October 23, 2001
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo called on fellow-African leaders Tuesday to show total commitment to a new ``Marshall Plan'' for the impoverished continent, saying it was time to put Afro-pessimists to shame.
``I call on all of us here present and other colleagues in Africa to ensure the successful implementation of the initiative,'' Obasanjo told an African summit marking the inauguration of a new initiative to launch the world's poorest continent into the mainstream of the global economy.
Obasanjo said donor countries and agencies had for too long doubted Africa's resolve to forge a common development plan and see it through.
``Within and outside Africa we must put the Afro-pessimists and other cynics to shame by coming together to work for the success of NAI (New African Initiative),'' he said.
A final communique said the heads of state approved a new official name for the initiative, which will now be known as the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).
Officials said the new named underlined Africa's new emphasis on partnership with the world's rich nations and multilateral institutions rather than on aid.
Obasanjo would chair NEPAD's implementation committee, with President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria and Senegal's Abdoulaye Wade as vice-chairmen, the communique said.
NEPAD's secretariat would be in Pretoria, it added.
The summit agreed that African leaders should set benchmarks for good governance at both the political and economic levels, the communique said. It further agreed to adopt ``a peer review mechanism and code of conduct'' at the next summit.
Obasanjo said at the start of the talks that the initiatives aimed broadly ``to eradicate extreme poverty in Africa; put the region on the path of accelerated growth and sustainable development; and reverse the marginalization of Africa in the globalization process.''
Among the 14 heads of state or their representatives at the summit were Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Algeria's Abdulazeez Bouteflika and Senegal's Abdoulaye Wade. Those three, together with Obasanjo, are the architects of the initiative, which was adopted at the last pan-African summit in Zambia in July.
Dubbed Africa's ``Marshall Plan'' because it is modeled along lines of the U.S. plan for European reconstruction after World War Two, the NAI involves wide-ranging and hugely ambitious targets -- peace and democracy, education, investment and IT, communications and infrastructure.
``OVERWHELMING SUPPORT'' FROM G8
Obasanjo said the plan had already received ``overwhelming support from the G8, the international community and the world press.'' Both the G8 group of leading industrial nations and Russia and the European Union met member's of NAI's steering committee earlier this month.
Obasanjo stressed that peace on the volatile continent was a prerequisite for development.
``Conflict prevention, management and resolution must be accorded top priority in the process of the New Africa Initiative,'' said Obasanjo, who is struggling with a wave of civil disturbances and insecurity in his oil-producing nation.
Political analysts have also warned African leaders that Africa's rescue plan might struggle for attention in Western capitals in the aftermath of last month's attacks on the United States and ongoing U.S. military strikes against Afghanistan.
That prospect was underlined by the fact that the initiative's inaugural meeting was originally scheduled to take place at the United Nations in New York on Sept. 19 but was shifted after the attacks on the United States.
The communique said the meeting reviewed the danger posed to international peace and security by terrorism. It called for concerted international action ``against this growing menace'' while ensuring that underdevelopment in Africa is not ignored.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Global Policy Forum distributes this material without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. We believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
