MAPUTO, Mozambique - Senior officials from the Group of 8 industrialized nations met their African counterparts behind closed doors Friday to put the final touches to a plan aimed at developing the world's poorest continent.
Known as the New Partnership for African Development, the plan is being promoted by Presidents Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal, and was accepted in principle by the G-8 at a summit in Genoa, Italy last year.
Friday's talks were the last in a series of six preparatory meetings held to decide on concrete steps needed to reduce widespread poverty and encourage sustainable economic development and investment in Africa.
Mozambican delegate Firmino Mucavele said the discussions focused on ensuring that the various components of the initiative complemented each other.
Another meeting in Rome, to be held June 11-12, is to approve an action plan before it is presented to a G-8 heads of summit meeting in Canada later in the month.
While funding details for the initiative have to be finalized, it has been suggested that it could cost dlrs 64 billion to address widespread poverty and underdevelopment. About 340 million people — half of Africa's population — live on less than one dollar a day.
The development program proposes that African countries commit to democracy, human rights, good governance and an end to civil war, in exchange for a package of trade and aid initiatives.
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