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| Key development issues Comments received between 1 February and 26 June, 2007 1. Franklin Cudjoe (Ghana) - February 7, 2007 How best Europe and African countries can help increase access to basic services, such as health and education, in Africa. How can this be done in countries where the government is unwilling or unable to do so? As it is deemed to be one of the most essential services, governments in Africa have assumed the responsibility, and usually the monopoly, of providing water to their populations. However, public sector water systems are all marred by heavy physical and financial losses and have proven incapable of extending networks beyond peripheral urban areas to rural populations, a significant problem in a continent where 70% of the population earns its living off the land. In the face of these obvious inadequacies, there have been several examples, in Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal and Guinea, where private water networks have effectively compensated for public sector failings. Furthermore, where even urban areas are badly served by politically-managed water systems, “informal” (deemed illegal) entrepreneurs have addressed artificial water scarcity created by government mismanagement, and have provided people with reliable supplies. These powerful illustrations bear lessons that should be learned if development assistance is to improve the quality and the extent of local water supplies in African countries. Governments in Africa have for too long claimed that water is a commodity that is too important to be controlled by the market. But governments have proven incapable of extending basic services and have managed to create artificial scarcities. In some instances, political forces have deliberately manipulated them in order to achieve political and financial gains. Specifically, governments make land tenure a prerequisite of access to a government-supplied water connection yet they deny land tenure to a large majority of urban dwellers, especially those who live in informal settlements (slums or shantytowns). Secondly, governments prevent informal entrepreneurs from owning and operating legal businesses. However, across urban Africa, people are not waiting for their governments to deliver water. A more effective method of providing reliable water to a greater percentage of Africans is to formalise the tenuous rights held by informal entrepreneurs who are already achieving some success despite great legal obstacles. Instead of providing governments with funds that are plundered or poured into the mismanagement of water supplies, aid should instead be tied to strict conditions that emphasise the systemic decentralisation of other areas of economic control held by governments. Specifically, aid could be used to extend formal land tenure and property rights to the poor, in addition to reforming public policy to enable poor entrepreneurs to own and operate legally sanctioned businesses. The freedom to trade property and for entrepreneurs to own formal businesses is the best way to ensure that wealth can be created by investing resources where they can be most efficiently applied. Empowered with legal rights, decentralised owners of water resources would then have the incentive to seek local solutions to water provision by responding to local demand. This not only drives competition between providers but has proven to deliver more water to more people. Our enclosed chapter, “The reality of water provision in urban Africa” [ http://www.sdnetwork.net/files/pdf/chapter7-cudjoe-okonski.pdf ] published in a book entitled The Water Revolution by International Policy Press (London) in March 2006, answers this question in greater detail. Franklin Cudjoe Executive Director Imani: The Centre for Humane Education 2. Silvestre Baessa Jr. (Mozambique) - February 8, 2007 Dear All, Think in a strategy, means that we agree that that there some or alot of obstacles in the relactionshipo between Africa and EU. For this reason, i think that the point of departure to a full Africa EU joint strategy should be the recognition that the power relation between Africa and Europe both in the past and currently are against Africa progress, because EU is getting richer and richer, and Africa is getting poor and poor. Issues related with progress and poverty, such as: governance, debt, aid and trade that for long oriented the so called EU-Africa partnership must be on the top of the priorities of this strategy, but we need first to desconstruct the current framework and model of cooperation. The way how those issues mentioned above, were discussed and implemented in the past and now, did not help Africa at all, but Europe. Look for instance, the case of debt and aid. Despite all debt relief initiatives, include HIPC I, II and MDRI, we still face the same challenges of debt unsustainability, that we faced 30 years ago. After 30 years of structural adjustment programmes in Africa and some innovative aid initiatives, the globality of africa economies remains weak and facing endemic crisis. So, for the best of this strategy we must to go back to the very questions, such as, what is working and what is not working in Africa- EU partnership and why it so? what are the causes behind the failure. 3. Lawrence Michelo (Zambia) - February 8, 2007 The EU should direct its support to government and state structures in Africa. It should stop funding the following: 1.United Nations Development Agencies-UNICEF, WFP,UNDP (they must be five). There is need to revisit the global trust invested in these UN institutions. 2.Donor agencies with consultancy offices all over the continent claiming to promote liberal values. 3.NGOs and the 1990 tamac elitist civil society groupings. These are today Africa’s greatest huddle to development and impediment to ending poverty, hunger, disease and underdevelopment. 