Africa Famine Recovery and Development Act

Africa Famine Recovery and Development Act - Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to add a chapter dealing with Africa Famine Recovery and Development.

Authorizes the President to provide project and program assistance for long-term development in sub-Saharan Africa. Requires the purpose of such assistance to be to help the poor majority of men and women in sub-Saharan Africa to participate in a process of long-term development through economic growth that is equitable, participatory, environmentally sustainable, and self-reliant. Provides that such assistance should also encourage private sector development and promote individual initiatives and help to reduce the role of central governments in areas more appropriate for the private sector. Declares that the general authorities and policies of the development assistance provisions of such Act apply to this Act.

Requires the agency primarily responsible for administering development assistance programs (responsible agency) to: (1) take into account the local-level perspective of the rural and urban poor in sub-Saharan Africa during the planning and review of annual country planning documents for project assistance under this Act; (2) make available funds for a significant long-term expansion of development efforts by private and voluntary organizations which have demonstrated effectiveness in or commitment to the promotion of local grass-roots activities on behalf of long-term development in sub-Saharan Africa; and (3) consult with other organizations in order to identify relevant private and voluntary organizations. Encourages the responsible agency to review procedures for the development and evaluation of projects to be carried out by private and voluntary organizations and to simplify such procedures wherever appropriate.

Requires the close consultation and involvement of local people in projects that have a local focus. Requires the responsible agency to ensure the participation and integration of African women in development projects assisted by this Act. Requires that the views of women as well as men be ascertained and factored into decisions relating to development activities which affect them.

Requires the responsible agency to use the program assistance provided by this Act to: (1) meet the need for maintenance and rehabilitation within the critical sectoral priorities for long-term development; and (2) promote reform of national economic policies to support these priorities.

Sets forth examples of national economic policy reforms which can be supported by assistance provided by this Act. Requires such reforms to include provisions to protect vulnerable groups, especially poor farmers and the urban poor, from possible negative consequences of such reforms. Requires assistance for such reforms to take account of the need for adjustments should recurrence of drought make it impossible to achieve the goals of the reforms.

Designates as the critical sectoral priorities for long-term development: (1) increased agricultural production and the maintenance and restoration of renewable natural resources; (2) improved health conditions; (3) voluntary family planning services; (4) improved relevance and efficiency of education; and (5) development of income generating opportunities for the unemployed and underemployed. Imposes minimum levels of assistance for certain critical sectors.

Directs the responsible agency to provide support for strengthening and developing selected African higher education institutions in order to address the problems of food production and distribution.

Prohibits the responsible agency from using less than specified amounts for in-country natural resources and environmental training in sub-Saharan Africa.

Requires the responsible agency to formulate coherent country development assistance strategies. Sets forth information such strategies must analyze and address.

Requires the assistance provided under this Act to be concentrated in countries that will make the most effective use of such assistance.

Specifies uses for local currencies generated by assistance provided under this Act and other Acts. Provides that funds made available under this Act may be used to assist the countries in sub-Saharan Africa to increase their capacity to participate in donor coordination mechanisms at the country, regional, and sector levels.

Authorizes appropriations for FY 1990 through 1994 for long-term development assistance for sub-Saharan Africa and for funding activities of certain international organizations. Expresses the sense of the Congress that the authorization should be extended whenever appropriate. Limits transfers between accounts funded by this Act.

Requires the Administrator of the Agency for International Development (AID) to develop a plan for organizational changes within AID in order to carry out the long-term development assistance program for sub-Saharan Africa with maximum effectiveness. Sets forth changes the Administrator shall consider. Requires the Administrator to consult with specified congressional committees about such changes. Authorizes the Administrator to transfer certain funds in order to increase the AID resources for development assistance activities for sub-Saharan Africa.

Requires the Administrator to develop a plan for evaluating AID's progress in achieving the purposes of this Act. Requires the plan to provide for: (1) interim evaluations; (2) the establishment of specific criteria for measuring the performance of U.S. development assistance for the poor majority of men and women in sub-Saharan Africa; (3) the collection and monitoring of base-line data for future measurement of the effectiveness of such assistance; and (4) the measures by which the evaluations will be used to institutionalize learning within AID.

Requires the plan to be developed in consultation with specified congressional committees.

Expresses the sense of the Congress that there should be independent evaluations of AID's performance in providing development assistance to the poor majority of men and women in sub-Saharan Africa.

Requires that assistance from other assistance and development programs be used to provide assistance to the poor majority in sub-Saharan Africa.

Authorizes the President to make available such amounts from the funds made available by this Act as the President deems appropriate to support long-term development assistance for activities of international organizations which are consistent with the purpose of providing assistance for the poor majority in sub-Saharan Africa and which are undertaken in coordination with AID.

Encourages the President to use the authorities provided in this Act in coordination with activities of the multilateral development banks in sub-Saharan Africa.

Urges the President to provide debt rescheduling to a country in sub-Saharan Africa if: (1) that country had an average per capita income in 1984 of less that $550; and (2) at any time between October 1, 1989, and September 30, 1994, an International Monetary Fund standby agreement is in effect with respect to that country, a structural adjustment program of the International Development Association of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development is in effect with respect to that country, or the President makes a specified finding regarding economic policy reforms in such country. Provides that the debt rescheduling is the granting of a five-year grace period on all payments to the United States on specified types of loans. Requires the President to notify specified congressional committees of any debt rescheduling granted under this Act. Requires that it be the policy of the United States that the funds made available by this Act are not to be used by a country to repay loans, with exceptions.

Requires the annual report by the President to the Congress on foreign assistance programs to include a report on the progress made in carrying out this Act. Provides that reprogramming notification requirements do not apply to funds used to carry out this Act.

Makes conforming amendments to various Acts.

Declares that, where appropriate, African famine relief activities should serve as the foundation for long-term development activities undertaken pursuant to this Act. Provides for the transfer of certain funds so that they may be used for management support activities associated with long-term development assistance.

Expresses the sense of the Congress that the purposes of the African Development Foundation are consistent with the purposes of this Act.

Amends the African Development Foundation Act to authorize appropriations for the African Development Foundation for FY 1990 and 1991.

Expresses the sense of the Congress that special efforts should be undertaken to reduce trade barriers and promote economic interchange between the United States and developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa.