security in Africa. The AfDB has since established a out to determine how it has been imple- Ten years after resolution 1325, the DRC fund—the Global Acceleration Instrument mented since its inception. According went through a horrific conflict in which for Women, Peace and Security (GAI- to the study, Preventing Conflict, Trans- hundreds of women were raped. Horri- WPS)—to provide flexible rapid support to forming Justice, Securing the Peace, the fied by the magnitude of the situation, the governments and organizations respond- resolution has had a remarkable impact on then-UN special representative for sexual ing to emergencies. “The GAI-WPS aims women’s participation in all areas of peace violence in conflict, Margot Wallström, to raise $100 million between 2015 and and security. “I have highlighted women’s described the country as the “rape capital 2020,” Ms. Fraser says. leadership in peacebuilding as a priority. I of the world.” have asked 15% of all peacebuilding funds “The recent cases in South Sudan have The way forward in Africa to be devoted to advancing gender equal- compounded the reality that indeed pro- Meanwhile, Ms. Diop is urging countries ity and women’s empowerment,” said the gress has been slow and that women con- to create national action plans on imple- secretary-general during the launch of tinue to bear the brunt of violence during menting 1325. “So far only 16 countries the report. “We have made some advances times of war, and unfortunately even during have action plans. Where are the rest?” but we must do much more, and we must times of peace,” said Ms. Diop, the AU envoy, she asks, adding that monitoring of and do it faster.” speaking at a high-level meeting held at UN reporting on the implementation of the headquarters recently. resolution was also not systematic. She Achievements in Africa Moreover, the lack of time-bound tar- emphasizes the need to regularly remind Several African countries have embraced gets for achieving the goals of the resolution countries of their commitments and resolution 1325, and 16 states now have may have slowed action, as countries were accountability. relevant national action plans in place. not under pressure to beat a set deadline. African countries can also look into The African Union (AU) has also made sig- Also not spelt out was how countries would information sharing and documenting nificant efforts to integrate commitments monitor and evaluate women, peace and good practices, regional training, as well as to the idea of women, peace and security security initiatives to provide evidence of monitoring and reporting on progress in the into its own security, crisis-response, progress. “Reporting mechanisms through implementation of the resolution.

AfricaRenewal December 2015 31 Nelson Mandela Prize winners ... God I had these guiding angels that have The success of her eye camps in from page 12 now enabled me to give back to the poor Namibia led Dr. Ndume to expand her today.’” project to neighbouring Angola. She cur- Dr. Ndume’s husband, Dr. Solomon rently serves as head of ophthalmology at our refugee camp said, ‘No way! We don’t Guramatunhu, also an eye specialist, the Windhoek Central Hospital and has need fashion designers in an independent was instrumental in introducing her to received numerous international honours. Namibia,’” she recalled in an interview with US organization Surgical Eye Expeditions “I have participated in international Africa Renewal. “‘We need doctors, and I (SEE). Later, while attending a medical political affairs because I’m a believer in want you to be a doctor.’” conference in the United States in 1995, diplomacy, cooperation and multilateral- After graduating from medical school she visited SEE’s booth and registered to ism,” President Sampaio said of the signifi- in Germany, Dr. Ndume returned to an join the organization’s roster of over 600 cance he attached to the award, adding that independent Namibia. “One doctor in the volunteer eye surgeons. She soon started he wished to share his prize with all those refugee camp who had been like a mother to organize ophthalmological treatment who work in modest ways, without any to me during the struggle for liberation camps throughout Namibia. As a result, a publicity, to fulfil promises and to improve advised me, ‘With these little hands, you number of volunteers from groups like SEE the lives of the poor and the marginalized. must go for ophthalmology.’ So I went back and Seeing Without Borders have travelled Dr. Ndume could be an example of to Germany and did ophthalmology, even to Namibia every year, dedicating their those who work in modest ways, having though it was not really what I had wanted. time and employing their expertise to care teamed up with international organiza- But today when I look back I say, ‘Thank for the eyes of the underprivileged. tions to restore, at no cost, vision to thou- sands of cataract-affected people in Africa. She says, “People have helped us to be where we are today, that is why we have to give back to communities.” Besides, she adds, “No money can pay for the joy of a blind person who can now see.”

