Thematic Areas
"New York, 11/10/2011 – The first decade of the existence of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) has been characterised by the formation of policy frameworks that have helped countries to realise improvements in their agriculture, infrastructure and health sectors. Strengthened partnerships are required in order to achieve greater results.
The future of NEPAD is going to be focused on working with regional economic communities (RECs), strategic partnerships and on implementation, said the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency), Mr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki earlier on today at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
According to Mr. Mayaki, the birth of NEPAD in 2001, has given rise to the presence of genuine and context-relevant policies, plans and frameworks for the development of Africa.
Mr. Mayaki was speaking at the 32nd plenary meeting of the sixty-sixth session of the UNGA on the agenda item titled: ‘the New Partnership for Africa’s Development: progress in implementation and international support; Causes of conflict and the Promotion of durable peace and sustainable development in Africa; and the Decade of Rollback Malaria in Developing Countries particularly in Africa’.
In February 2010, NEPAD was officially incorporated into the African Union’s (AU) formal structures and processes with the creation of the NEPAD Agency – as the technical body of the AU. It is in this regard that Mr. Mayaki had been invited to speak as an Observer under the auspices of the AU.
He went on to reveal that the 2010 integration of NEPAD into the AU had not only strengthened NEPAD, but also presented the programme with an opportunity to mainstream national ownership, to create the NEPAD Agency as a technical body of the AU and to be more open to the participation of civil society in the work of NEPAD.
The NEPAD Agency has already started mapping out a niche for itself as the leading African agency that is able to facilitate and coordinate major development projects on the continent.
In his remarks to the General Assembly, Mr. Mayaki highlighted a number of NEPAD successes such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, the Programme for the Infrastructure Development of Africa and the NEPAD Biosciences Program and the African Biosciences Network Exchange all of which were making a real positive impact on the continent’s progress.
Mr. Mayaki recognised the on-going support of the UN to NEPAD particularly through the UN Specialised Agencies, of the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and more broadly the UN Regional Coordination Mechanism for Africa (UN-RCM).
Shortly after its adoption by African leader ten years ago, the NEPAD plan became the main UN vehicle in support of Africa. It is in this regard that Mayaki called upon the UN and indeed the member states to explore opportunities on how support to NEPAD could be expanded and made more strategic as per the work of the NEPAD Agency.
Mr. Mayaki’s remarks were preceded by a series of optimistic statements on NEPAD from over 24 member states many of whom acknowledged the progress made by NEPAD, whilst also calling for more delivery in the next decade.
To read the full statement delivered by Dr. Mayaki at the 66th UNGA, go to: http://www.nepad.org/nepad/knowledge/doc/2500/nepad-week-%E2%80%94-calendar-events