4. Victor Onoviran (Nigeria) - February 9, 2007 First, let me politely and respectfully suggest to my brother, Lawrence, that help cannot and must not be limited to governments and their structures in the 21st century! In no part of the world will sustainable development flourish without a concert of forces: public, private, civil. This is a settled global practice. That is why Western Leaders come on state visits with full complement of their tri-sectors while many African Leaders parade officials, relatives and fronts! Pity. Second, no donor today will be that gullible considering the track records of third world (especially African!) governments, in shameless graft and unconscionable corruption.Where is all the money they have collected in the past? Stolen! Even in his own country, Zambia, I’m sure Lawrence is not unfamiliar with such very well-publicised cases! I agree that too many actors are “eating” in the name of “AFRICA” all over the place! But we can’t shut our eyes because of few bad guys lest we lose seeing the many good souls (African Proverb). Now, to the question of who owns development: The PEOPLE. Period. Thus neither the EU or any donor can impose on Africa. This has been the bane of donor assistance over the decades. Which is why the new initiative must be mutually beneficial: A true Partnership of EQUALS! Nothing less. Reason? A prosperous African is a boon and blessing to Europe, our nearest neighbour!! What to do? Make development assistance an Africa-INVEST basket, based on grants, loans, equities, trade and tourism. Stop extracting natural resources and unprocessed commodities from our continent. Stop dictating prices of resources you do not produce (coffee, for example!). Most importantly, stop condoning and supporting rogue regimes and looters/plunderers of our patrimony!!! Let the proceed, and I shall be keen to return to this timely market of ideas. Cheers. 5. Torgny Ekengard (Sweden) - February 10, 2007 Better payment to african farmers through better african agricultural policy is urgent. 6. Artur Victoria (Portugal) - February 14, 2007 Citizenship a strategic perception on the structure of power and national development. We are doing E – Learning courses for Lusophone Countries, specially Africa, giving grants for applicants. However dealing with long distance learning, makes necessary the availability of personal computers and the training about their uses. We are finding difficult to get a segment for this new kind of participation, just because using the diplomatic services for information and publicizing it seems not to be enough. Also most e – mail addresses are changing day to day and contacts are difficult to keep. We strongly believe that sharing educational and training resources , making them suitable for each Country needs, specially when this is located at high level of public or civil central or local servants and strategic production or natural resources private companies. We are studying how to keep a flowing stream of connection between our institution and those who can get a real benefit of our contribution. 7. Valentina Mazzucato (Netherlands) - February 14, 2007 African migration to Europe is a key issue. Migration has been shown to provide developmental benefits for African economies and households yet it can also lead to the ‘brain drain’. EU migration policies can greatly influence the developmental potential of migration as well as the brain drain effects. Migration policies, thus, need to be designed together with development policies. Until now, these two areas have remained separate. (For more information, see http://www.gcim.org/mm/File/GMP%2048.pdf) 8. Andrew K. Dube (South Africa) - February 16, 2007 Introduction to African Decade of Persons with Disabilities The African Decade of Disabled Persons (1999-2009), is a decade declared by the African Union to highlight the lives of people with disabilities. It is an initiative inclusive of civil society, governments, and other interested groups. It is undertaken in collaboration with the African Union, African Governments, UN Agencies, and NGOs working with disability and development. In order to coordinate, monitor and report on the implementation of the decade a Secretariat was established. The mission of the Secretariat of the African Decade is to empower Governments, DSCs, DPOs and development organisations to work in partnership to include disability and persons with disabilities into policies and programs in all sectors of society in Africa. The Secretariat of the African Decade African Decade calls upon all member states of the African Union, as well as international donors , to review the situation of disabled persons with a view to developing measures that enhance the equality and full participation of disabled persons as well as the empowerment of the disabled people. Some 80 million Africans live with a disability. These people are too often disadvantaged because of governments’ and civil society is inadequate awareness of their abilities and needs. This in its turn leads to non-inclusive policies and programmes. Disability inclusion and the Joint EU-Africa Strategy It is of key importance that disability and persons with disability are fully included in the process to develop a Joint EU-Africa strategy. Consultation with Civil Society is one of the underpinning principles of the Cotonou agreement. We question the current process for laying the agenda for a joint EU-Africa strategy. Is an on-line consultation carried out over such a short period the best way to consult people living in the poorest communities in Africa, and in particular, persons with disability and their families? The Africa Strategy (December 2005) states the EU’s commitment to supporting the work of the NEPAD and the AU. The African Decade of Disabled People is an initiative of the AU; a priority area of their work, and therefore requires the EU’s attention. The Decade provides a unique opportunity for African States to contribute to efforts to improve the lives of people with disabilities on the African Continent. The Decade also provides African countries with an even bigger and