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The population of Africa is estimated at some 950,000,000 inhabitants. With a surface area of 30 206 704 km2, the density of the African population is 30.21 inhabitants/km2. The continent is a large island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea . :
Africa has 53 independent countries, divided into 5 regions: Central Africa, North Africa, East Africa, West Africa, and Southern Africa . The States are grouped at the regional level in community organizations such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). All African States are members of the African Union, which is a supra continental entity. All the independent States of the continent are shareholders of the African Development Bank, and are known as "Regional Member Countries", while the non-African countries are known as "Non-regional Member Countries".
Indeed, the continent has enough agricultural resources to produce adequate quantities to feed its entire population. The renewable fresh water of the continent is 4,000 km3 per year, representing nearly 10 percent of the world's fresh water and almost the African portion of the world population. However, in 2005, only five percent of the development potential was tapped for "industry, tourism and hydro-power".
Africa is a mining giant, which produces about 80 percent of the world's platinum, more than 40 percent of the world's diamonds, and more than one-fifth of the gold and cobalt. Its share of the world's oil production is increasing from day to day, with the discovery of new wells in Mauritania , Equatorial Guinea and Chad . Today, with all its sub-soil wealth, the continent should soon move from the status of mere exporter of raw materials to that of an exporter with a solid and dynamic industrial and processing base.
Many African countries are today making significant economic progress ( Mozambique , Cape Verde , Senegal , Uganda , Burkina Faso , Cameroon and Ghana ). A country like Equatorial Guinea is recording unprecedented economic expansion, with a growth rate of 20.9%. More than 16 countries have recorded growth rates above 4.5%, and the inflation rate of the continent is at its lowest level. Furthermore, Africa fared better in managing the recent upsurge rise in oil prices than in previous similar situations, with a positive impact on economic growth in many countries.
The international community is becoming increasingly interested in Africa . Given the determination of the G8 determination at the Gleneagles Summit to accompany African countries on the path to development and the Blair Commission for Africa or the recent China-Africa Summit, the continent is in a position to benefit from international cooperation and partnership.
Nevertheless, the continent has also taken charge of its own destiny by establishing the New Partnership for Africa 's Development (NEPAD). NEPAD, launched in 2001, stemmed from the common desire of African States to take charge of their own development. It is in recognition of ADB's role in the area of infrastructure on the African continent by the Committee of Heads of State and Government responsible for the implementation of NEPAD that the ADB was given the mandate to host the Secretariat of the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa (ICA).
Created in London in 2005 following the G8 Summit in Gleneagles, the Consortium is a new major effort to accelerate satisfaction of the pressing needs of the continent as regards infrastructure, so as to support development and economic growth. The Consortium is a partnership between bilateral donors, multilateral agencies, and African institutions. It seeks to make its members more effective in their infrastructure support activities by pooling their efforts in a number of key areas.
Significant progress has been made following the establishment of the Consortium. For example, during the second high-level meeting in Addis Ababa in June 2006, the members of the Consortium announced acceleration in the implementation of regional projects of NEPAD's Short Term Action Plan (STAP). Between the start-up of ICA activities in October 2005 and the meeting of June 2006, the financing of 11 NEPAD/STAP infrastructure projects was approved by ICA members for a total of US$ 764.3 million, while more than 7 million dollars were also granted for studies to advance the implementation of NEPAD/STAP.
The Consortium also supports two important studies currently being conducted: the study on the Medium and Long-Term Strategic Framework for NEPAD (MLTSF) and the Country Diagnosis for Infrastructure in Africa . These studies will be used mainly to prepare infrastructure investment needs for African countries regions. |
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| Heads of delegations or other officials are kindly requested to advise the Secretariat well in advance of the meetings,of the full composition of their respective delegations,including,if any,members from diplomatic missions and their staff. More>> |
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