World Bank Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs)

Poverty Reduction Strategies have become the main framework for co-ordinating donor assistance to the poorest countries. Initiated in 1999 by the World Bank in response to the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, PRSPs are a pre-condition for accessing debt relief and new IMF and World Bank credits. They are expected to be nationally owned through comprehensive stakeholder consultation. They comprise an in-depth poverty analysis, an indication of priority areas for action, an indication of financing requirements, an implementation plan, and impact indicators to measure performance. Bilateral donors increasingly orientate their aid towards PRSP priorities. Of the 52 countries engaged in the process as of August 2003, the World Bank considered 25 as conflict-affected, while many others had social and economic conditions that put them at risk of conflicts escalating into large-scale violence. The Bank, in collaboration with other partners, has embarked on a working programme aimed at ensuring effective poverty reduction in conflict-affected countries.²⁰

EU-ACP Cotonou Agreement

The EU-ACP Cotonou Partnership Agreement is a comprehensive trade and aid engagement between 78 African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and the European Union (EU) signed in 2000, which involves an aid package of € 15.2 billion for the years 2000-2005. Cotonou emphasises the political dimension of the EU-ACP partnership and institutionalise scivil society consultation on key policy issues. Article 11 of the Agreement outlines the partners’ commitment to conflict prevention and peacebuilding and provides the legal basis for using European Development Fund money for this purpose.

The New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD)

With the NEPAD initiative led by South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt and Algeria, formally launched in 2001, African leaders agreed to deepen co-operation among themselves and with donors to combat poverty and promote development on the African continent. NEPAD also aims to enhance economic and political governance through peer review mechanisms comparable to those of the OECD. This will help create the conditions for enhanced partnership with donor governments, which are offered in a framework of mutual accountability. NEPAD includes a “Peace and Security Initiative” aimed at promoting long-term conditions for development and security (by addressing the underlying causes of conflict) and strengthening African peace and security institutions (eg sub-regional organisations). As a programme of the African Union (AU), NEPAD is also envisaged to complement and strengthen the AU’s peace and security initiatives.