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UNU Africa Research Observer
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No. 4, September 2001
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This biannual email newsletter brings you the latest United Nations
University
(UNU) research on human security and development in Africa. It contains
short
abstracts with links to detailed reports on the UNU "Priority Africa"
website.
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CONTENTS
Major Events
* Nigerian President Speaks at Africa Day Symposium
* Eminent Africans Back Campaign to Revitalize Universities, Research
Institutions
New Reports Online
* Economic and Institutional Reforms in French-speaking West Africa
* Botswana and Zimbabwe: Relative Success and Comparative Failure
* Government and Innovation Policy: An Analysis of the South African
Experience since 1994
* Firm Size, Technological Capabilities and Market-Oriented Policies in
Mauritius
* Reconstruction from War in Africa: Communities, Entrepreneurs and States
* Displaced Communities and the Reconstruction of Livelihoods in Eritrea
* From Humanitarian Assistance to Poverty Reduction in Angola
* The Agrarian Question in Mozambique's Transition and Reconstruction
* Overcoming the Fiscal Crisis of the African State
Other News
* Conference on Growth and Poverty - Agenda and Papers
* Conference on Debt - Agenda and Papers
* Do the LDCs need Science and Technology for Sustainable Development?
* Call for Papers on "Spatial Inequality and Development"
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Major Events
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Nigerian President Speaks at Africa Day Symposium
Nigerian President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo gave the keynote lecture at this
year's Africa Day symposium held at UNU Centre, Tokyo, on May 22. The theme
of the symposium was the Millennium Africa Recovery Plan (MAP), the
development strategy for the continent being promoted by President Obasanjo,
President Mbeki of South Africa and President Bouteflika of Algeria. The
other presentations and discussion at the conference highlighted a number of
important issues related to the MAP in particular and African development in
general. In particular, the meeting highlighted: (i) the need for the MAP to
put "the peoples of Africa" front and center in any strategy; (ii) the
importance of greater commitments in the area of education, (iii) the great
potential for African countries to promote regional interaction and markets,
(iv) the need for massive infrastructure investments in the coming years,
particularly in information and communications technologies, and (v) the
importance of increasing resource flows and reducing the debt burden.
Conference Summary < <http://www.unu.edu/africa/africa-day/message-e.htm> >
MAP document < <http://www.unu.edu/africa/africa-day/map.htm> >
Contact: Julius Court, Programme Officer, UNU Centre ([log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>)
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Eminent Africans Back Campaign to Revitalize Universities, Research
Institutions
Several of Africa's most noted academics and scientists assembled in Accra
May 28-29 to launch a campaign to revive the continent's research and higher
education systems. Prof. Ali Mazrui, Africa's foremost historian, and Prof.
Albert Tevoedjre, former Minister of Planning and Economic Development of
Benin, were among 45 African leaders, scientists and academics convening in
Accra for the conference, Bridging The Knowledge Gap, organized by the UNU
and The Independent Commission on Africa and the Challenges of the Third
Millennium. At the conference, leading experts discussed ways to enable and
challenge Africans to: (i) advance food security through basic research;
(ii) add value to Africa's primary products through applied science and
technology; (iii) link scientific knowledge on natural resources to policy,
problem-solving, and long-term planning processes; and (iv) educate and
train young scientists in cutting-edge science.
< <http://update.unu.edu/archive/issue9_7.htm> >
Contact: Uzo Mokwunye, Director, UNU/INRA ([log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>)
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New Reports Online
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Economic and Institutional Reforms in French-speaking West Africa
Author(s): Anders Danielson
This paper examines some outcomes of two decades of market-oriented reforms
in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). In general,
economic performance, measured by growth of per capita incomes, has not been
encouraging. This is despite far-reaching reforms, including privatization,
liberalization and deep regional integration. Social indicators suggest that
poverty reduction has not been achieved through reforms. Several indicators
on access to primary health care, and inputs and outcomes in primary
education show deteriorating trends in the majority of countries. However,
social indicators in the WAEMU are better than those in other countries in
sub-Saharan Africa. Finally, the paper attempts to test the extent to which
institutional quality in WAEMU differs from that in other parts of the
world. The general results from this exercise are that (i) indicators of
institutional quality in sub-Saharan Africa are significantly lower than in
non-African parts of the world, (ii) this explains much of the growth
difference, and (iii) institutional quality in WAEMU does not differ from
that in other parts of Africa, despite more centralized institutions.
