The eradication of poverty has become an overreaching goal of international action and the work of the United Nations, which declared 1997-2006 the first “Decade for the Eradication of Poverty.” The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has made poverty eradication its essential priority in the pursuit of “sustainable human development.” This book examines in detail poverty reduction policies and strategies and outlines a new methodological approach to the process of designing national poverty reduction strategies in Africa. It also endeavors to define the roles of the various national stockholders and external partners, such as UNDP. Mbaya Kankwenda is the United Nations resident coordinator on operational activities for development and UNDP. Luc-Joël Gregoire is principal economist at UNDP. Hugues Legros is a program officer / economist at the UNDP. Harouna Ouedraogo is assistant resident representative / economist at the UNDP. Copublished with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)