All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC)

African Church Leaders’ Statement On AID Effectiveness

1. We delegates of various Churches across the African continent under the
auspices of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) and the
Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM),
met from 21 – 23 May 2008 to review the aid reform process as articulated in
the Paris Declaration, at the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Ecumenical Centre in
Nairobi, Kenya.

2. We critically reviewed the aid reform process as stipulated in the Paris
Declaration under the Accra Agenda for Action (AAA). We examined the five
pillars of the Declaration in the light of our great command of our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ “to preach, teach, heal and liberate the people of God…”
(Luke 4:18f ). This command also compels us to adhere to the biblical and
theological values that include the fundamental human dignity, respect for the
integrity of creation and the common good, in the spirit of Ubuntu, “I am
because you are and you are because I am we are”, as well as the ongoing
African Union integration processes and initiatives.

3. The African Church recognizes the efforts and the spirit of the Paris Declaration
in development and affirms the Better Aid position by the International Civil
Society Steering Group. We acknowledge the development work undertaken by
religious institutions in Africa. We encourage the Working Group of
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the
African Governments in strengthening their engagement with religious
institutions.

4. The African Church views aid for development as aid that promotes the
integrity of creation, social justice, sharing, participation of all stakeholders,
responsible stewardship, upholding of the rule of law, democracy, good
governance, respect for human dignity, gender equality and accountability at all
levels.

5. The African Church’s engagement in political processes is rooted in the
scriptures, its mission, its involvement in lives of communities and its long
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ALL AFRICA CONFERENCE OF CHURCHES CONFERENCE DES EGLISES DE TOUTE L’AFRIQUE.2
history in aid for holistic development. This is evident in Her contribution
towards development in such areas as education, health, environment and rural
development. The role of the African Church as a major provider of social
services, political advocacy and the upholding of human dignity on the
continent is immense. The African Church appreciates the support that the
global Diaconia continues to give, as She pursues Her objectives. In future, The
African Church envisages a situation where the support of development
partners and the donor community towards the government is based on
participatory consultation, especially with all the stakeholders in the country
where aid is directed. The conditionality for the aid should be embedded in just
and equitable conditions as well as consideration of the recipient’s objectives.

6. The African Church recognizes its role in the conscientization, the provision of
moral and ethical guidance as well as being the custodian of reparation, peace
building, social stabilization and reconciliation especially in fragile situations.

7. The African Church recognizes development as horizontal and bottom up rather
than top down. The African Church views “aid effectiveness should be
measured in its contribution to sustained reduction of poverty and inequalities;
and its support of human rights, democracy, environmental sustainability and
gender equality”. It must be a transformational development that is based on the
theological affirmation that all persons are created in the image and likeness of
God (Genesis 1:27) with the potential to live just, humane and dignified lives in
sustainable communities.

8. In the context of the High Level Forum (HLF) III on Aid effectiveness, the
African Church proposes to the OECD Working Group, donors and recipient
Governments to receive and address the following on the Paris Declaration:
Ownership
9. The African Church views democratic ownership as active citizenry and
participation in local, national and regional agendas.

10. It is well-known that imposed policy conditionalities continue to undermine
democratic ownership. Democracy should be practiced as a broad- based
participatory process that ensures the principles of good governance,
transparency, accountability, responsibility and good stewardship are upheld.

11. The African Church is deeply concerned about the inadequacy of interaction
and awareness on the Paris Declaration and the lack of popular ownership in the
process among different development stakeholders. The African Church
therefore calls for an intensified democratization process of the aid
effectiveness agenda that must be entrenched in the Paris Declaration..3

12. The African Church expects that the HLF III in Accra (2008) and its
accompanying meetings as well as the HLF IV (2011) offer a conducive
platform for broader stakeholder involvement. The African Church therefore
demands for practical engagement of the African people to ensure ownership
and their input into aid effectiveness agenda.

13. The African citizenry ought to be actively involved in the process and be
sensitized regarding the subsequent processes and emerging issues on aid
effectiveness. All actors at all levels must participate to ensure ownership of the
process and participation of the African people.
14. The African Church therefore calls upon donors and recipient governments to
raise capacities within the framework of aid effectiveness amongst the African
citizens, parliamentarians and other stakeholders in the process.

15. We challenge our African leaders to engage their citizens, the Church and
parliamentarians, among others, to be co-creators of good governance.
Alignment

16. The African Church calls for the alignment of the Paris Declaration to
acknowledge and support the African integration and its regional integration
processes such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NePAD).

