John Allen
27 March 2009
Cape Town — A high-level panel of African leaders and development experts headed by former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan issued a call Friday for reforms of global governance structures to help Africa weather the international financial crisis.
In a publication timed to influence next week's critical summit of leaders of the G20 nations in London, Annan says that while wealthier nations can raise trillions of dollars at short notice to bail themselves out of the crisis, poor countries find themselves unable to borrow money or even to get a seat at the tables around which the crisis is being discussed.
In Africa, Annan adds, "many countries are experiencing reduced trade and economic activity, withdrawal of investors and an acute scarcity of credit. Projects are being postponed or cancelled altogether. Financial inflows are dropping, including levels of international assistance and remittances."
As a result, African governments and people are hindered in their ability to provide basic services and to develop their countries. "The human, social and political consequences could be enormous."
Annan makes these points in a special publication produced by the "Africa Progress Panel," a review group which monitors whether the world's leaders are meeting their commitments to Africa. The panel, which Annan heads, also includes former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Mozambican activist Graça Machel, Botswana's central banker, Linah Kelebogile Mohohlo, and former Ivorien minister and business leader Tidjane Thiam.
Annan calls in his contribution – published as an AllAfrica guest column today – for major reforms of global financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank to make them more responsive to Africa's interests.
"Until all parts of the world are included in critical deliberations, including on trade and climate change," he says, "these institutions lack the reach and legitimacy they need to provide truly global answers to today's challenges and the inclusiveness to make the most of tomorrow's opportunities."
Among the proposals he and other contributors to the publication advocate:
Along with other African contributors, Annan calls for the continent's leaders to play their part too.
"If they are to profit from the new multilateralism outlined by the contributors," writes Annan, "the continent's states must heed their commitments regarding governance, accountability and transparency and find ways to act in a more coordinated and concerted fashion."
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Perhaps Mr. Annan could learn from a non-African - President Lula of Brazil who spoke more candidly on behalf of all the poorer people of our world, standing next to Gordon Brown this morning. Enough of this cap-in-hand pleading for more aid instead of fairer trade. Is that too much to ask for? For Mr. Lula’s comment, see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7964910.stm.
For the ordinary african in 'subsaharan Africa, live has never been easy even before the economic recession from the 'north' does he have a good road, good health care for his family, water and nutrition, free and quality education for his kids, good shelter instead of live in slums and secure future, who is thinking about him, what are the goals of leaders in sub-saharan africa anyway, where are they when countries like, Indonesia, Malasia, etc, where developing. He has not known any better so the recession means nothing to him, excepts the leaders who's windwall from the north will dry up as a result.
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