The two Mandela Prize laureates pose for a group photo at the event. From left: Dr. Ndume; Jesse Jackson, Sr., civil rights leader in the United States; Ruhakana Rugunda, Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda; Susana Malcorra, Chef de Cabinet to the Secretary- General; Sam Kutesa, President of the sixty- ninth session of the General Assembly; Mr.

Branco Sampaio. UN/Rick Bajornas

Financing Africa’s development ... are not a replacement of what you need invites all kinds of experts from other from page 9 to do. Right now Africa is very keen on parts of the world to flock to Africa with domestic resource mobilization. This has their reports and monitoring. Putting in been expressed by African ministers in place the statistical machinery for plan- . many different circumstances and docu- ning is different from putting them in How do you see the future of financing for ments, including at the ECA. For domestic place for monitoring. I hope we don’t development in Africa? resource mobilization, tax issues, which make that mistake because that’s what The future for Africa is basically domestic are one of the remaining sticking points, we did in the past. What we need is solid resource mobilization, so we go back to are very crucial and the way it is treated and methodologically sound statistics. the need for Africans to define a strategy can have an impact on Africa’s interests. An approach that is structured and not for themselves. That’s the real ownership fragmented. The number of targets in the — it is when you increase your taxes and How does Africa plan to measure the SDGs is a wake up call for us to not make you become more efficient in collecting SDGs’ 17 goals and 169 targets? the same mistake. It remains to be solved and using them. So you get to fund your If you don’t have proper statistics, which how to monitor the targets to make sure own development. Basically, you put your a lot of African countries don’t, you can that people are not overwhelmed with too money where your mouth is, and you easily be overwhelmed with 169 targets. much reporting and crisscrossing agen- become less dependent on other flows Because we have insufficient informa- das. This is what we must do in the next that are very important and welcome, but tion, from a statistical point of view, this year or so.

32 AfricaRenewal December 2015 AFRICA WIRED New phone technology to help fight river blindness

BY PAVITHRA RAO

sing the popular However, the most seri- are also commonly caused by to an iPhone, a patient’s blood U iPhone smartphone, ous damage onchocerciasis insects found by rivers and are can be dropped into the micro- researchers at US-based can cause is damage to the often mistaken for river blind- scope’s compartment for test- Stanford University have optic nerve, often resulting ness: lymphatic filariasis (also ing. Through use of the iPhone’s created a simple, portable and in permanent loss of vision. known as elephantiasis) and internal camera, results of the inexpensive diagnostic tool According to WHO, this is the loaiasis, caused by the Loa loa test can be obtained within to diagnose river blindness, second most common infec- worm. two minutes and can include a tropical disease caused by tious cause of blindness glob- Though Mectizan kills the the number of Loa loa worms parasitic worm larvae from an present in the sample. Based on infected fly. this procedure, it can be deter- An easy-to-set-up micro- mined whether medication for scope called CellScope Loa is river blindness needs be given attached to an iPhone, making to the infected patient. it possible to drop a patient’s The microscope can save blood into the microscope’s precious time and because it compartment for examination. works with a prompt-based Every year, according to interface, telling the user the the World Health Organiza- exact steps to take, human error tion (WHO), more than 18 is minimized. million people in Africa and The Stanford University pro- other parts of the world are gramme to manufacture these affected by river blindness after microscopes is being funded being bitten by the Simulium by the Bill and Melinda Gates fly. This fly, found in parts of Foundation, the US Agency for

