Africa, the third world and the strategy for international development

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the present strategy\nfor international development as presented in various international documents\nsuch as the Pearson Commission Report and the UN Report on the Second\nDevelopment Decade, from the perspective of African countries. The basic\nthesis of the paper is that the existing strategy on international development, with its targets and policies in the fields of trade and aid, is biased\nin favour of the relatively advanced developing countries and unless special\nmeasures are taken, would have the effect of deepening inequalities among\nthe countries of the Third World.\nThe paper proceeds by considering the rationale for special\nmeasures in favour of the least developed countries, most of which are to\nb found in Africa. It then analyzes the economic stratification developing\nwithin the Third World. The main elements of the international strategy for\ndevelopment are outlined; international commodities schemes, generalised\nsystem of preferences, and export credits in the field of trade; and development\nassistance targets, role of multilateral institutions, criteria for\naid-givin, and growing emphasis on programme aid in the field of aid. It\nis then shown that unless special provisions are made, the effect of the\nimplementation of these recommendations will be to favour the more advanced\nof the developing countries, often at the expense of the least developed\ncountries. The reasons for the failure to devise and implement special\nmeasures in favour of the least developed countries are analyzed. The\npaper concludes by making a number of recommendations designed to ensure\nthat the interests of the most disadvantaged part of the Third World are\neffectively incorporated in the measures taken for global development.