Assessing progress in Africa towards the Millennium Development Goals, 2009

Abstract

The report further recommends that African Countries should adapt their macroeconomic policies to fit the special circumstances of this time while ensuring that they do not adopt short-term measures that may create unsustainable fiscal positions in the future. MDG-based planning and plan implementation should continue to be emphasized. Governments should cascade MDGs—based development plans and poverty reduction strategies to lower tiers of government or sub-national jurisdictions as these are better placed to produce local public goods and to enhance the efficiency of the delivery of social services. In doing so, care must be taken to ensure that increased assignment of fiscal responsibility to lower tiers of government does not result in co-ordination failures and present risks to macro-economic stability. Overall, this report concludes in the same tone as the 2008 Report. The continent is making progress on a few goals and not much on others. There is no convergence either in levels or rates of progress across the sub-regions. Achieving the MDGs in North Africa remains less of a challenge than it is in the rest of Africa.