"Development, Gender, Energy and Accountability"

We, a group of over 40 civil society representatives* from across Africa and worldwide came together in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on the sidelines of the 2018Civil Society Forum of the African Development Bank (AfDB), and ahead of the 2018 Annual Meetings of the AfDB scheduled for Busan, Republic of Korea May 21 – 25, 2018 to advance our advocacy for people-centred climate-resilient development and industrialization in Africa through the lens of gender, energy, participation and accountability.

After extensive deliberation on the state of development in Africa and in our communities, and in light of the AfDB’s 2018 Annual Meeting theme of Industrialize Africa, we observed [that a] development strategy premised on private sector-led industrialization bears the risk of failing to bring the equitable, inclusive transformation that is responsive to the desires and aspirations of African people. Instead the industrialization of Africa must reflect the needs and human rights of people, not just the interests of Trans-National Corporations (TNCs) and foreign investors, and should evolve from African-owned business and local Small-Medium Enterprises driving sustainable development in rural communities...Communities who are impacted by AfDB-financed projects too often lack access to remedy. We welcome the recent ruling in favor of the Lamu Community issued on April 30th 2018 by the High Court of Kenya. The landmark decision upholding the right to public participation in the Lamu Port-Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) Project should encourage other communities and CSOs to amplify calls for community-led development, Free Prior Informed Consent, CSO participation, and respect for human rights in all phases of development.

We urge the AfDB and its shareholders to [a]ccord priority to African-owned businesses and local SMEs, and ensure that social and environmental protections are not sacrificed in the effort to attract private investment in the implementation of the industrialise Africa agenda