The Africa Bureau's Anti-Corruption Initiative is designed to reduce corruption in sub-Saharan Africa and to lend specific support to recent efforts by African leaders to link good governance performance with sustainable development practices. To achieve these goals, the Initiative promotes:

• Public access to information
• Civic participation in government action
• Transparent and efficient government procedures
• Effective government oversight institutions
• Public-private dialogue

Link: African Global Competiveness Initiative

The Anti-Corruption Initiative capitalizes on USAID's comparative advantage within the development community. Experience has shown that anti-corruption reforms, not unlike other fundamental reforms, require broad partnerships within civil society and with government reformers to effectively advocate for, monitor, and sustain anti-corruption efforts. Thus, the Initiative will operate on three levels:

Country Level Implementation: The Initiative will support five-year, cross-sectoral, Mission-designed action plans that reduce opportunities for corruption by increasing citizen participation and public access to information and transparency in key government processes, including procurement, budgeting, financial management and compliance with international protocols and obligations. The action plans will complement existing Mission strategies, as well as the new Africa Bureau initiatives in trade, education, and agriculture.

Regional Level Implementation: The Initiative will support programs in the regional Missions to foster regional cooperation among governments and civil society networks committed to compliance with anti-corruption norms, standards, and protocols. Regional programs will also support media and research activities designed to bolster the environment for peer review among African nations.

USAID/Washington Level Implementation: The Initiative will facilitate donor coordination, improve information sharing and the development of best practices, and strengthen the monitoring and evaluation of anti-corruption efforts in Africa.

The Presidential Initiative to End Hunger in Africa (IEHA) supports the Millenium Development Goal of halving the number of hungry people in Africa . The Initiative focuses on promoting agricultural growth by investing in a smallholder-oriented agricultural growth strategy.

The problem of hunger is widespread in Africa . It is estimated that about 30% of the people in Africa are undernourished, and according to a recent USDA study, Africa will account for 73% of the world's malnourished people by 2015. IEHA was therefore launched at a workshop during the World Summit on Sustainable Development in August 2002 in South Africa in order to address this development challenge. IEHA is implemented by USAID and relevant partners.

The Initiative will be implemented in West Africa by USAID/West Africa (USAID/WA), Ghana , and Mali . Six themes structure the Initiative:

Harnessing the power of scientific and technological applications to raise agricultural productivity for local and export markets and to increase the stability and volume of supplies. In West Africa , research networks implemented by National Agricultural Research Services (NARS) but coordinated by sub-regional organizations and international agricultural research centers have developed improved, high-yielding varieties of crops and constitute a source for the dissemination of improved technologies. USAID/WA will look for innovative ways of collaborating with these and new partners.

Developing efficient agricultural trade and market systems that add value to products and processes, reduce consumer costs, and that create a climate conducive to investment. USAID/WA will continue to work with and strengthen the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and other relevant institutions by helping remove current impediments to the unhindered movement of goods and services in the region.

Strengthening producer organizations to provide a range of business, training, and leadership development services to members and to lobby decision-makers on important policy issues. USAID/WA plans to work with relevant organizations including the West African Businesswomen's Network (WABNET) and the Reseau des Organisations Paysannes et de Producteurs de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (ROPPA) in strengthening their effectiveness.

Building human and institutional capacity to shape agricultural policy and research, provide relevant education, and improve infrastructure that supports agricultural growth.Although many West African countries have made significant policy reforms, there needs to be corresponding upgrading in the level of competence in human capacity and institutional reforms commensurate with liberalized market economies.

Ensuring that sustainable environmental approaches contribute to agricultural growth through resource conservation and the production of goods and services that generate economic benefits. Small-scale farmers in West Africa have to grapple with a fragile agro-ecology as well as with increased population pressure and urban encroachment onto arable lands. These are policy and research challenges that will require WARP and its partners to (1) strengthen regulatory controls, (2) undertake participatory farmer training for integrated pest management, and (3) build capacity for monitoring environmental and health impacts by relevant regional and international institutions.