“This year is of great significance for Africa.” So starts the 453-page report of the Commission for Africa entitled ‘Our Common Interest’.  Reactions to the report since its launch in London have been divided, with numerous debates taking place to assess its findings (see p. 7).

The 17 Commissioners set themselves the task of defining Africa’s challenges and providing recommendations on how to support the changes necessary to reduce poverty on the continent.  The report’s title unequivocally links a secure and prosperous Africa to the best interests of the global community while the report’s recommendations number over a hundred.  The Commission, established by UK Premier Tony Blair, was set up to report in 2005 - a year in which progress made towards the UN Millennium Development Goals is under scrutiny and in which the UK heads both the G8 and, in the second half of the year, the European Union.

The success of the Commission will be rated by its ability to deliver impetus to action rather than words.  Nevertheless, while the emphasis on 2005 does place Africa prominently on the world’s agenda this year, it is the actions taken in 2005, 2006, and 2007 and beyond by Africans inside and outside Africa that will really determine how quickly the fortunes of Africa can be transformed.  Achieving positive and sustained change in Africa requires a focus on governance and capacity, on ‘doing the right thing and doing the thing right’.