Africa: Africa needs a strategy for ‘emerging partners’

The global development landscape is changing rapidly with the growing role of China, Brazil and other 'emerging' economies. In this new context, African countries have seen a significant increase in trade, foreign direct investment and official development assistance from the South. However, 'While some emerging economies have a strategy for Africa, Africa does not have a strategy towards the emerging economies,' notes a new report of the UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA). So that both sides can gain from this relationship, African countries need to adopt a coordinated, coherent strategy and exercise greater ownership over their growing interactions with emerging economies, urges the report, 'Africa's Cooperation with New and Emerging Development Partners: Options for Africa's Development'.