http://tonyblairoffice.org en Copyright 2013 2013-05-21T11:04:19+00:00 /africa/news-entry/Tony-Blair-at-The-Baker-Institute/ /africa/news-entry/Tony-Blair-at-The-Baker-Institute/ On Tuesday 21 May Tony Blair spoke at the James A. Baker III Institute of Public Policy at Rice University in Houston. The discussion, chaired by the Institute’s Director, Ambassador Edward Djerejian focussed on the importance of effective governance if African countries are to take advantage of the current resource boom, and use the resulting revenues for the benefit of their people. Africa Governance Initiative 2013-05-21T11:04:19+00:00 /africa/news-entry/feedback-in-development/ /africa/news-entry/feedback-in-development/ Writing on the ODI Beyond Budgets blog AGI's Dan Hymowitz and Rupert Simons look at how feedback from various actors, not least African governments, can influence and improve development practice. Africa Governance Initiative 2013-05-20T13:10:56+00:00 /africa/news-entry/conversation-Ellen-Johnson-Sirleaf-Tony-Blair/ /africa/news-entry/conversation-Ellen-Johnson-Sirleaf-Tony-Blair/ In the latest edition of the New African Magazine Tony Blair and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf discuss the future of Africa, the importance of infrastructure development, and the challenges facing the continent’s new generation of leaders. Africa Governance Initiative 2013-05-09T12:57:40+00:00 /africa/news-entry/Tony-Blair-Bill-Gates-and-President-Paul-Kagame-share-panel-at-Milken-Glob/ /africa/news-entry/Tony-Blair-Bill-Gates-and-President-Paul-Kagame-share-panel-at-Milken-Glob/ Tony Blair this week attended the Milken Global Conference in Los Angeles with AGI CEO Nick Thompson. With economic development in Africa one of the major themes of this year’s annual event, the conference brought together a range of leaders from business and philanthropy. Office of Tony Blair, Africa Governance Initiative 2013-05-02T16:17:42+00:00 /africa/news-entry/The-New-Prosperity-Strategies-for-Improving-Well-Being-in-Sub-Saharan-Afri/ /africa/news-entry/The-New-Prosperity-Strategies-for-Improving-Well-Being-in-Sub-Saharan-Afri/ AGI and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have launched a new report exploring the factors behind the development progress being made in Africa. Read the full report plus coverage from the FT and Economist here. Africa Governance Initiative 2013-05-01T15:17:23+00:00 /africa/news-entry/Tony-Blair-to-join-Bill-Gates-to-discuss-Africas-future-prosperity-/ /africa/news-entry/Tony-Blair-to-join-Bill-Gates-to-discuss-Africas-future-prosperity-/ On Wednesday 1 May Tony Blair will take part in a panel discussion with Bill Gates and President Paul Kagame at the Milken Global Conference. The event, ‘Investing in African Prosperity,’ will discuss the future of a region which has seen significant and consistent growth over the last five years and what the implications of this are for development. Africa Governance Initiative 2013-04-30T11:35:37+00:00 /africa/news-entry/Andy-RatcliffeCapacity-building-is-key-to-delivering-development-in-Africa/ /africa/news-entry/Andy-RatcliffeCapacity-building-is-key-to-delivering-development-in-Africa/ After the World Bank’s recent event on ‘the art of delivery’ Andy Ratcliffe writes for the Guardian Development Network on how he believes governments can be supported to define and deliver their development priorities. Africa Governance Initiative 2013-04-26T11:03:16+00:00 /africa/news-entry/agi-appoints-new-ceo/ /africa/news-entry/agi-appoints-new-ceo/ After a public recruitment round the AGI Board have appointed Nick Thompson to the role of CEO, succeeding Kate Gross who stepped down in February on personal health grounds. Africa Governance Initiative 2013-04-22T13:29:57+00:00 /africa/news-entry/agi-at-the-world-bank-and-harvard/ /africa/news-entry/agi-at-the-world-bank-and-harvard/ Last week AGI Director of Strategy Andy Ratcliffe took part in two big development events in the United States. In Washington he took part in a panel discussion on the 'science of delivery' hosted by the World Bank before going on to speak at the Harvard International Development Conference. Africa Governance Initiative 2013-04-15T14:43:25+00:00 /africa/news-entry/Jim-Yong-Kim-Tony-Blair-and-Michael-Barber-discuss-the-role-of-government-/ /africa/news-entry/Jim-Yong-Kim-Tony-Blair-and-Michael-Barber-discuss-the-role-of-government-/ On Wednesday 10 April World Bank President Jim Yong Kim joined Tony Blair and Sir Michael Barber, the former head of the UK Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit, to discuss