8 September 2011: African leaders gathered recently for the African Regional Meeting on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding, convened under the theme “The Road to Busan.” In their final Communiqué, leaders recognized that fragile states are not achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and called for establishing new peace- and statebuilding goals as an interim to the MDGs as part of a reassessment and new approach to the MDGs and development on the continent.

Convened by the African Union (AU), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the meeting sought to facilitate consultations with governments, regional and international organizations as well as civil society on the challenges to peace- and statebuilding, promote collaboration and shape the agenda for the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, scheduled to take place at the end of November 2011 in Busan, Republic of Korea.

During the deliberations, participants stressed the importance of stronger ownership, leadership and transparency from fragile states in assessing their situation and formulating plans. They also agreed that job creation was essential to creating stability and peace, and that along with justice and security must be priorities to inform future work. [AfDB Press Release] [African Regional Meeting on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding Communiqué]