< <http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/dps/dp2001-28.pdf> >
Contact: Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa, Research Fellow, UNU/WIDER,
([log in to unmask])
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Botswana and Zimbabwe: Relative Success and Comparative Failure
Author(s): Guy Mhone and Patrick Bond
Botswana and Zimbabwe represent two cases of differential access to the
world economy. Notwithstanding its lack of diversification and its reliance
on a primary mineral export, Botswana has prospered while Zimbabwe has
fallen into a deep crisis. Historical and comparative evidence allows us to
transcend the superficial presumption common to much policy discourse,
namely that the basis for success depends upon adherence to the "Washington
Consensus" export-oriented strategy, or to good governance, or even to
geographical considerations. The authors argue instead that there are much
deeper problems and possibilities that the Botswana and Zimbabwe cases
indicate. These relate largely to developmental linkages and aspects of
agency.
< <http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/dps/dp2001-38.pdf> >
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Government and Innovation Policy: An Analysis of the South African
Experience
Author(s): Sunil Mani
South Africa used to follow a policy of import substitution, necessitated by
subscription to apartheid. However, following the democratic elections of
1994, the country abandoned this policy and put in place a whole host of
measures to increase its industrial competitiveness. Policy makers gave
specific attention to achieving this goal through technological development.
The country has shown considerable sophistication in framing the necessary
policies and institutions to hasten this process of domestic technology
development coupled with a better absorption of imported technologies.
However, South Africa has not shown as much sophistication in implementing
and evaluating these otherwise laudable policies. The provision of a
significant number of research grants has not resulted in desirable results.
An analysis shows that the country suffers from a severe shortage of
scientists and engineers who can engage in R&D. The reason for this is a
near-stagnant enrolment in science and engineering subjects and possibly
migration abroad. The South African case once again confirms the hypothesis
that countries may not be successful in stimulating R&D in their enterprise
sectors by merely fine-tuning financial instruments such as research grants
and tax incentives. For financial instruments to be very effective, there
has to be a critical mass of research scientists and engineers.
< <http://www.intech.unu.edu/publications/discussion-papers/2001-2.pdf> >
Contact: Sunil Mani, Research Fellow, UNU/INTECH, ([log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> )
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Firm Size, Technological Capabilities and Market-Oriented Policies in
Mauritius
Author(s): Ganeshan Wignaraja
Mauritius is an exception in Sub-Saharan Africa for its impressive
manufactured export performance based on garments since the adoption of
market-oriented policies in the early 1980s. Little, however, is known about
the role played by internal technological factors on the exporting behaviour
of enterprises of different size classes in the Mauritian garment industry.
Using recent methodological developments in the literature on industrial
technological capabilities, this paper explores this issue by constructing a
technology index and conducting econometric analysis on factors affecting
enterprise-level technological development and export performance in a
sample of Mauritian garment enterprises. The econometric results show that
firm size, technical manpower, training expenditures and external technical
assistance are positively related to the technology index. This confirms
that investments in human capital and seeking information, both facilitated
by size, improve technological performance. This is strengthened by the fact
that the technology index and foreign ownership have positive and
statistically significant effects on export performance of each firm. The
technology index is a robust tool of empirical research and can be used to
analyse the technological record of enterprises in adjusting developing
countries.
