In September 2000 the member-states of the UN agreed on the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Rich and poor countries commit themselves to fighting poverty, promoting human dignity and equal rights and bringing about peace, democracy and sustainability. Parliamentarians both in the South and in the North play an important role when it comes to their function as representatives of their electorates as well as when we think of their key position as legislators within the political processes of their countries. Promoting the measures needed for successfully achieving the MDGs has to be considered a core competence of parliamentarians, especially when it comes to monitoring and advancing long-term development strategies on the national level.

The countries of Sub-Sahara Africa are among the poorest of the world. Significant measures appear to be necessary if a successful bisection of poverty by 2015 was the aim.

Peace, democracy and the rule of law are important preconditions for economic development. Therefore, the encouragement of parliamentary work in Africa needs much attention within development policy undertakings. The biggest challenge is that of fostering the influence of African parliaments so that they can oversee and influence budgetary measures of their governments. Parliamentary oversight of government policies has to take the extent to which the needs of the poor are met by national legislation.

At the same time it has to be clear to all European parliamentarians that development aid alone cannot be the only measure when it comes to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The big challenges for Europe are questions of coherence and the connection between legislative measures in the North and their (direct) impact on social and economic development in the South. It is a matter of fact that European trade, commercial, agriculture, tax, environment, armament export and immigration policies may trigger a variety of negative social, economic and political developments within the societies and the population of the South.

Increased efforts of Austrian parliamentarians will be required if questions of policy coherence for development are to be implemented into national legislation. The examination of this policy area has to be considered a precondition which subsequently may alter matters of development politics.

However, achieving more fairness in the field of political and economic relations with African countries does not only mean embarking on policy coherence and development aid programmes. Successful measures have to involve new forms of cooperation and exchange such as the so-called Twinning Partnerships currently promoted by the European Union. These partnerships are set up between African and European institutions and organisations such as universities, schools or parliaments. The primary aims of these partnerships are fostering long-term economic and political relations by creating sustainable links between the two continents.

The North-South Dialogue of Parliaments establishes a partnership on the level of parliaments – between the Austrian and the Mozambican Parliaments.