broad-based opportunity to highlight the successes made in terms of integrating disability at country level. If the main goal in partnership with Africa is achievement of the MDGs, we cannot hope to achieve this without explicit inclusion of disability. UNESCO estimates that 1-2 % of children with disabilities have access to schooling. Universal primary education will never be achieved if there is no commitment and investment in education of children with disabilities. March 30th this year marks the opening for signing of the UN Convention on the Rights of person with disabilities. This Convention, the first Human Rights convention of the 21st centuary clearly lays down our obligations to respect and protect the rights of persons with disability- and Article 32 specifically requires attention to disability in development cooperation activities. The Joint EU Africa Strategy must also take the new Disability Rights convention into consideration and recognise and support Africa’s interest in taking a leading role in its implementation. We welcome all efforts made by ECDPM to create a more inclusive framework for developing the Joint EU-Africa Strategy, and specifically including the perspectives of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations. Further details about the African Decade can be found on website: http://www.africandecade.org.za Andrew K. Dube, CEO SADPD 9. Geert Vanneste (Belgium) - February 21, 2007 It is my opinion that the EU should prioritize the following attitude change and activities: 1. 95% of African people were born after the decolonization. If any colonization really does exist these days, it is how African leaders are disconnected from their people, and from their duties towards them, political leaders from their people, teachers from their pupils, doctors from their patients. What to do? See 2. 2. Therefore, EU representatives should consider African leadership (receivers of EU support) not just as ‘representatives’ but most of all as CEOs, who are accountable to their Board of Directors for the objectives set by the latter. A CEO who doesn’t deliver is replaced before the tap can be reopened. Let’s get serious. What the EU did in Kenya: well done! Why not elsewhere? Because of budgets? See 3. 3. Development aid should not function as a reverse bank: first allocate and then try to spend well. AT ALL TIMES, the criteria for budget allocation should be a conducive environment, i.e. a qualified manager, good accounting reputation, qualified staff, tradition of achieving the objectives. If these are not there, the budgets should not be allocated! If leaders don’t accept formal control: fine, then stop support. Normal, isn’t it? But how? See 4. 4. Free movement of people in the EU is the most fantastic opening of a human resource market in the world. (what an exciting exchange of people, cultures etc…!) It puts the EU in a very good position to get across the message to the African leaders and intellectuals, that they are too reluctant to open up their human resource market to other nationals, Europeans or other Africans. WHY those old-fashioned reactions against foreign people – although taking foreign money doesn’t seem to be a problem… Why is the perception that foreigners make more money!? Isn’t the problem with the African labor market the fact that it is like an army of generals and soldiers. Where is the mid-level management!? If it isn’t present, get it from where it is. The ‘invisible hand’ rules the labor market too… So then, what to prioritize? See 5. 5. Before anything: be aware that, if one really asks people, that the nun in the dispensary or the teacher in his school objectively had more impact on improving lives of African people, rather than the regional multi-million dollar program. What should be prioritized? a. Strengthen human resource at all levels, and see it as a short and long term goal. But create competition!: put as condition that the labor market should be open to foreigners with qualifications. The impact of braindrain (or should we say globalization of human resource?) can only be eased, by allowing it both ways. b. Be transparent about received support : inform the people at large in detail of any support and donations: how much, for what, who is responsible for implementation, when to be implemented, where can you write with complaints c. Much more formal monitoring of project/development results, and reinforce consequences. d. Judiciary: it is not acceptable that almost anywhere in Africa, one gets jailed for stealing a banana on the market, but after stealing millions of dollars, one seems untouchable. Did we mention ‘disconnection’? e. Want to prioritize some direct service delivery? Then improve the quality of child birth, and support programs empowering women and persons with disabilities: the most cost-effective work in Africa if you intend to improve lives. 6. Debt relief? Yes of course, but only in case it is impossible for African governments to engage in new loans. It is simply unethical to give loans, and to make money on giving out loans, to leaderships whose corruption is well documented. Would a bank in Europe give a loan to someone who has been bankrupted, or treated for drug addiction? No. Should his/her debts be cancelled in case some strange system provided him with a loan whilst he can’t pay back? Yes: for the sake of his children. But stop giving loans! 7. Last but not least. It may not be wise if the EU would feel that a month long consultation on the internet will result in taking into account the opinion of the majority of the African people, and certainly not of the ones the EU claims to support: the poorest. By the way: EU: thanks for believing in Africa! One day, we will beat poverty ! 