The decision to strategically focus the work of ECA on the two specified pillars is expected to result in the following, among others:
Progress towards Achieving the MDGs - The rationale for the MDGs is development with equity, requiring poverty eradication and the promotion of gender equity. These are key objectives of national development strategies and ECA is helping to achieve these goals by, among other things, becoming a repository of knowledge in this area for the region, assisting its member States to develop performance indicators and statistics for MDG planning, tracking, and building capacity through strengthened statistics departments and training activities.
Increased Regional Integration - The successful integration of Africa requires strengthened institutions and centres of excellence, harmonization and convergence of policies, increased intra-regional trade, development of sustainable infrastructure links and regional public action. ECA is contributing in this regard by helping to build the capacities of RECs and the existing Centres of
Excellence in research and training on the continent. It is also supporting the coordination of regional policies to promote coherence through knowledge activities, advocacy, consensus building, advisory services and technical cooperation. The Commission is measuring progress towards increased intra-African trade through concrete activities to support the implementation of trade agreements and trade facilitation programmes. Similarly, ECA continues to make a tangible contribution in the area of infrastructure by reviewing existing feasibility and sector studies in transport, energy, water resources, natural resources and ICT for implementation and sponsorship of regional integration projects. Furthermore, since peace and security, migration, environment, and health issues cut across national boundaries and require collective regional action, ECA is undertaking economic impact assessments of these issues and developing policy options and programmes for the benefit of its Member States.
Development of Priority Productive Sectors Including Greater Value-addition - While some African countries have made progress in increasing the processing of their commodities, many others have been less successful in adding value to key agricultural products and natural resources in the extractive industries. ECA is working to identify key priority sectors for African countries and helping to develop an integrated programme of support
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for the development of the sector in the subregion through research and advisory services.
Development of ICT and Participation in the Knowledge Economy - Information and Communications Technologies play a cen-tral role in the global economy, improving processes, re-ducing costs and speeding up transactions. They simulta-neously contribute to the knowledge economy as platforms for learning, networking and processing of information.
Africa lags behind other regions both in ICT use and ICT policy frameworks. ECA therefore continues to articulate legal and regulatory frameworks and capacity building in the use of ICT in various areas, including trade, education, and natural resource databases.
Stronger Institutions, Strengthened and Networked Centres of Excellence - Aware of the importance of institution building, ECA is working to establish new institutions in response to emerging needs and to strengthen existing ones, especially the Centres of Excellence in various areas of science and technology, which ECA was closely involved in establishing across the continent. These are to be supported with ideas and resources to sharpen their focus, widen their reach and enhance their effectiveness in generating knowledge and delivering services.
Improved Macroeconomic Policies and Economic Governance - African countries are vulnerable to external shocks from the rest of the world as well as rising oil prices, declining aid flows, and sharply declining commodity prices, which have deleterious impact on the balance of payments as well as fiscal revenues. These challenges require appropriate macroeconomic policies and improved economic governance in both the public and private sector. In this regard, ECA continues to support mutual accountability, providing advice, advocating policy options, and building capacity for research, economic forecasting and policy analysis in member States.
Increased Integration into the Global Economy - The world economy is characterized by an increasing value of trade and financial flows facilitated mostly by improved scientific processes and technological links. Africa is regarded as being marginalized from these flows and processes ECA support to African countries in this regard will help them to gain better outcomes from globalization, including improved access to markets, scientific knowledge and ICT.
The Commission is helping to build trade-related capacity in the continent in addition to assisting member States to develop strategies and policies for science and technology development as well as articulation of ICT policies, all of which are geared to increasing the participation of member States in the knowledge economy.
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Improved Statistical Capacity of Member States - Many African countries do not have strong statistical systems and therefore lack the data needed for planning and tracking of economic development. ECA is, therefore, assisting African countries in improving their statistical databases and statistical capacity at various levels. This is expected to enhance planning for MDG achievement and for monitoring progress in this regard.
Cross-cutting Outcomes - ECA continues to support the achievement of cross-cutting outcomes and results throughout its work programme, especially in promoting more gender- sensitive structures, improved governance, appreciable post conflict development, and more human rights-based approach to development.
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