爆料公社

Description

This self-paced online course seeks to unpack the interconnectedness between peace, sustainable development, financing, and governance through a conceptual framework that weaves these elements into a cohesive narrative for Africa's progress. The target group for this course is mid-level government officials from Africa, specifically key ministries including Finance, Economy, Planning, Energy, Agriculture, and Education. Participants will be equipped with the knowledge necessary to conceptualize policy frameworks that can build resilience, accelerate sustainable development, and contribute to achieving durable peace in their countries. A secondary target group is UN Country Team officials, ensuring that they have a common understanding of the policy approach being promoted and can integrate this into the process of developing joint national initiatives. 

Conceptual Framework

In this course, by applying a nexus framework, we envision an Africa where durable peace is achieved through sustainable development. This vision hinges on a progressive series of dependencies:? 

1. Durable Peace Requires Sustainable Development: Lasting peace cannot exist without a foundation of sustainable development. This encompasses economic growth, climate adaptation, resilience, and social equity that together create stable societies.? 
2. Sustainable Development Requires Sustainable Financing: Sustainable development needs funding that is not only substantial but also enduring and resilient. Such financing must be nationally owned, ensuring that it aligns with local priorities and fosters long-term growth.? 
3. Sustainable Financing Requires Control Over Economic and Financial Flows: To achieve sustainable financing, African states must have sovereignty over their economic and financial resources. This includes the ability to manage and direct these flows effectively to support development goals.? 
4. Control of Economic and Financial Flows Requires Strong and Effective States and Institutions: Finally, the ability to manage economic and financial flows depends on the presence of strong, effective, and transparent country systems and institutions. These entities must be capable of implementing policies, regulating activities, and ensuring accountability.? 

Participants will be guided through these interconnected elements, equipping them with the knowledge to contribute to the creation of robust systems that support sustainable development and, ultimately, durable peace.?In doing so, the course will be structured into five interlinked modules. 

Module 1: Durable Peace Requires Sustainable Development

In this module, participants will delve into the complexities of sustainable development as a prerequisite for achieving lasting peace on the continent. They will explore the challenges that persist in development efforts, starting with an assessment of shortcomings in attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) going into the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Additionally, the module will scrutinize the increasing instability and conflict across Africa, analyzing key historical events, internal and external factors contributing to conflict, and the profound impacts of state absence on societal stability and governance.

Module 2: Sustainable Development Requires (Nationally-owned) Sustainable Financing – The Triple Nexus Framework

Africa faces three interconnected paradoxes that hinder its development. Despite being rich in financial resources, African countries suffer from debt distress; despite vast energy reserves, 600 million Africans lack access to electricity; and despite having abundant arable land, countries suffer from food insecurity. These paradoxes underscore the challenge of effectively mobilizing resources to support sustainable development. Addressing Africa’s financing paradox would allow for the development of renewable energy capacity, providing electricity to millions without reliable access and enabling food systems to be established. To unlock Africa’s potential, domestic resource mobilization plays a pivotal role. Participants will explore each of these paradoxes, the barriers to domestic resource mobilization, and possible policy solutions, such as enhancing revenue collection, improving governance, and investing in infrastructure. 

Module 3: Sustainable Financing Requires Control Over Economic and Financial Flows

Illicit financial flows (IFFs) pose a significant challenge to Africa’s development, draining foreign exchange, reducing domestic resources, stifling trade, and undermining macroeconomic stability. These illicit flows arise from various sources, including inefficient controls, illegal commercial practices, base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS), trade mispricing and invoicing, and inefficient public spending. To combat IFFs, international tax cooperation, anti-corruption measures, and investment in data infrastructure are essential. In this module, participants will delve deeper into these issues and explore potential remedies.

Module 4: Control Over Economic and Financial Flows Requires Strong And Effective Institutions And Governance

Effective domestic resource mobilization (DRM) plays a crucial role in Africa's sustainable development. To achieve this, fundamental policy and institutional changes are necessary. Improving public expenditure efficiency, strengthening revenue collection, leveraging private savings and financial sectors, and addressing illicit financial flows all require strong and effective institutions and governance. This module highlights the importance of developing robust governance and cohesive policies across different levels to drive economic growth and inclusivity.

Module 5: Implementing Effective Policies with a Case Study on School Meals? 

The last module will provide a practical example of a national policy that combines elements of the previous 4 modules in one coherent approach. Course participants will be introduced to national school meal programs not only as a strategy to encourage school attendance, improve education outcomes, increase health, and promote gender equality but also as a pivotal tool in advancing the long-term development of communities. Such programs contribute significantly to economic development by enhancing skills, employability and future earning potential, but also by promoting state presence and stability within communities, addressing one of the root causes of conflict and instability. As children grow healthier and more educated, they are better equipped to contribute positively to their societies, thereby creating a cycle of sustainable development and peace. By incorporating livelihood programs through local food growing schemes and renewable energy that promote climate adaptation, the module examines how such programs can ultimately lead to stronger governance, financing, development, and peace and how such programs might be funded through innovative financing.?