During the Conference
At the conclusion of IDA (International Development Association) for Africa Heads of State Summit, hosted by President William Ruto in Kenya, Nairobi, The ONE Campaign responds to a meeting that offered a bold ambition, Heads of State and non- state actors and delivered a critical and aspirational call for the biggest replenishment of all time.
Serah Makka, ONE’s Executive Director for Africa said: “President Ruto and other African Heads of State deserve the recognition and acknowledgement for setting the agenda and demand that finally reflects the scale of the Africa’s fiscal challenges and succeeded in highlighting the partnership needed to build an inclusive society and see the realization of Africa’s developmental goals.”
“A strong demand signal from Africa the required leadership for an ambitious IDA to provide concessional funding for low- and middle-income countries. The scale of the funding required for Africa to reach the SDGs is significant and in the trillions of dollars. But we need to start from somewhere. IDA is a great place to start.
“The summit made some ambitious plans to grow the continent, including increased energy and digital access, job creation, alongside enhanced resilience to climate change and conflict. Heads of State and non-state leaders also expressed the continent’s determination for change, hope and desire to make the most of this pivotal moment of opportunity.”
“Now it is up to the contributors to IDA21. Will they act in solidarity to address challenges countries are facing that in many ways were caused by exogenous shocks to their economies – covid-19 pandemic, wars in Europe and the Middle East, rising interest rates. We need the scale and speed of financing to truly transformed Africa. Supporting the needs and plans of Africa benefits the world and builds a resilient economy that will withstand the shocks of future crises; however, this can only be achieved in solidarity, if the ambition displayed at this summit continues and leads to concrete action.”
