CHAIRMAN'S SUMMARY FROM ADDIS ABABA

The members of the Africa Commission met in Addis Ababa on 20 November for their second meeting.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss concrete initiatives that can foster growth and job creation in Africa.

The commissioners reaffirmed their commitment to bring about real change for Africa’s growing number of young people. 

 

According to the summary, the Commission stressed its intention to launch concrete initiatives aimed at fostering private sector led growth for job creation.

Productive employment, e.g. in agriculture, and decent work will be the most effective way to reduce poverty in Africa in a sustainable manner.

The Africa Commission stressed that African Governments, together with international partners, should:

• Focus on private sector-led rather than donor-led growth in Africa, fuelled by increased competitiveness of the private sector and open markets, including south-south trade. This would include continued efforts to improve the investment climate and business environment
• Strengthen the efforts towards good governance, which is a prerogative for economic growth and development. Such efforts should aim at developing effective public sectors in order to combat corruption, protect private property rights and ensure the rule of law, and at strengthening civil society in its role to hold governments accountable.
• Ensure that the focus on growth and employment is based on country specific strategies that involve stakeholders in the private sector, e.g. agriculture, and the civil society, including youth organisations, in policy formulation and implementation, e.g. through tripartite dialogue

Read the full Chairman's Summary
Read the press release about the six initiatives