Assembly/AU/Decl.2(XVIII) Page 2 Taking note of the report on the conclusions of PIDA formulation, in accordance with Declaration Assembly/AU/Decl. 1 (XII); Concerned by: i) The enormity of the infrastructure gap, the high costs and low quality of transport, energy, water and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services in Africa, which seriously affect the competitiveness of the continent; ii) The low level of connectivity of infrastructure networks in Africa; iii) The poor access of African populations to modern services, energy and transportation, particularly for the low-income social segment; iv) The weak enforcement of African Union Decisions on improving access to services of transportation, energy and information technology & communication in Africa by Member States; v) The need to ensure equitable management of water resources for better use for all; vi) The huge financing needs for infrastructure of around sixty billion United State dollars for the coming ten years, and the poor resource mobilization by Member States, for the preparation and implementation of infrastructure projects; and vii) The impact of the current global financial crisis on infrastructure development in Africa. Underscoring: i) The decisive role of the Commission, the Regional Economic Communities and the Specialized Institutions in the implementation of programmes for infrastructure development in Africa, in coordination with Member States; ii) The need to establish an institutional architecture for effective implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes for infrastructure development in Africa; iii) The need for active participation and strong involvement of the private sector in infrastructure development in Africa.