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73. Investing in infrastructure in developing countries, especially in LICs and, whilst not exclusively, with a special emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa, will unlock new sources of growth, contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and sustainable development. We support efforts to improve capacities and facilitate the mobilization of resources for infrastructure projects initiated by public and private sectors.

74. We commissioned a High Level Panel (HLP), chaired by Mr Tidjane Thiam, to identify measures to scale-up and diversify sources of financing for infrastructure and we requested the MDBs to develop a joint action plan to address bottlenecks. We welcome both the HLP’s report and the MDB Action Plan. In this regard, we support the following recommendations to :

  • Support the development of local capacities to improve supply and quality of projects and make them bankable and enhance knowledge sharing on skills for employment in low income countries. In this regard, we welcome the High Level Panel fellowship program and MDB’s efforts to develop and strengthen regional public-private partnerships practitioner’s networks;
  • Increase quality of information available to investors, through the establishment of online regional marketplace platforms to better link project sponsors and financiers, such as the “Sokoni Africa Infrastructure Marketplace”, and the extension of the Africa Infrastructure Country Diagnosis, which aim at benchmarking infrastructure data;
  • Prioritize project preparation financing, encouraging the MDBs to dedicate a greater share of their funds to preparation facilities that can operate on a revolving basis and call on MDBs to improve effectiveness of the existing preparation facilities;
  • Contribute to building an enabling environment for private and public infrastructure financing, especially for regional projects. We support increased transparency in the construction sector, the review of the Debt Sustainability Framework taking into account the investment-growth nexus. We call on MDBs to harmonize their procurement rules and practices and we support move towards mutual recognition of procedures and eligibility rules;
  • Improve access to funding, notably through the strengthening of local intermediaries and financial markets, more effective use of MDBs capital, including through use of credit enhancement and guarantee instruments.

75. We commissioned the HLP to establish criteria to identify exemplary investment projects in cooperation with multilateral development banks. We highlight the 11 projects mentioned in the HLP report annexed to this Declaration, which have the potential to have a transformational regional impact by leading to increased integration and access to global markets, with due consideration to environmental sustainability. We call on the MDBs, working with countries involved and in accordance with regional priorities (in particular the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa), to pursue the implementation of such projects that meet the HLP criteria and to prioritize project preparation financing, notably the NEPAD Infrastructure Projects Preparation Facility.

76. We stress the importance of following-up on these concrete actions and invite MDBs to provide regular updates on the progress achieved.



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