Africa, the Middle East and Testing of the mobile phone-based video microscope in Cameroon. NIAID International Development and South America, can easily be the Blum Center for Developing dismissed as an ordinary pesky Economies at the University of insect. But by simply biting the ally. No vaccines exist against worms that cause all three California Berkeley. skin, an infected fly can deposit the disease yet and patients diseases, it can cause harm to The researchers are cur- parasitic worm larvae into must take the prescribed patients who have too many Loa rently testing the devices and the bloodstream. An infected medication twice a year for 15 loa worms in their bloodstream creating approximately 40 person may suffer a litany of years. Every year pharmaceu- by wiping them all out at once, more. So far the results have skin problems and, in the worst tical company Merck, WHO causing haemorrhaging of the been encouraging. An initial test cases, blindness. and other partners organize a brain, according to WHO. The was conducted in Cameroon. According to WHO, the donation programme in which CellScope Loa was created to The second batch of micro- Simulium fly is usually found the drug Mectizan is given to avoid the risk of misdiagnosis. scopes is being tested in central swarming around rivers in river blindness patients. Similar Lab technicians can examine Africa. remote areas and can carry donation programmes in Ethio- blood smears and manually If future experiments with worm larvae that cause a pia, Nigeria, Sudan and Uganda, identify and count the worms, the smartphone microscope disease called onchocerciasis, among other countries, have a process that can take most continue to produce accurate commonly known as river blind- been carried out to cure millions of a day. Given the number of results, perhaps there is a future ness. This in turn causes spots of those affected. patients to be tested, this is in point-of-care diagnoses, on the skin that can resemble Unfortunately, many very time-consuming and often especially of tropical diseases. the rough skin of a lizard, as of these programmes have impractical. “It demonstrates what tech- well as intense, almost unbear- recently been halted because Once the CellScope Loa— nology can do to help fill a void able itching when the hundreds the drug may pose a risk to invented by Stanford University for populations that are suffer- of larvae nestled within the patients who suffer from two researchers Thomas Nutman ing from terrible, but treatable, body die. other parasitic diseases that and Dan Fletcher—is attached diseases,” says Mr. Fletcher.

AfricaRenewal December 2015 33 AFRICA WIRED ATM-operated water dispensers bring safe water to poor communities

BY ELENI MOURDOUKOUTAS

n automated teller members of the community A machine (ATM) is the to draw water from the four last piece of technology the dispensers that have thus residents of Mathare expected far been installed. In informal to see in their informal settle- settlements such as Mathare, ment in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, residents are often unable to especially one that dispenses take advantage of amenities water, not money. However, offered 24 hours a day due to ATM-operated water dispensers security concerns, but because are starting to pop up across of the community’s own secu-

the community, to the delight of rity arrangements, the water Youth using “water ATM” cards in Mathare, Nairobi, Kenya. Verah Okeyo the residents. can be drawn at any time, day The ‘water ATMs’ in or night. Mathare work in a similar way In this way, the system well as security, those who were helps to track monies collected as their traditional counterparts offers greater safety and conducting illegal carwashes more reliably, transparently and that dispense cash. Patrons use freedom to the residents. “It have been forced to collect the efficiently. smart cards that can be easily ensures that the people in the water they need legally from the So what’s next on the topped up at a local kiosk or informal settlements have direct taps instead of destroying valu- agenda for the ATM-water through a mobile phone, and control over their water supply,” able pipelines. dispenser? simply swipe the cards at the says Phillip Gichuki, the man- The implementation of the Mr. Gichuki says the Nairobi ATM-style device. aging director of the Nairobi ATM water dispenser has not Water and Sewerage Company The water that flows from Water and Sewerage Company. been without challenges. The has so far identified 611 more the tap into jerry cans brought In exchange, these community- system features a single tap points to install the dispensers by the customers is up to 100 based security groups receive with water flowing at a slow and aims to eventually install times cheaper than that from 40% of Ksh25 (about 25 US rate, which results in long one every 100 metres through- private vendors. It costs only cents) garnered for every cubic queues. Residents report that it out the city, especially within half a Kenyan shilling (less than metre of water. can take up to two minutes to the informal settlements. half a US cent) for 20 litres of The youths also keep the fill a 20-litre container. There are also plans to water and is guaranteed to be water points clean and prevent Grundfos, which is also extent the technology to the clean and safe to drink. The vandals from tampering with providing technical support, is rest of Africa. “There are public-private partnership that the devices in a city where working to increase the water already many potential partners spawned the initiative, between illegal car wash operations are pressure on the taps to increase from other African countries the Nairobi Water and Sewer- rampant. In the absence of the speed of the water flow, who have shown interest in age Company and the Danish security, the main pipes sup- a measure that is easy and the project,” Mr. Mikkelsen engineering firm Grundfos is the plying fresh water to the city not so costly, according to the told Africa Renewal. Already, first of its kind in a peri-urban are punctured to divert water company’s director of global the company has signed area. to these illegal car wash setups. partnerships, Rasoul Mikkelsen. agreements to install the ATM Maintaining security is typi- After use, the pipes are left to One of the greatest assets water dispensers in Burkina cally the primary challenge to spill out until the reserves are of this technology in a settle- Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger and the success of water dispensers depleted. This leads to wide- ment like Mathare is its ability Tanzania. in informal settlements, a task spread water shortages in many to track revenue collection, “Ultimately, the project will this programme has allocated parts of the city. which has always been a chal- have a huge positive impact to groups of young people living Now that the new dispens- lenge to the Nairobi Water and on health. It is an affordable in the community. They are ers have provided an alternative Sewerage Company. Installing system with sustainable, good responsible for ensuring that it water supply that is easily an internal system in which no quality water,” says Mr. Mik- is safe at all hours of the day for accessible and affordable, as cash is physically exchanged kelsen.

