DEVELOPMENT
Merkel will not be sidetracked by US in the drive for Compact with Africa
Goal for G-20 is to create more stable environments for investment, especially in infrastructure development
Group of 20 (G-20) leaders will launch a Compact with Africa as the major new initiative of their summit in Hamburg, Germany, on Friday and Saturday. Details of the priorities and processes that would frame and drive the compact are yet to be negotiated, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants this to be a hallmark of her 2017 G-20 presidency. Doubtful US support for such G-20 initiatives, or for multilateralism generally, during the presidency of Donald Trump has complicated her presidency, but she appears determined not to allow him to distract her from this experiment in what may have to be an African compact with the G-19. Afrobarometer’s public-attitude survey of citizens’ demands across 36 African countries released on April 9 is aimed at influencing the Hamburg discussions and eventual implementation of greater international co-operation between the G-20 and Africa. Survey findings appear to confirm that infrastructure should be a priority of G-20 policies and such improvem...
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