Cross Cutting Issues

Overview

While NEPAD's work is guided by five core thematic areas there are also a number of cross-cutting issues that are equally important to its work. These include private sector involvement, gender, capacity development and information and communication technologies (ICTs).

Private sector involvement in NEPAD programmes and projects is critical because of the resources it can bring to financing projects and the expertise it offers in delivering on NEPAD's programme objectives.

Capacity development is also a critical issue, and the NEPAD Planning and Co-ordinating Agency (NPCA) will devote considerable attention in the 2010-2013 period.

Gender empowerment is central to NEPAD's work as which aims to enhance the role and rights for women on the continent. NEPAD is working on a holistic approach to gender mainstreaming and women empowerment and integrating these into NEPAD's programmes and processes.

ICTs are another area that affect all of NEPAD's work. Work under ICTs is overseen by NEPAD's e-Africa programme. The vision of the programme is to see Africa as a globally competitive digital society.

Aims and goals

The objective is to create an enabling environment for work that supports poverty eradication and socio-economic development in the region. More specifically NEPAD aims to:

- Enhance private sector involvement in the NEPAD programmes and projects;
- Support activities aimed at empowering African women and improving their lives;
- Promoting innovative, appropriate and effective solutions to capacity development that take into account local needs, priorities and context;
- Actively pursue cross-sectoral initiatives so that ICTs are entrenched in NEPAD's work and are at the forefront of African development.

What is being done under this thematic area?

This are of work includes three key areas:

- Gender 
- ICTs
- Capacity development