Laura Kelly

In the ONE office, we’ve been talking about our new year’s resolutions — and our thoughts turned to resolutions that the international community could make to help Africa. Here are some of our suggestions:

Help Africa gain more from trade. Most G8 and even G20 countries offer special access to their markets for exports from the poorest countries. These could be improved through changes such as removing tariffs, expanding the range of products covered and simplifying and harmonizing trade rules. Increasing Africa’s share of world trade by only 1% of 2009 levels would be worth around $150 billion a year.

Be transparent! In order for aid to be effective, it needs to be accountable – both to the citizens whose taxes are being spent and also to those countries who are beneficiaries. By reporting on aid spending in a timely manner and in a method compatible with recipient country budget and planning systems, aid-dependent countries can better allocate their own spending and be more effective.

Save the lives of 4 million children. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) needs additional funding beginning in 2011 so that exciting new vaccines for the 2 biggest disease killers of children (pneumonia and diarrhoea) can make it to the children who need them most. With adequate funding, GAVI estimates that it along with its partners can save nearly 4 million lives in the next 5 years. Donors should provide this funding at the June pledging conference in London and should also follow through on commitments they made in 2010 to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

Maximize Africa’s benefits from its natural resources. In 2011, natural resource wealth – worth ten times the value of aid to Africa – needs to be better channelled for economic and social development. This starts with making the companies that extract natural resources more transparent. Countries that have oil and mining companies listed on their stock exchanges should legislate to make those companies publish all payments made by those companies to governments. This can help civil society in Africa to hold their governments accountable for the revenue received. The US has already led the way on this. Europe should follow suit as soon as possible.

Help prevent another food crisis. Donors committed $22 billion to invest in agriculture to prevent another food crisis and help reduce poverty at the 2009 L’Aquila G8. Nearly 2 years later, only a small amount of this money has been delivered, and another food crisis is looming on the horizon. It’s imperative that donors deliver this increased spending on agriculture and improve the quality of the aid. As part of these efforts, donors must at minimum fulfil their pledges to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP) and directly invest in African-led Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Plan (CAADP) compacts.

We’d love to hear your ideas for resolutions!