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Sub-Saharan Africa
Good governance
Good governance, understood to mean the way in which decisions are made, and policies drawn up and put into practice in a state, is a central precondition for peace and security, for sustainable development and for realising human rights.
The promotion of good governance and democratic rule-of-law structures is thus one of the central goals of German development cooperation.
The Federal Republic of Germany is pledging new funds to the efforts to improve governance in the states of sub-Saharan Africa to the tune of some 150 million euros per annum. Germany is thus contributing a significant portion of the total assistance of the international community in this field.
The Federal Republic of Germany concentrates in particular on the rule of law, participation, democracy and human rights. Priority areas of activity are supporting decentralisation reforms and processes, promoting national and regional governance reform processes, supporting regional approaches in the field of peace and security and fostering regional dialogue.
All efforts serve to combat poverty effectively and give the people of Africa the chance to develop. The scene has been set. Experts reckon that the states of Africa could double their income if they developed their institutional capacities.
Some African states have already shown what can be done. More reliable legal frameworks, improved capacities and transparency in state administration attract investment and generate a higher per capita income.
The states of Africa have taken the first important steps towards improving governance and enhancing their development orientation, as evidenced by the founding of the African Union, the establishment of a new peace and security architecture, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the initiation of the now well established peer review system.
Germany supports this development through its cooperation with African partners and its work within the framework of the European Union, the G8 and the international donor community.
