Sustainable Development Report on Africa: Five-Year Review of the Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development Outcomes in Africa (WSSD+5)

The production of the Sustainable Development Report on Africa (SDRA) was launched in the 2004-2005 biennium, as one of ECA?s flagship publications. The report is intended to be an important medium for monitoring and assessing sustainable development in Africa, and is among other things, aimed at promoting a balanced integration of the three pillars of sustainable development. The theme of the second issue of the Sustainable Development Report on Africa (SDRA-2)- Five-Year Review of the Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development Outcomes in Africa (WSSD+5), is inspired by the thematic cluster of issues that would be deliberated on by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), at its sixteenth and seventeenth sessions, which include ?Africa?. WSSD reaffirmed sustainable development as a central element of the international agenda and paved the way for the practical and sustained steps needed to address many of the world?s most pressing challenges. In order to better focus efforts to address the development needs of Africa, the international community, identified the New Partnership for Africa?s Development (NEPAD) for special attention and support. The JPOI, and in particular its chapter eight, entitled ?Sustainable development for Africa?, guides SDRA-2. The report is based on an extensive desk review involving many experts, but it is not intended to address all pertinent issues in an exhaustive manner. The intent is to provide the reader with an overview of Africa?s progress in implementing its sustainable development agenda and to engender action on the part of all stakeholders, including Governments, civil society, the private sector and development partners, with a view to accelerating progress towards meeting Africa?s sustainable development goals. The Regional Review Report on Africa from which the SDRA-2 is derived, was tabled at the Fifth Meeting of the ACSD, held on the 22-25 October 2007. This report takes into account comments and inputs provided at the meeting, and by the NEPAD Secretariat.