In early 2004, the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, established the Commission for Africa, in order to produce a 'coherent package to achieve the Commission's goal of a strong and prosperous Africa'. The Commission planned to produce a report targeting the leaders of the G8 and the wider international community. The Commission arranged a consultation process during 2005, both in the UK and in Africa, to inform their report. Homeless International felt that it was important to point out the growing challenge of slums in Africa, and the need to tackle urban poverty if Africa is to prosper.
Homeless International, as chair of the Urban Poverty Group (a network of NGOs, university departments and consultants in the UK with a shared commitment to tackling urban poverty worldwide), co-ordinated the submission of a briefing note to the Commission in late 2004. The briefing note pointed out that with Africa set to be predominantly urban by 2030, urban poverty and the challenges of slums are, and will be, crucial issues that the Commission simply could not afford to ignore. By addressing these challenges, the Commission could and should add something new and positive to the development discourse in Africa. The Commission's final report included the main statistics and arguments put forward by Homeless International and the Urban Poverty Group, and resulted in key recommendations to invest in urban development, infrastructure and slum upgrading.
You can view the Commission's report by clicking here, and download the Urban Poverty Group's briefing note here.
