Experts discuss African development opportunities

“Africa on the rise” was the title of this year’s World Bank Forum. Discussion focused on how to improve the investment climate south of the Sahara. The Forum was hosted by the Federal Government in Berlin last month ahead of the G8 summit in Heiligendamm. In spite of considerable African growth rates of more than five percent on average annually, only a small share (two percent) of international foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to this continent. One third of Africans – or 300 million people in absolute numbers – still live in poverty.

According to German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, good governance, better infrastructure and less corruption are crucial for getting German investors interested in the continent. She reconfirmed that Africa can rely on international aid being doubled until 2010 and on debt relief to the tune of 55 billion, as was promised at the G8 summit in Gleneagles two years ago. However, the minister did admit that implementing debt relief may prove difficult. Earlier, the advocacy group DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa) had stated that the Heiligendamm summit presented the last opportunity to live up to the pledges made in Gleneagles.

The World Bank Forum also discussed climate change. Advanced nations have caused global warming, but poor countries will have to bear the worst consequences. According to Rajendra Pachauri, head of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 250 million people are currently suffering from water shortages; and the problem will be compounded as rainfalls will dwindle in several world regions. Minister Wieczorek-Zeul stated that developing countries deserve incentives to stop the destruction of tropical forests.

The Africa Partnership Forum, which took place at the same time in Berlin, also dealt with issues on the Heiligendamm agenda. Apart from growth, investments and climate change, debate tackled gender equity, peace and security matters. “We need to ensure equal opportunities for women,” was the demand of Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who mentioned the fields of education, microcredit and land titles for agriculture in particular.

Muhammad Yunus, Nobel peace laureate and head of the Grameen Bank, emphasised the double relevance of microcredits: They not only reach the poor, but in particular the women among them. According to official statistics, some 500 million people have access to microcredits today internationally.

Petra Meyer