Bill Gates Steps Up Effort to Promote African Development

In a January 24 front page Wall Street Journal interview, followed by a keynote speech at the World Economic Forum, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates stepped up his campaign to focus the world attention’s on the needs of developing countries.

The Wall Street Journal interview was a precursor to Gates’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Advocating a movement for “creative capitalism”, Gates stated in the interview, “We have to find a way to make the aspects of capitalism that serve wealthier people serve poorer people as well.” In addition to emphasizing two important forces, self-interest and caring, Gates’s speech draws attention to a third force that he believes should be used to motivate efforts to improve the lives of the poor — the desire for recognition:

“I hope that the great thinkers here will dedicate some time to finding ways for businesses, governments, NGOs, and the media to create measures of what companies are doing to use their power and intelligence to serve a wider circle of people. This kind of information is an important element of creative capitalism. It can turn good works into recognition, and ensure that recognition brings market-based rewards to businesses that do the most work to serve the most people.“

The text of Gates’s speech is available on the Gates Foundation website. The Gates speech was also covered by the Boston Globe.

4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development Scheduled for May 2008

The planning process for the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) is well underway. The first conference was held in 1993 and subsequent conferences have been held every five years. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has released a concept paper with the theme — “Towards a Vibrant Africa: Continent of Hope and Opportunity.” The conference will be held from May 28 to 30, 2008, in Yokohama, Japan. A key goal of the conference is to further mobilize the knowledge and resources of the international community to help ensure that growth in Africa is self-sustained, pro-poor, and inclusive. Priorities include trade and investment, infrastructure development, and agriculture. The concept paper also emphasizes the need to support South-South and triangular cooperation, in particular, Asia-Africa and Intra-Africa cooperation.

For more information, see:

• TICAD IV homepage (Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• TICAD IV Concept Paper (Nov. 2007)
• TICAD UNDP website

World Bank and China to Cooperate in Africa?

A Financial Times story on December 18 reported that the World Bank and China have agreed to undertake joint development projects in Africa. Robert Zoellick met with the Chairman of China’s Export-Import Bank during a recent visit. It remains unclear, however, whether the leaders of the two banks will succeed in moving from vague statements of their desire to cooperate to true cooperation in development lending. Zoellick’s comments were also covered in an article by the Associated Press — China Sees Rising World Bank Influence.