Growth is necessary but not sufficient to reduce poverty

Abstract

Africa will not reach the 7% growth rate necessary to meet the Millenium Development Goal of reducing poverty by half by 2015, so alternative options have to be found to tackle poverty. This is one of the key conclusions of the second meeting of the African Learning Group on the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP-LG), that brought together high level government representatives, civil society organizations and experts from 15 African countries. The meeting was organized by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and hosted by the European Union. The second meeting of the African Learning Group considered five practical aspects of the PRSPs' implementation: comprehensiveness of growth strategies; costing, budgeting and financial management issues; institutionalization of participation; national capacity needs; and harmonization of donor policies. The African Learning Group also stressed that the PRSPs represent a process, not an end in themselves.