Key Processes that will
shape Development in
Future and their
implications for an MDG-
plus Agenda
Alfred G. Nhema
Chief Executive Officer,
Pan African Development Center
(PADEC)

Background
 MDGs are selection of eight goals encapsulating
various targets and indicators
 MDGs targets have galvanized developing countries
into action and in general countries have scaled up
monitoring processes aimed at meeting the set MDGs
 It is commonplace to state that Africa is one continent
that has the most challenges in terms of political
instability and high levels of poverty
 The tension between state building, development and
democracy and how that has slowed down the
implementation of MDGs needs a serious review
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MDGs & the Development
Agenda
 Have given weight and positive responses to
poverty reduction strategies
 Have made governments more focused and
targeted
 Have given impetus to a more acceptable
universal definition of development
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MDGs and Dev. (cont…)
Governments have managed to develop
standardized responses in evaluating effectiveness
of their development strategies
 For donors, commitment to addressing MDGs
has become a central focus
 In the case of Africa, the Fifth Ordinary Session
of the Assembly of the African Union in Sirte,
Libya, July 2005, adopted a Common Position on
the Review of the MDGs and the Millennium
Declaration.
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MDGs and Dev. (cont…)
 The AU Commission has been mandated, in
collaboration with the ECA, AfDB, NEPAD and
RECs to monitor the implementation of the
MDGs and reflections are expected to be
presented at annual AU Assembly meetings.
 At the G8 Summit on 11 September 2007, The
UN Secretary General established the MDG
Africa Steering and working groups to support
the implementation of commitments toward
achieving the MDGs.
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MDGs and Dev. (cont…)
 The steering group, chaired by the UN Secretary
General, comprises the ADB, the AU & the EU
Commissions, the IMF, the Islamic Development
Bank, the UN development group and the WB.
 It is apparent that there is a high level of
Commitment to the MDGs
 While there has been challenges in meeting the
MDGs, in general, a continent like Africa has
experienced improvements in the political and
economic environments, a crucial pre-condition
for achieving the MDGs.
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

A future MDG Plus
Dispensation
 Demands by new actors like Brazil, India, China, South
Africa and Venezuela to move the whole development
agenda from national to nuanced global challenges
 How will the aid architecture deal with new threats,
opportunities and challenges?
 New important linkages between climate change,
environmental concerns and how these impact on good
governance and democracy promotion
 Other challenges involve greenhouse emissions,
declining agricultural productivity, desertification,
energy and food security and how these issues relate to
the whole development agenda 7

A future MDG Plus
Dispensation
 At state levels how can a global political
agreement be reached that allows countries to
monitor each other’s commitment to good
governance and sound economic management
which are strong foundations for development?
 A combination of the current MDGs and more
locally defined specific measures and indicators
would be ideal
 Timelines are important and should be
maintained and should be supported by concrete
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Conclusions
 We need to assess the current state and processes
of MDGs implementation efforts taking into
account local, regional and international
dimensions
 How can countries in Africa learn from the
experiences of other regions in the South and
indeed the North?
 Future scenarios require that we do a systematic
evaluation of how the various efforts aimed at
meeting the development agenda will holistically
address issues of inequality, poverty, social
justice, basic human rights and the well-being9

Conclusions (cont…)
 Universal indicators will continue to be
important but only if they are buttressed by
inputs from locally defined measures.
 There will be a need to explore the appropriate
policy framework and conditions conducive to
democratic governance and sustainable
development at the economic, social and cultural
levels based on the realities on the continent
 Provide policy makers and development
practitioners with options for enhancing policy
measures aimed at tackling development
challenges facing developing societies from a 10
bottom up approach

Conclusions (cont…)
 While policies from international aid agencies
will continue to be dominant, more public
involvement from the target populations will
have to be sought and encouraged.
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Thank You!
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