IMPLEMENTATION OF INITIATIVES PRESENTED BY THE AFRICA COMMISSION

The Commission, which was initiated by the Prime Minister of Denmark in 2008, and consisting of prominent African leaders, launched its recommendations and initiatives in May this year. The main focus of the recommendations and initiatives of the Africa Commission is to improve employment opportunities for youth in Africa through private sector-led economic growth.

In this relation the Minister for Development Cooperation, Ulla Tørnæs comments:

”The Danish government has together with national and international experts been strongly committed to the work of the Africa Commission to ensure an optimal utilization of the monumental growth potential the African youth represent. An active involvement of youth in the commercial development in Africa will create a better foundation for economic development in Africa as well as contribute to the fight against poverty through increased employment of young people, who might else be subject to unemployment or under-employment. I look forward to the positive results created by the activities which are supported by Denmark.

Two of the key initiatives defined by the Africa Commission are current under preparation in cooperation with the African Development Bank. The first initiative concerns a guarantee fund for small and medium sized African enterprises, while the second initiative relates to the development of sustainable energy for smaller enterprises in Africa. I expect to launch these initiatives in the first half year of 2010. Concurrently, I am actively working to place the recommendations of the Africa Commission on the international agenda, especially in the preparation for the MDG summit in September next year.”

The three activities, for which grants have already been approved, are:

• The first phase of a programme to support young entrepreneurs in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The programme will strengthen youth’s opportunities to create decent employment for themselves and others. It is implemented by the ILO, the UN Labour Organization, which for the activities for the first two years receives 30 million DKK.
• The first phase of a project to strengthen vocational training in the informal sector for youth in Benin, Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe. The project will with its improvements of technical and vocational skills of youth, who have abandoned school, strengthen youth employment opportunities and simultaneous ease business access to qualified labour. This project is also implemented by the ILO, which receives 30 million DKK for the first phase of two years.
• The first phase of a programme to support agricultural research in Africa and to improve the interaction between the academics and businesses. The programme will strengthen the use of agricultural research in the private sector for the benefit of commercial development and employment. The programme is implemented by the research network FARA, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, which receives 30 million for the first phase of two years.

In addition, the Minister for Development Cooperation has approved the allocation of 9 million DKK to enhance the competitiveness of African enterprises. This initiative is implemented in cooperation with the World Economic Forum.