This broad goal encompasses reform of global trading and financial systems, tariff – and quota-free access for Least Developed Countries’ exports, debt cancellations, addressing special development needs, creating work, providing access to essential drugs, and sharing new information, communications, and other technologies.

Developed countries subsidies, tariffs and quotas still restrict market access for African products. And, where there has been market access, supply-side constraints have prevented African countries from taking advantage of it. This is compounded by the slow pace of regional integration and poor governance within Africa. Key to helping reduce supply-side constraints, ODA levels to Africa have started to increase since 2001. They recovered from a low of $US15.3 billion in 2000 to a new high of $US26.3 billion in 2003.9 Following the 2002 Monterey Consensus, they have fallen short of requirements and aid quality has not shown much improvement.

The recovery in ODA flows was largely driven by debt relief, provided through the Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative, and emergency assistance. However, debt relief schemes have left out middle-income countries, which also labour under heavy debt burdens. Furthermore, countries benefiting from the HIPC initiative still find themselves burdened with unsustainable debts.

The decisions taken at the G8 Summit in July 2005 regarding debt cancellation and increased assistance to Africa’s poorest economies will go a long way to ease the burden in many countries and free more funds for development activities. However, they may still fall short of development requirements, while the partnership implementation modalities and disbursement flows remain to be realized.

Despite some progress, patent laws still block access to essential drugs needed to fight malaria, HIV/AIDS, TB and other diseases. Finally, the information and communications technology divide between Africa and the rest of the world remains wide.