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On July 6 and 7, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) together with the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa (“Partnership”) held the “Raising Living Standards in Africa: A Role for the G8” conference in Edinburgh, Scotland in the lead up to the Group of 8 Summit.

The purpose of this meeting was to show support for the G8’s focus on Africa and to bring together distinguished Africans, Americans, and Europeans from government, business and civil society discuss what the richest countries in the world, international organizations, the private sector, and Africans themselves must do to raise living standards on the world’s poorest continent.

Among the featured experts were H.E. Joaquim Chissano, former president of Mozambique, Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Director-General of the World Trade Organization; Peter Mandelson, European Commissioner for External Trade (download remarks, PDF — 70KB); Paul Wolfowitz, president of the World Bank; Alan Kyerematen, Minister of Trade and Industry from Ghana, Ernesto Zedillo, former president of Mexico; and Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland.

Mr. Wolfowitz noted that reforms to the global trade agenda will be vital to any advancements Africa will make, and pledged the support of the World Bank to achieve this success. “There’s a real chance now that the poorest countries of Africa can turn the corner,” he commented, “that Africa can become a continent of hope.”

Participants agreed upon the following recommendations: more aid should be better spent; the Doha trade talks must succeed; increased support for trade capacity building; and to boost Africa’s competitiveness through increased education, training and research and innovation. Further attention was drawn to increasing agricultural productivity and the general infrastructure needs of Africa. They also affirmed that it is up to Africans to take the lead in setting their own economic growth and development agendas with increases in actual support from the United States and Europe. This support should take the form of more and better aid, debt relief, but most importantly real and robust trade reform.

Private sector participants expressed an interest in focusing on business development that is both profitable and benefits the poor. A further conclusion was the need to promote a more positive image of Africa as a place to do business. “More aid alone is not the answer,” said H.E. Joaquim Chissano, affirming the necessity of business opportunities, governance reform, and trade in alleviating African poverty. “Aid must lay the foundation for trade on our continent and with the rest of the world. Aid can’t be effective alone. Trade will not accelerate without good governance.”

The goal is for this process to continue on through the efforts of GMF’s Trade and Development program. Conference participants advocate for the agreed upon recommendations in their professional circles and home countries.