34 AfricaRenewal December 2015 BOOK REVIEW

War, Politics and Justice in West Africa: Essays 2003-2014 by Lansana Gberie Sierra Leonean Writers Series, Freetown, Sierra Leone; 2015, 309pp; pb$ $38.56

onflict is no stranger to West Africa. as journalistic vocation and earning a living, C From Mali to Côte d’Ivoire, to Sierra was key motivation for me,” he says. Leone, to Liberia, the region has had its Peter Penfold, former UK High Commis- share of internal conflicts. sioner to Sierra Leone, praises Mr. Gberie’s The motives for such wars are numer- writing style in the book’s foreword: “Mr. ous and complex and often take time and Gberie often focuses upon the individu- intense dissection to comprehend. Under- als involved, which often adds flesh and standing these conflicts from a personal colour to the stories told…The collection of experience is what author Lansana Gberie articles is brought right up to date with a sets out to do in his book, War, Politics and couple of articles about the latest scourge Justice in West Africa: Essay 2003-2014. to affect Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea – Trained as a journalist, Mr. Gberie aims Ebola. There are some interesting parallels to showcase his own reaction to war, politics between the Ebola crisis and the earlier and justice in the region through a collection conflicts.” of essays and articles that he has written The 309-page book has eight parts – for various publications, including academic each expanding upon a theme, such as ‘War journals, magazines and newspapers. and Memory,’ ‘War on Trial’ and ‘Pawns and Having attended university in his native Players in Sierra Leone’s War’. Sierra Leone when civil war broke out, Mr. A United Nations expert on West Africa, Gberie says the war captivated his attention, experiences during the rebel wars in the Mr. Gberie’s other publications include A leaving him profoundly transformed by what West African countries of Liberia and Sierra Dirty War in West Africa; The RUF and the he witnessed. He then decided to become Leone, from 2002 until 2014. Destruction of Sierra Leone; and Rescuing a a journalist so he could document the brutal “I became fully engaged in reporting Fragile State: Sierra Leone 2002-2008. war that unfolded before his eyes. The book the war partly as a way of understanding it; chronicles, in vivid details, Mr. Gberie’s comprehension as social inquiry, as much — Pavithra Rao

APPOINTMENTS

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon The UN secretary-general has appointed has appointed Tegegnework Gettu of Ethiopia as Maman S. Sidikou of Niger as his special under-secretary-general and associate admin- representative and head of the UN Organization istrator of the United Nations Development Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Repub- Programme (UNDP). Mr. Gettu served as the lic of the Congo (MONUSCO). He served most

UN Photo/Rick Bajornas under-secretary-general for General Assembly Garten Photo/Mark UN recently as his country’s ambassador to the and Conference Management, and previously as UNDP assistant United States. Mr. Sidikou succeeds Martin Kobler of Germany. secretary-general and regional director of the Bureau for Africa from 2009 to 2013. He succeeds Maria Eugenia Casar of Mexico. Waldemar Vrey of South Africa has been appointed as deputy special representative Martin Ihoeghian Uhomoibhi of Nigeria has (Political and Rule of Law) for the UN Mis- been appointed as the joint special repre- sion in Liberia (UNMIL). Most recently, Mr. sentative for Darfur and head of the African Vrey served as director for the rule of law and Union-United Nations Hybrid Mission in Darfur UNMIL/Emmanuel Tobey security institutions group in the UN Assistance (UNAMID). He most recently served as founder Mission in Somalia (UNSOM). He succeeds Mark Kroeker of the

UN/Pierre-Michel Virot UN/Pierre-Michel and president of the Pan African Institute for United States. Global Affairs and Strategy. He succeeds Abiodun Oluremi Bashua, also of Nigeria.

AfricaRenewal December 2015 35 www.un.org/africarenewal facebook.com/africarenewal twitter.com/africarenewal

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