10. Dorothea Katharina Rischewski (UK) - February 22, 2007 Focus on vulnerable groups of the society to reduce poverty: In order to achieve, or at least getting close to reaching the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, the joint EU-AFRICA strategy should invest in finding out more about the needs of particularly vulnerable groups in the African societies. Persons with disabilities, women and children have so far not been adequately addressed by national programmes and international development assistance. Poverty reduction will remain unachievable if considerable parts of the population are not being included in the design and planning of strategies and programmes. How can it be assured that these groups access education, health care and safe employment? What are the barriers they are facing to fully participate in their communities and exert their rights and all capabilities? Three crucial issues should be addressed: 1) Situational analysis and knowledge creation are the foundations of any sound planning process. More effective alliances of the development sector with academia, where the necessary skills are provided, can lead to fruitful results, as seen in the past. The EU, where excellent academic institutions and many of the development agencies and organisations are based, is perfectly placed to foster this process. 2) Data on needs/barriers can only be effectively used in the countries of origin and by the people involved and concerned if distributed, utilised and translated by the right people into the right policies. This process involves three key elements: A) In order to assure ownership of activities, local stakeholders should be leaders in identifying information gaps, designing and conducting research, analysing and distributing research findings. B) To guarantee efficient working and to obtain sustainable results, a regional/continental database needs to be created pooling all the already existing knowledge on disempowered, excluded and mostly poor population groups. Country databases should be built up and linked in order to best utilize the existing knowledge to allow planners to quickly identify information gaps and best practice. C) In order to reach the poor and excluded and to improve their quality of life, thus created knowledge needs to be shared with policy makers and translated into effective and inclusive policies. 3) Identifying needs, conducting research, assessing the information, translating it into policy: this requires manpower. The joint EU-AFRICA strategy should contribute to sustainable development by capacity building on all levels required: community leaders, national researchers, bureaucrats, project/programme managers, politicians. Thanks to the EU for asking for ideas and comments. However, a one month internet based consultation might not be the most adequate way of discussing the views of excluded and poor parts of the civil society in Africa. A more inclusive process to make sure their voices are being heard and integrated would have been desirable. 11. Elly Bernard (South Africa) - February 22, 2007 I would encourage the full participation of people with disabilities in all initiatives to promote good governance, democracy and human rights, trade, poverty alleviation, peace-building, health etc. There are an estimated 500 million disabled people in the world and the fact that they are systematically denied their rights to rehabilitation and assistive devices means that they are routinely excluded from consultations such as this. For example, the majority of mobility disabled people in Africa cannot access an appropriate wheelchair - let alone access an internet consultation to give their opinions! In low-income countries, many disabled people’s voices are even excluded from the disability movement because assistance to meet their physical needs is unavailable, or too expensive, or of poor quality and unsuitable for their environment and disability. This means that their needs, opinions and experiences do not form part of the global debate on development, and their are exclusion is compounded by the very structures that drive the debate. There needs to be resources, research, awareness and positive action committed to ensuring that consultations and ensuing partnerships are inclusive of disabled people. The African Disability movement has many experienced advocates, and the EU should the movement and work to empower the millions of disabled people whose rights are consistently abused. 12. Kate Gooding - February 27, 2007 Health The EU recognises that health must be a priority for development co-operation. Many of the developing world’s health problems are best dealt with at primary level: investment in primary care is both cost-effective and more likely to reach poorer populations. Given the high incidence of eye conditions in Africa and the strong relationship between blindness and poverty, childhood mortality and exclusion from education, provision for primary care should support integration of eye care in health systems. The potential for action is enormous: an estimated 80% of eye disease can be treated at the primary level and 75% of blindness is avoidable, using highly feasible, extensively tested and cost-effective strategies. A combination of prevention, early recognition and intervention can provide an enormous reduction in the incidence of impairment and its impact upon the individual and society. The EC must support a multisectoral approach to services - this is critical for successful primary care. One particularly important area is school health, especially early identification of disability and school-based refractive error and low vision services. Many millions of children perform less well in school because of a visual impairment. Early identification and support would enhance their educational achievements and thus the value and effectiveness of EC investment in schooling. Inclusion To ensure that development co-operation reaches the poorest, the EU must ensure that disability is considered throughout the implementation of the Africa Strategy, as demanded by the European Parliament. One in five of the world’s poorest people have a disability, and 82% of disabled people in developing countries live below the poverty line. In total, disability affects the lives and livelihoods