On 17 May, tCommissioner Tidjane Thiam, gave evidence on the Commission for Africa to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

At the invitation of the Committee, he gave evidence on the Commission's conclusions, their views on the potential benefits of implementing the recommendations, and what was being asked of African and G8 governments.

Nancy Birdsall, President of the Center for Global Development, spoke of the importance of having strong delivery mechanisms and of mobilising the private sector in delivery results on education, infrastructure, and HIV and AIDS. She said it was essential that "we don't promise more than we deliver, and we must fund what we promise".

Commissioner Thiam argued that perceptions of Africa needed to be changed and gave illustrations of how implementing recommendations on trade, conflict prevention, aid effectiveness and reform of the IFIs, and on girls' education would have had a positive impact on his country, Cote d'Ivoire. In implementing the report's recommendations, G8 countries are being asked to build on their existing strengths and successes.

The session was chaired by the Committee Chair Senator Richard Lugar, and Senators Russell Feingold, Mel Martinez and Barack Obama asked questions of the witnesses on a wide-range of issues.

This event was a return to Capitol Hill for the Commission for Africa after the initial presentation of the report to US decision-makers, civil society, and media by Commissioners Ralph Goodale and KY Amoako and Nick Stern on 15 April.

Read the full text of the Senate hearing []

» Read Nancy Birdsall's letter to the Foreign Relations Committee []
» Read Tidjane Thiam's letter to the Foreign Relations Committee []

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