Publication

This document highlights some of the topics raised by participants at a 2004 conference on governance in Africa through a summary report and a background paper. The former, stressing the importance of the creation of new peer monitoring mechanisms, cites the European Commission's emphasis on addressing good governance. It also stresses the importance of conflict prevention and a positive business environment for positive change to take hold. The background paper describes in greater detail the Africa policies of the EU and its member states, the UN, and the USA with respect to health, education, and conflict resolution. The paper concludes that a "dual timeframe", addressing AIDS concerns in the short term and the other aforementioned problems in the longer term, is necessary to address the challenges of sustainable development. It also calls on EU member states to deliver financially on earlier promises.