of 25% of the world’s population. Much greater recognition is needed of its magnitude and consequences. The European Commission’s Guidance Note on Disability and Development provides a reference point for a more inclusive approach, and much more should be done to support its implementation by country delegations. One area for EC support is investment in Community Based Rehabilitation. This critical to promote social and economic inclusion of disabled people. Only a tiny proportion of disabled people in developing countries currently have access to rehabilitation services. The EC should work with the UN agencies that are currently in the process of developing comprehensive guidelines on CBR, together with governments and other stakeholders, to support the effective implementation of the guidelines and integration of relevant rehabilitation services within primary health care systems. To promote a more inclusive approach, the EU should support enhanced collection of data on disability in Africa. Data on disability is critical for informed policy making, programme implementation and monitoring, yet often severely lacking. Any data collection and monitoring mechanisms related to the EU-Africa Strategy should include specific attention to impacts on disabled people. According to a World Bank study disability is a greater barrier to participation in education than gender, household economic status or urban/rural residence. It is estimated that of the 80 million children currently out of school a third are disabled. If Education for All is to become a reality urgent action must be taken to ensure disabled children are included and prioritised in all education plans. Specifically the EU should support the Fast Track Initiative and ensure that its plans are inclusive. Support must also be given to families of disabled children including early intervention services. Further information must be gathered with national governments encouraged to obtain data on the proportion and status of disabled children in education. 13. Dominic Haslam - February 27, 2007 Health: There appears to be a big consensus building up around the importance of the Neglected Tropical Diseases to meeting development commitments. It is really good to note that these neglected diseases (such as trachoma, onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis) are finally getting some attention. Its important to recognise action on them is key to tackling HIV/AIDS and malaria, as they are often co-occuring. There is also lots of potential to make huge progress with little money. However, in the EU’s involvement in this issue within Africa, it is important to note that there are tried and tested approaches that have demonstrated success and cost-effectiveness as well as potential new approaches which focus mainly around mass drug administration (MDA) to the population. These approaches should not be marginalised in the rush to find solutions and MDA should be followed in coordination with addressing other necessary elements, such as improvements in basic hygiene and access to clean water. 14. Joanna Campion - February 27, 2007 The UN Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities was approved by the UN last year. This is the first ever human rights treaty for disabled people and provides those formulating the EU-Africa strategy with a unique opportunity to ensure that development policies in Africa truly focus on fully inclusive strategies. There is much talk within this document about the need to focus on the poorest and vulnerable groups. It is therefore important for those formulating the strategy to realise that these groups include large numbers of disabled people. Disability Mainstreaming: A substantial problem at the present time is that EU-Africa development projects do not properly mainstream disability. This means that important projects that are needed to build capacity and alleviate poverty amongst disabled people in Africa are not getting funding because EU funding is not available for such group-specific projects. However at the same time, existing funding is not being spent in a fully inclusive way, which means that disabled peoples’ needs are falling through the gap between the theory and the practice of disability mainstreaming. To ensure the EU-Africa strategy address this fundamental problem, I would recommend the following actions: • Data must be gathered about how countries are monitoring targets of inclusion of disabled people • EU funding streams and the funding of EU member states need to specifically target programmes that include disabled people • The new UN Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities should be signed and ratified by members of both the EU and African countries. Countries should recognise the importance of supporting the rights of disabled people and honour their commitments to provide international cooperation between states to ensure these rights are progressively realised. • International partnerships should be encouraged to ensure that the rights of disabled people are mainstreamed across all areas of work. There is an important need for a twin-track approach so that until mainstreaming is fully realised, disability focused projects still receive the attention needed. • The EU-Africa strategy should review older strategies and identify strengths and weaknesses. It would be helpful to review programmes such as the Action Programme on Disability (1983-1993) and now the Africa decade to ensure that future programmes are more than just statements of good intent without positive substantial gains. Finally in terms of process it might also be important to recognise that an internet based consultation will reach very few people in Africa, in particular it will not reach the poorest and most vulnerable groups which include disabled people. It is important to look for ways of ensuring that the views of these groups are heard. Thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this vitally important area of work. 15. Catherine