African countries share experiences, challenges in galvanizing efforts to reduce poverty

• Pages: 316-317

Roland Daumont

IMF Institute

Page 316

What challenges does the poverty reduction strategy paper (PRSP) initiative present to African countries, and how are they dealing with these challenges?

The Second Africa Forum on Poverty Reduction Strategies, held in Dakar, Senegal, September 10-13, moved beyond design questions-the focus of last year's forum in Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire-to address issues of implementation.

Organized by the IMF Institute and the World Bank Institute, the forum gathered 270 participants from 31 countries representing governments, parliaments, civil society, and the private sector. Also attending were 140 participants from donor agencies and multilateral and regional institutions. Discussions centered on four broad themes: ownership, governance, and accountability; economic policies for pro-poor growth; measuring and monitoring poverty reduction; and relations with development partners. A key goal of the forum was for participants to learn from one another. In contrast to previous conferences on the PRSP initiative, African country participants took center stage-sharing their experiences, while representatives of development and financial institutions listened. The lessons learned will provide critical input in the forthcoming comprehensive review by IMF and World Bank staff of the PRSP approach.

Overview

In the opening session, chaired by Soumana Sakho, President of the African Capacity Building Foundation, IMF Institute Deputy Director Saleh Nsouli and Cheickh Soumaré,Minister Delegate in charge of the budget in Senegal, outlined the main issues in implementing poverty reduction strategies. Sakho emphasized the crucial role of capacity building in the design and implementation of such strategies. Nsouli, speaking on behalf of the organizing institutions, underscored the challenges of poverty, the key steps that characterize effective development strategies, and the main themes of the forum.

Soumaré, as host, welcomed participants to Senegal and provided a telling account of the efforts that Senegal-one of the first countries to prepare an interim PRSP-has made to accelerate economic growth and reduce poverty.

In introducing President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal to the forum, Nsouli noted that Wade had originated the Omega Economic Plan for Africa. That plan has now been integrated into...