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atile and insufficient to achieve the MDGs. Moreover, the benefits ofthe growth achieved have not, for the most part, been shared broadlyacross society largely because growth has been concentrated inthe extractive sectors and the capital intensive sectors.Stimulating faster, quality and sustainable economic growth in thesub-region is essential for poverty reduction. To do this, policymakersmust vigorously pursue coherent and consistent policies thatensure sustained prudent public expenditure policies, particularlythe scaling up of infrastructure development; reasonable macroeconomicstability; stronger international efforts aimed at coping withexternal shocks; productive public-private partnership and above allpeace and security.Financing the implementation of poverty reduction strategies will requireboth domestic and external resources. Member States wouldhave to aggressively mobilise domestic resources to finance pro-poorgrowth policies. Part of the domestic mobilisation could include theefficient collection of taxes and the use of capital markets to issuefinancing instruments such as bonds and treasury bills.Domestic resources alone would not be sufficient for the financingof PRS activities. That is why the UN Millennium Project (UNMP),the Commission for Africa (CfA), the G8 and the UN General Assemblyhave called for a “Big Push”, in other words the doubling of aidplus an acceleration in domestic investment, to spur growth andachieve the MDGs. Implementing the “Big Push” strategy will, however,require that adequate absorptive capacity and fiscal space becreated within the macro-economic framework to accommodate theincreased revenues and expenditures associated with additional officialdevelopment assistance (ODA) inflows. The Accra meeting on“Financing for Development” had a focus on energy. The outcome ofthe meeting provides new insights on how to finance developmenton the continent, including this sub-region.Scientific evidence clearly shows that as a result of greenhouse emissions,the global climate is changing. Poor developing countries, includingthose in the West African sub-region, are at most risk becausethey are more dependent on agriculture; more vulnerable tocoastal and water resource changes; and have less financial, technicaland institutional capacity for adaptation. Furthermore, half of90 Part Two