< <http://www.intech.unu.edu/publications/discussion-papers/2001-1.pdf> >
Contact: Sunil Mani, Research Fellow, UNU/INTECH, ([log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> )
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Reconstruction from War in Africa: Communities, Entrepreneurs, and States
Author(s): Tony Addison
Africa has become synonymous with conflict. There were armed conflicts in 16
of Africa's 54 countries in 1999. For Africa to recover, communities must
reconstruct, private sectors must revitalize, and states must transform
themselves. Aid donors, NGOs, and international business can do much to help
(or hinder). However, the movement from conflict to reconstruction and then
onto sustained development largely depends on the three national actors.
Thus, unless communities rebuild and strengthen their livelihoods, neither
reconstruction nor growth will be poverty reducing. But communities cannot
prosper unless private investment recreates markets and generates more
employment. And neither communities nor entrepreneurs can realize their
potential without a development state - one that is democratically
accountable and dedicated to poverty-reducing development. The international
community can do much to assist - through more aid, debt relief, and
peacekeeping - but ultimately the future lies in the hands of Africans
themselves.
< <http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/dps/dp2001-18.pdf> >
Contact: Tony Addison, Senior Research Fellow, UNU/WIDER,
([log in to unmask])
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Displaced Communities and the Reconstruction of Livelihoods in Eritrea
Author(s): Gaim Kibreab
Since large-scale programmes of post-war resettlement and reintegration are
costly, it is important to learn the lessons of the resettlement programme
started after the end of Eritrea's liberation war in 1991. Eritrea's system
of land tenure largely facilitated resettlement, social capital built during
the war was a positive resource, and the state's legitimacy was another
positive factor despite the shortage of skills and fragmented help from
donors. Those who self-settled generally did better than those who settled
under government schemes: this implies that helping self-settlement is more
cost-effective than direct government help - an important lesson for the
future. The success of returnees in reconstructing their livelihoods depends
upon the resumption of sustainable development activities in settlement
areas. Assistance is most effective and equitable when provided on a
community-wide basis, bringing benefits to the entire population of areas
where returnees settle.
< <http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/dps/dp2001-23.pdf> >
Contact: Tony Addison, Senior Research Fellow, UNU/WIDER,
([log in to unmask])
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From Humanitarian Assistance to Poverty Reduction in Angola
Author(s): Mario Adauta de Sousa, Tony Addison, Bjorn Ekman and Asa Stenman
The list of illnesses afflicting Angolan society is a long one: political
instability, civil war, macroeconomic mismanagement and the desperation born
of poverty. A profound sense of uncertainty afflicts all levels of society -
the government (and its opponents), entrepreneurs, and rural and urban
communities. Ordinary citizens are deeply sceptical of the country's
political, economic, and social institutions, and regard high inequality as
a sign that economic policy is largely run for the benefit of the wealthy.
Uncertainty undermines government institutions, discourages long-term
investment by entrepreneurs, and hinders community development. Therefore
both uncertainty and high and rising inequality create low levels of trust
in social institutions. The resulting loss of social capital undermines both
economic performance and the effectiveness of national, sectoral, and
community-level interventions in poverty reduction. Restoring confidence in
social institutions will take considerable time. But some war-tom societies
- Mozambique in particular - have shown that it is at least possible to make
a start.
< <http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/dps/dp2001-22.pdf> >
Contact: Tony Addison, Senior Research Fellow, UNU/WIDER,
([log in to unmask])
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The Agrarian Question in Mozambique's Transition and Reconstruction
Author(s): Marc Wuyts
The economic policies of transition and reconstruction in Mozambique, like
the policies of central planning beforehand, were based on an inappropriate
model of the inherited rural economy. Under central planning, the peasantry
was looked upon as a mass of subsistence producers; with the economic
reforms came the vision of the peasantry as a mass of smallholder producers.
