22 December 2012: A two-day forum on African priorities for the post-2015 development agenda has resulted in an Outcome Document that reflects those priorities and lists development enablers that participants identified as prerequisites for the post-2015 agenda. The forum, held in Dakar, Senegal, was one of several African events to build consensus on a post-2015 vision to be endorsed at the African Union (AU) Summit in May 2013.
Also serving as inputs to the Outcome Document were participants views from: a regional consultation in Accra, Ghana in 2011; sub-regional consultations in Mombasa, Kenya and Dakar, Senegal in 2012; and an ongoing online survey.
The Outcome Document prioritizes three broad development outcomes: structural economic transformation and inclusive growth; innovation and technology transfer; and human development. On economic transformation and inclusive growth, participants proposed priorities, including decent jobs, green growth initiatives and sustainable development. On innovation and technology transfer, priorities include access to high quality education at all levels, with a focus on indigenous languages and strong science components, and establishment of an African technological innovation funding bank to support sustainable development. On human development, priorities include access to water, sanitation and hygiene, food security, gender equality, health, poverty eradication, and strengthened capacity to implement disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate adaptation initiatives.
The Outcome Document states that an enabling environment at national, regional and global levels is needed to achieve development outcomes. Identified development enablers are, inter alia: greater agricultural focus; good governance, transparency and fighting corruption; human rights; strengthened institutional capacity; strengthened local governance; land monopoly controls; macro-economic policies that emphasize fair growth; promoting equality and access to justice and information; participatory processes with cultural sensitivity; enhanced statistical capacity to measure progress and ensure accountability; domestic resource mobilization; peace and security; and an enabling global governance architecture.
Forum participants also recognized African progress and challenges in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Africa has made progress on MDGs related to education, gender empowerment and HIV and AIDS prevalence rates. Outstanding challenges include access to health and sanitation services, income inequality and job creation.
The UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Africa Union Commission (AUC), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) sponsored the Forum. [UNDP Press Release] [IISD RS Sources]