 | Finance Ministers from Nigeria and China confer prior to the start of the Development Commitee session.
Photo: Simone D. McCourtie |
"We welcomed the World Bank Group’s ambitious Africa Action Plan, which will support African countries in their efforts to increase growth, tackle poverty, and achieve the MDGs. We called for timely and vigorous implementation of the Plan and urged that the Bank work closely with the African Union, New Partnership for Africa’s Development, African Development Bank, African Partnership Forum and other partners. We commended the Plan’s results-oriented approach and the concrete actions it proposes to ensure that increased aid will be used effectively. The Action Plan correctly focuses on building state capacity and improving governance; strengthening the drivers of growth; and promoting broad participation in growth and sharing its benefits. We commended its comprehensive approach toward developing an African private sector, creating jobs, enhancing exports, expanding infrastructure, raising agricultural productivity, strengthening human development, building capacity (including in conflict-affected and fragile states), and increasing regional integration." - Development Committee Communique, Sept 25 Statements from members of the Development Committee "Ministers commend the Africa Action Plan (AAP), describing it as comprehensive, appropriate, and providing a good balance between ambition and realism. Ministers highlight the plan’s focus on drivers of growth, capacity building, infrastructure, and governance and look forward to its implementation and further adaptation." - Statement by Mr. Trevor Manuel, Chairman of the Development Committee, Minister of Finance, South Africa "We welcome the World Bank's Africa Action Plan...Africa leaders are committed to continue to improve market competitiveness, foster responsible public spending, increase social service delivery, and strengthen the fight against HIV/AIDS, and other communicable diseases." - Statement by Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Finance for Nigeria "We appreciate the Africa Action Plan, which emphasizes on supporting the economic growth in African countries." - Statement by Mr. JIN Renqing, Minister of Finance, China "The proposed Africa Action Plan strikes a balance between ambition and realism. In implementing it, priority support should be given to countries showing strong leadership, a resolute drive to reforms, and a commitment to participatory governance." - Statement by The Honorable Giulio Tremonti, Minister of Economy and Finance, Italy "The Africa Action Plan is to be commended for its results-driven approach. We particularly support the focus on economic growth through increased productivity as the sine qua non for poverty reduction, and the importance placed on infrastructure development, financial sector reform and improvements in governance. As well, the Plan reflects consideration of the macroeconomic effects of aid." - Statement by Mr. John Snow, Secretary of the Treasury, United States "We therefore welcome the Africa Action Plan, which sets out an ambitious programme. We welcome plans to do more to build capable states and improve governance; to play a full part in the Africa infrastructure consortium; and to promote the ability of poor people to participate in and benefit from growth. The Bank should strengthen its work in fragile states and those affected by conflict, as well as in those performing well." - Statement by The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for International Development, and The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, United Kingdom "I welcome the Bank’s Africa Action Plan that focuses on capacity building and growth. Japan also believes that to reduce poverty through sustained growth, we should deliver aid in such a way that it leads to wealth creation through private sector development." - Statement by Mr. Hiroshi Watanabe, Vice-Minister of Finance for International Affairs, Japan "We strongly support the World Bank’s Africa Action Plan that forms an integral part of recent international initiatives to spur development in this region." - Statement by Mr. Aleksei Kudrin, Minister of Finance, Russian Federation "We welcome the formulation of the Bank Group’s Africa Action Plan, with its emphasis on a results framework for specifying, measuring and managing to achieve specified outcomes, and its efforts to strengthening the private sector drivers of growth." - Statement by Mr. Duck-Soo Han, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy, Republic of Korea See all Development Committee statements. |
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