Both of these views ignored the extent to which peasant livelihoods depended
on the complex and varied linkages between wage labour and household
production. Under the impulse of the reforms, both the social and regional
differentiation of the countryside have become far more pronounced. The
processes at work involved a partial regression to past patterns of
accumulation and labour use. Although this process can undoubtedly lead to
the recovery and growth of agricultural production, it is unlikely to
provide a basis for broad-based development due to the persistent and
continued exclusion of the poorer peasantry from the benefits of economic
growth.
< <http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/dps/dp2001-14.pdf> >
Contact: Tony Addison, Senior Research Fellow, UNU/WIDER,
([log in to unmask])
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Overcoming the Fiscal Crisis of the African State
Author(s): Tony Addison and Leonce Ndikumana
A critical task is to construct a development state - a set of
democratically-accountable institutions capable of effective policy design
and implementation. The new state agenda is ambitious and resource
intensive. It cannot therefore be achieved unless the fiscal crisis of the
African state is resolved, especially low and distorted spending on pro-poor
services, weak budgetary institutions, distortions in civil-service
expenditure, and the weakness of customs and taxation institutions in
raising much-needed revenue. These problems are common across SSA but they
are severe in the conflict/post-conflict country group. Reform is therefore
urgent, and this issue illustrates how reform - if it is well designed - can
support reconstruction. Furthermore, reduced military spending, more grant
aid, and more debt relief all release or add resources for core spending.
< <http://www.wider.unu.edu/publications/dps/dp2001-12.pdf> >
Contact: Tony Addison, Senior Research Fellow, UNU/WIDER,
([log in to unmask])
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Other News
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Conference on Growth and Poverty
Helsinki, 25-26 May 2001
Building on some of the themes covered in the World Development Report
2000-2001, the conference reviewed what is currently known about the
relationship between poverty and growth. It also provided an opportunity to
share views on the direction of future research, including the issues that
require attention, the methods of analysis that need to be developed, and
new data sets that would facilitate research in this area.
< <http://www.wider.unu.edu/conference/conference-2001-1/conference1.htm> >
Contact: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
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Conference on Debt
Helsinki, 17-18 August 2001
In December 2000, the IMF and the World Bank announced that 22 countries (18
of them in Africa) had qualified for debt relief under the HIPC initiative,
the debt relief being worth some US$ 34 billion. But the HIPC initiative -
and debt relief more generally - remains highly controversial. The UNU/WIDER
conference reviewed what is presently known about the relationship between
debt, development and poverty reduction, and assessed the state of progress
on debt relief, and its implications for the relationship between aid donors
and recipient countries. Some 64 papers of 73 papers from the Conference are
available online, and many relate directly to sub-Saharan Africa.
<
<http://www.wider.unu.edu/conference/conference-2001-2/conference2001-2.htm>
>
Contact: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
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Do the Least Developed Countries need Science and Technology for Sustainable
Development?
A paper prepared by Lynn Mytelka for the Third UN Conference on Least
Developed Countries Round Table on "Education for All and Sustainable
Development in LDCs" that was held on 16 May 2001.
<
<http://www.intech.unu.edu/publications/conference-workshop-reports/LDC%20pa
per.pdf> >
Contact: Lynn Mytelka, Director, UNU/INTECH ([log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>)
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Call for Papers on "Spatial Inequality and Development"
Amidst a growing concern about increasing inequality, the spatial dimensions
of inequality have begun to attract considerable policy interest. On 27--29
June 2002, Cornell University - LSE - UNU/WIDER will organize a conference
on "Spatial Inequality and Development."
<http://www.wider.unu.edu/conference/conference-2002-1/conference-2002-1-cal
l-for-papers.pdf>
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Notes:
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Compiled by:
Julius Court - Programme Officer, Office of the Rector ([log in to unmask])
John Datsomor - Webmaster ([log in to unmask])
Disclaimer:
Views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of UNU or other
contributing institutions. Unless stated otherwise, articles may be copied
or quoted without restriction, provided that UNU and the originating
author(s) and institution(s) are acknowledged.
Copyright: United Nations University, 2001.
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