Naughton, CBM EU Liaison Office - February 27, 2007 CBM is an international Christian development organization whose primary purpose is to improve the quality of life of all persons with disabilities, and those at risk of disability, living in low income countries and communities, regardless or age, gender, ethnicity or creed. CBM is working in all aspects of disability prevention, treatment, education, rehabilitation and empowerment of disabled peoples organisations across Africa. We welcome the initiative that is been taken to develop a joint EU-Africa strategy, and welcome a consultation with Civil Society, North and South, as a first step. We are fully in agreement with the statement of Olivier Consolo from CONCORD, that this process should not be rushed; there are too many important issues at stake. We hope that it is foreseen to extend this consultation, and expand it, to ensure that people living in the poorest communities have the chance to have their voices heard and their issues recognized. As an opening to this consultation, we would like to make some comments on two key development areas. Since Aid delivery is increasing moving towards budget support, there is a danger that Education and Health programmes may fall short of the resources they need to reach the MDGs. With reference to the Europe Cares article ‘Investing in People’ we would like to point to some opportunities which exist in health and education programmes to ensure that we invest in all people, and achieve the MDGs by really improving the lives of people living in the poorest communities. Education: The Europe Cares article issued on the Commissions web-site states that only six out of ten African children go to primary school. UNICEF estimates that this is as little as 2% for children with disabilities and it is known that 40 million of the worlds out of school children have some form of disability (UNESCO 2004). Girl-children with disabilities are less likely to attend school than boy-children. If we are to achieve universal primary education it is imperative that education programmes systematically address the inclusion of children with disabilities- ensuring that their right to education is respected along-side their peers. In practical terms this requires a huge shift in attitude, but more than that- it requires policy commitment, resources for training and supporting teachers, material support to schools. Health: The EU is committed to replenishing the Global Fund. CBM would like agree with the point made by Dominic Haslam (feb 27th), who made a case for including neglected tropical diseases in tandem with our commitment to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Diseases such as Lyphatic Filiarisis, onchocerciasis, guinea worm, leprosy and trachoma are responsible for 25% of the poor state of health in developing countries. CBM advocates for health programmes which link the control of neglected tropical diseases with control programmes for the ‘big three’, since control of neglected tropical diseases could actually help in combating HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis and malaria. A combined approach does not add much to the cost of these programmes, contains little risk; maximizes resources and will have a significant impact on morbidity, mortality and disability of the poorest people, and especially of children. Human resources and Health: In 2003 ten countries in Africa had only one or fewer ophthalmologists per million population; Sierra Leone only has one psychiatric doctor; in Malawi there are no possibilities for physiotherapists training in the country; there is no provision for assistive devices in the Malawi Ministry for Health budget so they have to rely on donations; UNICEF estimates that 60% of all mine victims in Mozambique die before they can get appropriate first aid. The crisis in human resources in health care needs to be tackled, if the MDGs are to be attained. Particular attention needs to be paid to ensure that access to basic health and rehabilitation services is guaranteed to all people.It may also be of value, when we consider the state of health systems across Africa that this consultation is also expanded to bring in the perspectives of public health workers, including those working at grass roots level. We support the previous statements made arguing the need to include disability, and persons with disability in the Joint Strategy; the statement made by AK Dube from the African Decade of Disabled People reminds us of some key concerns of persons with disabilities in Africa; Mr Vaneeste referred to the cost-effectiveness of programmes empowering women and persons with disabilities; Ms Rischewski has then gone on to point out that if we even intend to get close to reaching the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, the joint EU-AFRICA strategy should invest in finding out more about the needs of particularly vulnerable groups in the African societies. Elly Bernard from South Africa has reminded us that the African Disability movement has many experienced advocates who should be included in these processes. The inclusion of these actors and issues in the process of developing a Joint EU-Africa Strategy will of course require and extended and expanded consultation, which CBM looks foreword to taking part in. 16. Shareef Malundah - February 28, 2007 It would worthwhile if EU could ensure that before support any development issue in African governments, it looks at how the criteria for selection of the issues was set in each country, because in many african countries the tendency has been using the civil society on the consultation table ONLY to legitimate their proposals and not necessary to have their contributions echoed in them.  17. ecdpm - February 28, 2007 On the French page, Jean-Louis Boppe (France, 2/2) asks whether co-development, interpreted as making optimal use of educated Diasporas from developing countries residing in the EU, would be one of the priorities. Read the full comment in French |
