New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) -- Will It Succeed or Fail

摘要

The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) began in July 2001 as a program of the Organization for African Unity (OAU), and is now sponsored by the African Union (AU). This paper assesses the barriers to NEPAD's success, and its ability to meet its primary objectives of eradicating poverty; placing African countries, both individually and collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and development; halting the marginalization of Africa in the globalization process and enhancing its full and beneficial integration into the global economy; and accelerating the empowerment of women. What makes NEPAD different from previous failed African development programs is the ownership and commitment of African leaders to its success. A key component of NEPAD is the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), whereby African governments voluntarily undergo peer review to demonstrate improvements in democracy and policy governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance, and socio-economic development. While there are barriers to NEPAD's success, both from within Africa and from external sources, much can be done to increase its likelihood of success and achieve the end result of a more economically viable Africa, whether the NEPAD program itself continues to exist or becomes the impetus and foundation of an African renaissance.