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The
New Partnership for
Africa’s Development (NEPAD)
is a strategic initiative and
vision for Africa’s renewal. NEPAD was developed through a
mandate given to the five initiating Heads of State (Algeria,
Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa) by the Organisation
of African Unity (OAU) to develop an integrated socio-economic
development framework for Africa. The 37th Summit of the OAU in
July 2001 formally adopted the strategic framework document.
NEPAD is
designed to address the current challenges facing the African
continent, including escalating poverty levels, underdevelopment
and the continued marginalisation of Africa in the global
economy. The primary objectives of NEPAD are to eradicate
poverty, and place African countries, both individually and
collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development
and full integration into the global economy.
NEPAD is based
on the principles of good governance, African ownership and
leadership, and broad participation by all sectors of society.
Furthermore, the goals of NEPAD will be achieved by anchoring
the development of Africa on its resources and the
resourcefulness of its people, and by enhancing partnerships
between and amongst African peoples through the acceleration of
regional integration. NEPAD also seeks to strengthen the
competitiveness of African countries and to forge new
international partnership aimed at changing the unequal
relationship between Africa and the developed world. Finally,
all Partnerships with NEPAD are linked to the Millennium
Development Goals and other agreed development goals and
targets.
Chapter 8 of
the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) defines the
NEPAD Environment Initiative, and calls for the
development and adoption of a coherent action plan and
strategies to address the region’s environmental challenges
while at the same time combating poverty and promoting
socio-economic development. The Environment Initiative comprises
eight priority sectors and cross-cutting issues: Combating land
degradation, drought and desertification; Wetlands; Invasive
species; Marine and coastal resources; Cross-border conservation
of natural resources; Climate change; and, Cross-cutting issues.
The Coastal
and Marine priority area got a head start through a Global
Environment Facility (GEF) medium-sized project, the “African
Process for the Development and Protection of the Coastal and
Marine Environment in Sub-Saharan Africa” that
involved eleven coastal states from Nov 2000 to Sept 2002.
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