African Partnership for Development – Supporting Economic Growth: 0.75
Postscript: Score 0.75
Acknowledging that, “Africa is increasingly a destination for foreign investment and private sector development” G8 leaders pledged to “intensify our efforts on drivers for economic growth, including human capital development, regional and global trade integration, business environment, domestic resources mobilization, and scaling up of access to infrastructures and related services, including for energy, transport, information and communication technologies”. To this end, they welcomed the conclusions of the 16th meeting of the Africa Partnership Forum on 21 April 2011, which examined ongoing issues of economic growth, private investment, and job creation. They also vowed to establish dialogue within the Africa Partnership Forum, including business, to facilitate domestic and foreign direct investment via the African Union-NEPAD Action Plan and the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa.
Additionally, G8 leaders discussed the role of agriculture as an important driver of economic growth and development in Africa. In particular, they committed to improve their efforts to foster sustainable agricultural production and productivity, with a particular focus on smallholder’s farmers, through public-private partnerships and research and innovation.
Finally, G8 leaders called for policy reforms for the purpose of increasing regional trade and improving infrastructure across the continent. However, despite broad pronouncements by G8 leaders to support economic growth in Africa, they proposed only broad commitments, particularly vis-à-vis investment in infrastructure development. Therefore, the G8 is assigned a score of 0.75.