Human development is at the very heart of all development thinking and approaches, and as such is a goal that the entire international community is currently striving to reach. It now appears to be the major prerequisite for bridging the gap between the North and the South and fostering greater equity, justice and security throughout the world.

Nowadays, human development is a societal project and an ambition shared by all the governments and peoples of the world.

This is the reason why the international community has embarked on a brainstorming process and started taking action to promote human development. Amongst the measures taken can be mentioned the World Summit for Social Development (Copenhagen, 1995), the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994), the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995), and the World Food Summit (Rome, 1996).

This process is a reflection of the general trend and collective commitment towards the creation of the societal conditions that will promote individual and collective fulfilment and development.

This international mobilization culminated with the adoption of the Millennium Declaration and its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which reflect the commitment of the international community in favour of developing countries.

The Millennium Development Goals thus represent a targeted answer that reflects both the evolution of the international thinking process and the collective awareness of the real dimension of underdevelopment.

Nevertheless, despite the major opportunities offered by globalization, scientific progress and growing knowledge, the divide between the North and the South has grown ever wider. Should this divide remain, it might well annihilate all the efforts made to date to bring about and international order based on peace and security and directed towards sustainable human development.

In Africa, the MDGs have created a new dynamics and we are now beginning to witness a reversal of the human development indicators that had become negative during the 1980’s because of ever growing economic and social difficulties.

Indeed, despite the considerable efforts made to achieve the MDGs, it is on the African continent that progress has been slowest and where the number of underprivileged people has grown steadily throughout the 1990’s. In addition, the average per capita income has gone down and a growing number of people find themselves without even the bare minimum to survive, despite Africa’s considerable natural, human and cultural potential.

The achievement of the MDGs indeed calls for the involvement of all and North-South cooperation commensurate with international commitments. But it also demands South-South cooperation, development being first and foremost the responsibility of the countries that need it.

It is against this background that the Kingdom of Morocco launched the National Initiative for Human Development in 2005. It is the result of a pioneering, action-oriented approach that combines ambition, realism and effectiveness and translates into four practical, well-defined and integrated programmes to combat, amongst others, rural poverty, social exclusion in urban areas and precariousness.

The case for strengthened South-South cooperation

Cooperation between African countries is turning out to be more and more essential to:

• Make the most of the existing potential and capacities;
• Learn from successful activities related to human development;
• Promote a fruitful dialogue for mutual experience-sharing (the problems being very similar) ;
• Create partnerships based on a balanced relationship in which all parties are on an equal footing;
• Build the capacities and enhance the position of the countries of the South to give them more weight in international negotiation fora;

In this respect, geographical proximity and socio-economic as well as cultural similarities can only foster and strengthen the exchange of expertise and experiences, knowledge-sharing and dialogue in the various fields of cooperation.

A novel approach

Convinced of the need to achieve the Millennium Development Goals enshrined in the Millennium Declaration and which remain a priority for all African countries, the Kingdom of Morocco decided to convene the African Conference on Human Development, in keeping with the goals of South-South cooperation as defined at the two South Summits held in Havana in 2000 and Doha in 2005.

The African Conference on Human Development will allow African countries to start a new process structured around:

• The creation of strategic partnerships through a number of projects and programmes aimed at achieving those goals within the framework of bilateral, triangular and multilateral cooperation;
• The holding of consultations aimed at creating follow-up and coordination mechanisms;
• The creation of an enhanced South-South cooperation platform involving other regions (Arab countries, Latin America, Asia).

This conference will be an opportunity for African countries to offer multiple solutions to the various challenges of human development and to jointly create a partnership for the promotion of effective strategies that will foster economic growth, create wealth and jobs, and thus contribute to the fight against poverty.

Objectives of the conference

The African Conference on Human Development will give the movement new impetus and allow for the creation of a new inclusive process whose expected results can be defined as follows:

• Sharing of experiences and expertise, as well as promoting effective solidarity in Africa;
• Strengthening of South-South cooperation;
• Through presentations on African initiatives, identification of partnership and cooperation opportunities; and
• The setting-up of a follow-up mechanism to implement concrete projects, together with a standing monitoring system for cooperation between African countries in the area of human development.

Partners and topics of the Conference

The African Conference on Human Development is organised in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

All African countries, bilateral partners (France, Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Japan, South Korea, China, India, Pakistan, Canada, the United States of America and Mexico), some United Nations organizations (ECA and UNCTAD), the European Commission, as well as international and regional financial institutions (IBRD, ADB and IDB) have been invited to this conference.

The conference will centre its work on three issues of common interest, i.e.:

1. The fight against poverty and the promotion of local development within the framework of the Millennium Goals, emphasizing local and national capacity building in particular ;
2. Gender equality in all areas;
3. Good governance at the national and local level, through effective financial and human resources management.

Given its nature, the Conference will represent a forum where it will be possible to hear about success stories, share experiences, expertise, and the knowledge acquired in the relevant areas at the national level.

Follow-up to the Conference

A coordination and follow-up mechanism will be set up to ensure proper implementation of the Conference’s recommendations and to establish an operational plan of action.