The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on Tuesday welcomed the G8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland this week, saying that it can play an important part in spurring Africa's progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

While it is true that under current conditions, most sub- Saharan countries will fail to meet the goals, the outlook is not all bleak, said a press release from the ECA headquarters.

"This progress currently presents a mixed picture," said the press release.

Countries must be looked at individually and the MDGs themselves should be considered as targets to trigger action, rather than just technically feasible goals for Africa, it said, and reducing poverty in Africa is not just a question of doubling aid.

"While its value in meeting the MDGs cannot be minimized, the quality of aid is of critical importance. In the past, quality has been compromised by donors' restrictive delivery methods and by poor governance on the part of beneficiary countries," ECA said.

But recent years have witnessed improvements in governance and accountability, as well as in the delivery of aid, it said, adding that this has had a positive effect on the use of aid in a number of countries.

The ECA said various sub-Saharan nations are heading in the right direction to meet some of the MDGs.

It is essential to tackle inequality and accelerate economic growth simultaneously to have a greater impact on poverty reduction, it said.

Over the past 10 years, African economies have grown at an average annual rate of 3.7 percent, the highest in the world. But at least 7 percent growth is needed to have any sustainable effect on poverty.

The devastating effect of the HIV/AIDS pandemic threatens to wipe out any social and economic gains on the continent, it said.

However, it said regional integration can help overcome some of these problems. Pooling resources and experience can encourage common solutions and serve as a catalyst for the continent's sustained development.

Source: Xinhua