Effective states, those that can promote and protect human rights and can deliver services to their people and a climate for entrepreneurship and growth are the foundation of development. Without progress in governance, all other reforms will have limited impact. While there have been improvements in many African countries, weakness in governance and capacity is the central cause of Africa's difficult experience over the last decades. Improvements in governance, including democracy, are first and foremost the responsibility of African countries and people, and they take time and commitment. But there are also actions that outsiders can take both to support and to avoid undermining good governance. Two areas are crucial: capacity (the ability to design and deliver policies) and accountability (how the state answers to its people). This chapter proposes:

• Providing strong political and financial support for the pan-African and regional organisations, particularly the African Union and its programme NEPAD;
• Making changes in donor behaviour, to get fully behind a comprehensive national strategy for capacity-building;
• Building up professional skills and knowledge, including by revitalising Africa's higher education, especially in science, engineering, and technology;
• Broadening participation and strengthening institutions that improve accountability, including parliaments, local authorities, the media, and the justice system;
• Increasing transparency of revenues and budgets, especially in countries rich in natural resources; this also makes a powerful contribution to conflict prevention;
• Tackling corruption, including repatriation of stolen state assets;
• Strengthening the quality and management of data.