‘A lot of reasons to be optimistic’ - Interview: Cheick Sidi Diarra, UN Under-Secretary-General

The United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa was created in 2003 to increase international support for Africa’s development and security, especially for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the African Union’s programme for economic, social and political advancement. Under-Secretary-General Cheick Sidi Diarra, who is from Mali, heads the office as special adviser on Africa. Fifty years after many African countries gained their independence, Africa Renewal sought his views on the continent’s progress and challenges.