Agenda 2063 moving forward if unevenly

By Gregory Simpkins

In a speech during the December 2022 US-Africa Leaders’ Summit, US President Joe Biden promised to support African development through the African Union’s Agenda 2063 initiative.

“And with this summit, and with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, our eyes are fixed squarely on the future. We are now in the early years that will be…a decisive decade,” Biden told the gathered African leaders.

U.S. President Joe Biden (C) poses with African leaders during the U.S. – Africa Leaders Summit on December 15, 2022 in Washington, DC. PHOTO/Getty Images

Throughout the summit, the Biden administration announced initiatives in several sectors:

“The United States and African nations recognize that our world is quickly changing, and this Summit reflected how our relationship is evolving with it. We will deepen our collaboration to solve global problems and shape the rules of the road for technology, space, cybersecurity, trade, environmental protection, and economics.”

Taken as a whole, they add up to supporting the African Union (AU) in the fulfillment of its Agenda 2063 plan, which is the continent’s “development blueprint to achieve inclusive and sustainable socioeconomic development over a 50-year period,” as described in its recently released 2022 progress report.

However, the Agenda 2063 initiative, as have been other efforts to create effective monitoring of African efforts at progress, was hampered by the lack of comprehensive reporting from all governments involved. Only 38 of the 55 AU member governments submitted complete reports comparing progress made in 2022 as compared to 2021 targets. Consequently, the measurements cited in the 2022 Agenda 2063 progress report may be less or more than what has been registered. Nevertheless, Agenda 2063 achieved an aggregate score of 51 percent of expectations against the 2021 targets, although progress has been uneven. This is reflected to some degree in the report’s assessments of the seven aspirational goals.

For example, Africa achieved low progress for Aspiration 1 (“A prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development”), tallying an overall score of 37 percent against the 2021 targets. This can be attributed mainly to a decrease in the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita from US$3,170 in 2019 to US$2,910 in 2021 with high employment rates. Much of the moderate performance under this aspiration can be attributed to the after-effects of COVID-19 lockdowns from 2020. Still, the report cited “commendable progress in access to electricity and internet,” according to the report. Furthermore, there were substantial gains noted in health-related goals, such as reduced maternal mortality.

In contrast, the continent made considerable progress in the attainment of Aspiration 2 (“An integrated continent politically united and based on the ideal of Pan-Africanism and the Vision for Africa’s Renaissance”). The robust performance of 84 percent was achieved “mainly through progress in the signature and ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which came into effect on 1 January 2021, and the establishment and operationalization of a well-functioning AfCFTA Secretariat in Accra, Ghana,” the report stated. There also was noteworthy progress as evidenced by improvements in road networks, air transport, electrification, and ICT.

Performance for Aspiration 3 (“An Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law”) registered 42 percent of expectations “mainly due to low scores for capable institutions and transformed leadership at all levels,” the report acknowledged. Nevertheless, the majority of African governments had a satisfactory performance, reporting progress in promoting good governance, democratic values, and practices, including the domestication of the African Charter on Democracy, Election, and Governance.

Considerable progress was recorded in the attainment of Aspiration 4 (“A peaceful and secure Africa”) with an overall performance of 63 percent against the 2021 targets, although performance varied across parameters and countries. “The data received from Member States indicate a significant decline in the number of deaths emanating from armed conflict and from religious and ethnic disagreement and intolerance,” the report stated.

There was moderate progress of 45 percent with regard to Aspiration 5 (“An Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, shared values and ethics”). “This is due largely to the weak integration of indigenous African culture, values, and language into primary and secondary school curricula,” according to the report.

The 67 percent score for Aspiration 6 (“An Africa whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of the African People, particularly its Women and Youth and caring for children”) was a significant leap, albeit much more in some areas than in others. “During the period under review, the continent registered a slight increase in the proportion of women in the agricultural population who have an ownership or secure rights over agricultural land, as well the proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments, regional and local bodies. However, Africa did not meet youth-related goals and targets, registering only a minimal reduction in youth unemployment rates. This moderate performance is also due to an increase in rates of child labor and child marriage,” the report stated.

In the pursuit of Aspiration 7 (“Africa as a strong influential partner”), “the continent achieved an overall commendable performance of 58 percent evidenced by the proportion of public sector budgets funded by national capital markets as well as the proportion of official development assistance (ODA) in national budgets,” according to the report. The continent did not, however, meet the 2021 target of increasing total tax revenue as a percentage of GDP to ensure that Africa takes full ownership of her development efforts.

To better achieve progress in realizing progress in these 7 aspirations, the report cites 3 recommendations:

Some governments are more sufficiently organized to conduct and report on statistical analysis than others. Some are more willing to share information with outsiders. Yet the lack of capacity or unwillingness cannot continue to hamper continental efforts to achieve overall progress toward self-reliance. The refusal or inability to cooperate on continent-wide efforts has doomed the hoped-for success of the African Peer Review Mechanism and delayed confirmation of AfCFTA. It has prevented the Regional Economic Communities from being as successful as they can be.

In some cases, pride prevents a government from allowing outsiders – even other Africans – to see their failings and inabilities. In other cases, African governments, who over the years may have crafted convoluted ways for the elite to prosper under colonialism and neocolonial structures, have not found a way to disentangle themselves from their current economic and governance regimes. But whatever the reasons for failing to adhere to continent-wide standards, this lack of cooperation must end if Africa is to fully join the global economy as a successful, united entity.

Gregory Simpkins, a longtime specialist in African policy development, is the Principal of 21st Century Solutions. He consults with organizations on African policy issues generally, especially in relating to the U.S. Government. He also serves as Managing Director for the Morganthau Stirling consulting firm, where he oversees program development and implementation. He further acts as a consultant to the African Merchants Association, where he advises the Association in its efforts to stimulate an increase in trade between several hundred African Diaspora small and medium enterprises and their African partners.