Bending the Arc

What is bending the arc?

Bending the Arc is a project of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) for engaging business in development and accelerating Africa's progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Bending the Arc is supported by the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser for Africa (UNOSAA) and the African Business Roundtable (ABR). It is administered by africapractice.

Bending the Arc aims to share best practice and broker partnerships to help fast track the attainment of the MDGs in Africa.

The first Bending the Arc was launched at a summit on July 4th 2005 in London attended by over 200 delegates including Paul Wolfowitz (former Head of World Bank), Mark Malloch-Brown (Deputy Secretary General of United Nations), Sir Richard Branson (Entrepreneur Philanthropist), Trevor Manuel (South African Finance Minister) and Peter Woicke (executive vice president of IFC). The summit addressed practical actions that business can take in partnership with governments, donors and NGOs to support the implementation of the MDGs and considered recommendations for measuring and reporting the results of these actions. The final communiqué from the summit was delivered by Professor Wiseman Nkuhklu, CEO of the NEPAD Secretariat to President Obasanjo, Chairperson of the African Union.

The second Bending the Arc was held at the United Nations in New York in 2006 and was also attended by delegates such as Papi Molotsane (Chief Executive of Telkom), Klaus Wachsmuth (CEO of Nestle Nigeria), Amir Dossal (Excutive Director UNFP), Georg Kell (executive head of UNGC). The 2006 Bending the Arc summit identified specific areas requiring greater resources and better coordination Participating delegates and NEPAD stakeholders agreed to support these areas, including promoting inward investment and entrepreneurship, together with promoting partnerships between private sector and government. At the Summit Professor Mucavele (CEO of NEPAD) launched Newsdesk: Business Africa, an innovative new education software designed to promote African journalism and a more favourable business climate on the continent.

Coming soon Bending the Arc 2008.

Download Communique


About the Project Partners
New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is the African Union's flagship economic programme. It is designed to address the current challenges facing the African continent. Issues such as the escalating poverty levels, underdevelopment and the continued marginalisation of Africa needed a new radical intervention, spearheaded by African leaders, to develop a new vision that would guarantee Africa's renewal.
United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) The Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) was officially established on 1 May 2003 by the Secretary-General. The mission of OSAA is to enhance international support for Africa's development and security through its advocacy and analytical work, assist the Secretary General in improving coherence and coordination of the UN system support to Africa, and facilitate inter-governmental deliberations on Africa at the global level, in particular relating to the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). The Office takes the lead in the preparation of Africa-related reports and inputs on the New Partnership for Africa's Development. OSAA convenes an inter-departmental Task Force on African Affairs to improve coherence in United Nations support to Africa.

African Business Round Table (ABR) The African Business Round Table (ABR) is the foremost continent-wide association of businesses and business leaders. It is an independent non-partisan; non-profit private sector organization committed to fostering African private sector-led economic growth and social development. In March 2002 in Monterrey, Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General conferrred ABR with the Chairmanship of the NEPAD Business Group. Membership of the ABR is drawn from all regions of Africa.