the importance of governments' capacity to implement programs for the delivery of real change for people in the developing world. Office of Tony Blair, Africa Governance Initiative 2013-04-08T15:13:31+00:00 /africa/news-entry/How-to-Get-Things-Done-Influence-Lessons-from-Africas-New-Generation-of-L/ /africa/news-entry/How-to-Get-Things-Done-Influence-Lessons-from-Africas-New-Generation-of-L/ In a wide ranging article for Forbes Online Joseph Grenny talks to AGI’s Nick Thompson and Andy Ratcliffe about the organisation’s approach and their experiences in supporting several visionary governments in Africa. Africa Governance Initiative, Media 2013-03-26T16:10:06+00:00 /africa/news-entry/sierra-leone-among-best-performers-in-un-development-index/ /africa/news-entry/sierra-leone-among-best-performers-in-un-development-index/ The UN last week published its 2013 Human Development Report in which Sierra Leone was recognised as one of the fastest improving countries in the world. Africa Governance Initiative 2013-03-18T16:56:59+00:00 /africa/news-entry/kate-gross-steps-down-as-agi-ceo/ /africa/news-entry/kate-gross-steps-down-as-agi-ceo/ The AGI Board of Trustees has reluctantly accepted Kate Gross’ decision to step down as CEO of the organisation due to health reasons. Kate was diagnosed with cancer last year and is currently under-going treatment... Africa Governance Initiative 2013-03-08T11:20:33+00:00 /africa/news-entry/delivery-and-democracy-in-sierra-leone/ /africa/news-entry/delivery-and-democracy-in-sierra-leone/ In his latest blog post for the Huffington Post Dr Malte Gerhold looks back at the recent Presidential election in Sierra Leone. Africa Governance Initiative, Media 2013-03-05T09:21:51+00:00 /africa/news-entry/Tony-Blair-tells-the-BBC-that-African-countries-are-taking-their-destiny-in/ /africa/news-entry/Tony-Blair-tells-the-BBC-that-African-countries-are-taking-their-destiny-in/ During the interview he acknowledged that Africa still faces significant challenges but cited advances on education, on tackling diseases such as HIV Aids, and on economic growth as signs of how the continent is progressing. Africa Governance Initiative, Media 2013-03-04T08:55:25+00:00 /africa/news-entry/now-is-the-time-for-growth-and-governance/ /africa/news-entry/now-is-the-time-for-growth-and-governance/ Writing in the Observer Tony Blair looks back at the achievements of Gleneagles before going on to highlight the current necessities of growth and governance in Africa. Office of Tony Blair, Africa Governance Initiative, Media 2013-03-03T12:06:32+00:00 /africa/news-entry/Small-is-beautiful-a-new-approach-to-governance-reform/ /africa/news-entry/Small-is-beautiful-a-new-approach-to-governance-reform/ "The ability to demonstrate returns from bureaucratic reform can work to build both political incentives for reform and the credibility of the political system as a whole." Read Josie Stewart's IDS Blog on the AGI model. Africa Governance Initiative, Media 2013-03-01T14:08:45+00:00 /africa/news-entry/new-economist-supplement-on-africa/ /africa/news-entry/new-economist-supplement-on-africa/ This month the Economist published an Africa Supplement looking at progress on the continent. As part of this the magazine assesses the role of governance in Africa.The piece also cites the work of AGI and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation in promoting the issue. Africa Governance Initiative, Media 2013-03-01T13:38:18+00:00 /africa/news-entry/blog-rupert-simons-writes-on-liberias-progress-and-the-future-of-the-mdgs/ /africa/news-entry/blog-rupert-simons-writes-on-liberias-progress-and-the-future-of-the-mdgs/ As Liberia hosts the latest meeting of the High Level Panel on post MDGs Rupert Simons argues that it is another sign of the huge development progress the country has made in the last ten years. Africa Governance Initiative 2013-02-01T10:20:09+00:00 /africa/news-entry/Andy-Ratcliffe-talks-to-the-Guardian-about-governance-and-Africa/ /africa/news-entry/Andy-Ratcliffe-talks-to-the-Guardian-about-governance-and-Africa/ AGI’s Director of Strategy and Development Andy Ratcliffe and Boston Consulting Group partner Doug Beal joined the Guardian’s Eliza Anyangwe to talk about sustainable economic development, governance and growing south-south cooperation in Africa. Africa Governance Initiative, Media 2013-01-28T13:20:19+00:00 /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-visits-guinea-and-praises-timetable-for-legislative-elections/ /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-visits-guinea-and-praises-timetable-for-legislative-elections/ After his two day visit to Sierra Leone, Tony Blair made a brief visit to the Guinean capital Conakry to meet with President Alpha Conde and the AGI team in the country. Africa Governance Initiative 2013-01-16T12:49:57+00:00 /africa/news-entry/Tony-Blair-visits-Sierra-Leone-as-AGI-continues-work-supporting-President-K/ /africa/news-entry/Tony-Blair-visits-Sierra-Leone-as-AGI-continues-work-supporting-President-K/ This week Tony Blair made his first visit to Sierra Leone since the re-election of President Ernest Bai Koroma in November 2012. During his two day trip he and President Koroma discussed the challenges and opportunities faced by the country over the coming five years and the implementation of the 'Agenda for Prosperity' the Government's flagship development plan. Africa Governance Initiative 2013-01-15T13:58:33+00:00 /africa/news-entry/sierra-leone-and-liberia-qualify-for-millennium-challenge-corporation-statu/ /africa/news-entry/sierra-leone-and-liberia-qualify-for-millennium-challenge-corporation-statu/ At its quarterly meeting this week, the U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Board of Directors selected Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone, Morocco, and Tanzania as eligible to develop proposals for new compacts. This significant decision, taken by the MCC Board means that Sierra Leone and Liberia can now propose new ‘compacts’ with the Corporation to help support reform and growth within each respective country. Africa Governance Initiative 2012-12-20T14:42:00+00:00 /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-visits-rwanda-and-south-sudan/ /africa/news-entry/tony-blair-visits-rwanda-and-south-sudan/ This week Tony Blair visited Kigali and Juba in his role as Patron of the Africa Governance Initiative (AGI). During the planned visit Mr Blair met with President Kagame and President Salva Kiir as well as the AGI teams working to improve effective governance and build capacity in the centre of government in each country. Africa Governance Initiative 2012-12-15T12:39:03+00:00 /africa/news-entry/From-Theory-to-Reality-South-South-Cooperation-in-Africa/ /africa/news-entry/From-Theory-to-Reality-South-South-Cooperation-in-Africa/ Dr Malte Gerhold, AGI’s Project Head in Sierra Leone recently joined representatives from President Koroma’s Government in an exchange with their counterparts in the Government of Rwanda. In this Huffington Post piece he looks back at that visit and the growing trend in south-south development cooperation. Africa Governance Initiative, Media 2012-12-13T14:18:57+00:00 /africa/news-entry/Blog-corruption-in-liberia-perceptions-and-reality/ /africa/news-entry/Blog-corruption-in-liberia-perceptions-and-reality/ In his latest blog AGI's Liberia Project Head Rupert Simons looks at the results of this week's Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2012 and the progress being made by Liberia. Africa Governance Initiative 2012-12-07T13:57:32+00:00 /africa/news-entry/Tony-Blair-writes-for-CNN-International-/ /africa/news-entry/Tony-Blair-writes-for-CNN-International-/ In an exclusive piece for CNN online, Tony Blair talks about the need for renewal in global governance and how the growing economies of Africa must be integrated into the global economy. Africa Governance Initiative, Media 2012-12-03T16:26:54+00:00 /africa/news-entry/New-Sustainable-Economic-Development-Assessment-SEDA-launched-by-the-Bost/ /africa/news-entry/New-Sustainable-Economic-Development-Assessment-SEDA-launched-by-the-Bost/ Tony Blair has authored the foreword to a new report from the Boston Consulting Group which outlines the key findings from its first annual Sustainable Economic Development Assessment tool. Africa Governance Initiative, Media 2012-11-27T14:50:21+00:00 /africa/news-entry/President-Koroma-re-elected-President-of-Sierra-Leone/ /africa/news-entry/President-Koroma-re-elected-President-of-Sierra-Leone/ After a Presidential election, which was widely praised for being free and fair, President Ernest Bai Koroma has been re-elected for a second term in office. He is the fourth democratically elected President of Sierra Leone which is enjoying growing stability and economic growth after a scarred recent past. Africa Governance Initiative 2012-11-23T19:34:15+00:00 /africa/news-entry/Tony-Blair-visits-Liberia-and-Guinea/ /africa/news-entry/Tony-Blair-visits-Liberia-and-Guinea/ This week Tony Blair travelled to Africa where he met with President Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and President Conde of Guinea. Africa Governance Initiative 2012-11-22T15:55:32+00:00