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Call for expressions of interest: BRICS in Africa profile database
African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD)

Application Deadline: 25 July 2013

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Introduction

AFRODAD is a civil society organisation born of a desire to secure that African countries maintain sustainable levels of indebtedness so as not to compromise the continent’s development process. AFRODAD aspires for an African and global society that is just (equal access to and fair distribution of resources), respects human rights and promotes popular participation as a fundamental right of citizens (Arusha Declaration of 1980). In this light, African society should have the space in the global development arena to generate its own solutions, uphold good values that ensure that its development process is owned and driven by its people and not dominated by markets/profits and international financial institutions.

Background

Africa has been experiencing several challenges for many years now hence the rationale to ensure that the development process leads to a stable continent where millions realise economic stability with poor people having access to jobs and move away from poverty and fulfil their potential. Africa’s experience with traditional lenders such as the OECD countries and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and Export Credit Agencies, (only to mention a few) has been subject of wide discussions. These include those culminating in the Paris Declaration and the Busan High Level (2011). On the other hand, the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India China and South Africa) appear from the outset to have a different view of the developmental agenda with Africa and therefore a different way of engaging Africa.

As these BRICS countries and Africa continue to deepen their relationships, it is important to adopt processes to guide, monitor and account for their activities. Before exploring the data it is important to give an overall view of the environment of which these donors emerged. Africa, countries have different levels of development, political regimes, political and social modernization, economic growth, primacy of national interests, inter-state and intra-state conflict. The BRICS have also different endowments, needs and capabilities/strengths which meant that each in its interaction with individual African countries differs.

Aid is a broad term but the headline measure for international aid spending is Official Development Assistance. This covers grants and soft loans (with a grant element of at least 25%, calculated using a discount rate of 10%) from government agencies, to support the economic development and welfare of the recipient countries. It does not include other official and private flows such as trade finance, export revenues, remittances, bank lending, foreign direct and equity investment that have increased strongly in recent decades.

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