17. The Paris Declaration must enhance policy coherence and consistence, for
sustainable development by capturing the inter-connectivity of aid, debt
cancellation, good governance, just and equitable trade regimes and financial
markets that erode local gains (e.g., inequitable taxation, maintenance tax
havens and the lack of government control of capital flight).

18. The African Church notes that existing statistics as indicated in OECD studies
show that as much as 50% of all aid is tied to technical assistance and supply-driven.
The African Church further notes the continued militarization of aid and
the promotion of consumer culture at the expense of sustainable development.
Technical assistance must be demand-driven after sourcing from African
expertise that contributes to the strengthening of local economies. The African
Church therefore calls on all donors to offer aid with no such policy
conditionalities.
Harmonization

19. The African Church notes that there is minimal policy space and structural
engagement within the framework of the national governments to engage
effectively on development and national agenda setting..4

20. We call on Governments and donors to define policy space and mechanisms
that allow the engagement of civil society organizations and religious
institutions in the planning, implementation and evaluation of development
plans.
Managing For Results

21. The African Church calls for the inclusion of qualitative indicators that measure
the impact made on peoples’ lives particularly for the betterment of gender
equality, improvement in provisions for human rights and increased respect for
these rights as well as environmental sustainability.

22. The African Church urges for the recognition of existing stakeholders’
contributions and notes that development and poverty eradication through aid
delivery is a multi-faceted process that is filled with learning opportunities and
is not necessarily a linear process.

23. The African Church urges for the inclusion of all stakeholders in data collection
on development and the recognition of data that is generated by stakeholders at
the point of contact with communities, as such data reflects various people
centred dynamics.

24. The African Church urges donors and our governments to ensure a proactive
participation and the democratization of monitoring and evaluation processes.
Mutual Accountability

25. The African Church demands that development be defined as both horizontal
and bottom up rather than top down as a fundamental basis for ownership of
national policies and development systems by the citizenry. Governments must
nurture, create democratic space and processes for civil society participation.
Sustainable Development

26. The African Church notes that the Paris Declaration ignores sustainable
development as a pillar of aid effectiveness for holistic development.

27. The African Church therefore strongly recommends that sustainable
development be included as a core pillar of the Paris Declaration..5

28. The African Church reaffirms that aid brings with it a sense of despondency. In
fact, nowhere in the world has aid brought about sustainable development.

29. The African Church realizes that aid for development must have a pro-rata
diminishment parallel to pro poor economic growth, equitable wealth
distribution and empowerment of the African People.

30. The African Church calls upon the governments and donors to promote
environmental sustainability, food, water and energy sovereignty in the
continent.

31. The African Church denounces the shift from subsistence food production to
farming practices that solely serve agro or bio-fuels. The African Church urges
African governments that have signed or are considering signing such proposed
bi-lateral agreements to reconsider their positions in consultation with the
Church and other constituents.

32. Africa people are facing a terrible threat from climate change among others.
The African Church calls for the developed countries to ensure they proactively
attain the objectives set regarding environmental degradation, especially,
reduction of carbon emissions. The Church therefore calls upon African
Governments to ensure all adaptation and mitigation funding is included in the
Accra aid effectiveness process.

33. The African church warns governments and donors to review initiatives that are
in line with patenting of life forms in relation to intellectual property rights
directly as this undermines the fundamental principle of the integrity of
creation.

Conclusion
34. We the delegates of the African Church firmly assert that Africa can develop,
for the better, by utilising local resources and capacities as well as through
poverty eradication and realization of human rights. The prophetic voice of the
Church ought to be heeded by governments and donors.

35. The African Church in collaboration with other actors is a creative, catalytic,
and empowering force for the transformational change that Africa seeks.

36. The reality and position of the place of Africa as it is today, is unacceptable to
the African Church whose more than 600 million membership is still growing..6

37. The African Church commits herself to demonstrate her role as a custodian of
peace building, reconciliation and social stabilization especially in fragile
situations.

38. The African Church commits to undertake her social, political and economic
responsibilities to her constituencies and to re-dedicate herself as God’s
instruments in the transformation in our continent.

39. Thus the African Church acknowledges that the Aid Effectiveness process at
Accra and beyond offers us another instrument and avenue to this
transformation.

40. The African Church calls upon all Africans to find African solutions, driven by
Africans, to address problems facing Africa.
41. The Accra process must be a step forward in the journey for Africans to stand
with pride with no begging bowls in their hands, but with bowls in our hands
ready to contribute to help others around the Globe.
THE END