Tunis — The African Development Bank (AfDB), the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency and the African Union Commission (AUC) are pleased to release the Tunis Consensus: Targeting Effective Development, a joint statement emerging from the Second Regional Meeting on Aid Effectiveness, South-South Cooperation and Capacity Development, which took place in Tunis in November 2010.
This official statement summarizes the key messages and emerging consensus on development effectiveness in Africa, in preparation for the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, which will convene in Busan, Republic of Korea, in November 2011.
The Tunis Consensus is a very important milestone towards shaping an African-led agenda for development cooperation that strengthens Africa's collective voice for the forum in Korea.
It identified six elements that are central to an African agenda for development effectiveness: building capable States; developing democratic accountability; promoting South-South cooperation; thinking and acting regionally; embracing new development partners; and outgrowing aid dependence.
"Aid is only one part of the solution to Africa's development challenges. Development in Africa must be driven by robust, private sector-led growth and effective and accountable states able to finance their development needs from their own revenues, mentions the statement. To be truly effective, development must also be accompanied by stronger economic integration across the continent: integration is essential to creating economies of scale that will boost trade and investment and equip Africa to compete in the global economy", states the document.
The Busan forum of November 2011 will set to determine the principles and commitments that will guide development cooperation. It will gather developing countries, development agencies, international organizations and a broad cross-section of civil society to review the achievements of the Paris Declaration and the Accra Agenda for Action, and perhaps launch a successor agreement.
