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Africa Policy E-Journal
Africa: African Development Forum III Africa Policy Electronic Distribution List: an information service provided by AFRICA ACTION (incorporating the Africa Policy Information Center, The Africa Fund, and the American Committee on Africa). Find more information for action for Africa at http://www.africaaction.org +++++++++++++++++++++Document Profile+++++++++++++++++++++
Region: Continent-Wide SUMMARY CONTENTS:
The Economic Commission for Africa is convening its third African
Development Forum, from March 3-8, 2002, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The theme is Defining Priorities for Regional Integration. This
posting contains brief excerpts from the planned programme.
Additional information, and some background documents, are
available on-line on the ECA website at: Allafrica.com has a special ADF page including background documents, commentaries, and opportunities for readers to contribute to debates, in both English and French. Initial commentators include Akwasi Aidoo, John Githongo, Julius Nyang'oro, Jabulani Sikhakhane, and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The page is at: http://allafrica.com/specials/adf The first day of the forum is dedicated to a special symposium on the African Union. Three short issue papers prepared for this symposium are available for downloading (in PDF or Word formats) on the ECA site. They are also available for viewing on the web at http://www.africaaction.org/featdocs/adf3.htm +++++++++++++++++end profile++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ African Development Forum III - Defining Priorities for Regional Integration Narrative Programme
[Excerpts only: for full programme go to: Introduction The imperative of accelerated African regional economic integration is reflected in:
The third African Development Forum (ADF III) builds upon its established track record of cutting-edge debate and wide stakeholder participation. It is a critical coming together of representatives of African governments, the private sector, technical experts, international organizations and other stakeholders, to seek consensus and ownership of regional integration. The African Union African Heads of State have committed themselves to establishment of the AU. The AU has ambitious structures that will require considerable skill and capacity to function effectively. A carefully phased and prioritized process will enable these institutions and structures to be set up incrementally and to maximum effect. ADF III will:
This forum will provide the OAU with a unique opportunity to
discuss the challenges of moving towards the African Union and
regional economic integration, benefit from expert analyses and
obtain input from key stakeholders. Up to now, the AU process has
been government-driven. It is necessarily a sovereign process,
but experience from other parts of the world indicates that
success depends on broadening ownership of the process, so as to
engage all concerned fully. Public dialogue on formation of the
AU was initiated at the June 2001 OAU meeting for civil society
organizations (CSOs), during presentations and a ADF III takes place in the middle of the period of transition of the OAU to the AU. The Constitutive Act of the AU invites parliamentarians, CSOs and others to take on a pivotal role in the architecture of the Union. ADF III will be a crucial opportunity to examine how best to promote the components of the AU process. It will provide the AU with the opportunity for reflection and for incorporation of inputs from a range of participants, with the aim of making the process an inclusive one. Regional Integration and Economic Development There is a powerful Africa-wide consensus on the prerequisites for economic development and poverty reduction. One component of this consensus is good governance for building a capable and effective State, with political representation of all social groups, effective institutions, good macroeconomic management and corporate governance. ECA's concept of `enhanced partnership' envisages a compact between African governments and their peoples. Leaders undertake to provide good governance, and to manage the affairs of the State fairly and effectively in pursuit of development. Good governance also enables high-quality development partnerships for poverty reduction, and facilitates private sector investment and economic growth. A second key component is regional economic integration, to overcome the handicaps imposed by small and fragmented national markets, to obtain economies of scale in key infrastructural developments, and to maximize the efficient use of capital and labour in the context of globalization. Africa's major development initiatives, such as NEPAD, include regional cooperation and integration as a central component. Economic integration is vital if Africa is to optimize the use of its resources and attract inward investment. At Abuja in 1980, African governments committed themselves to move towards a common market, and the need to implement those commitments has never been greater. The success of development partnership initiatives and regional integration and poverty reduction strategies depend on the full engagement of a wider range of stakeholders, including the private sector and civil society. ADF III is a tremendous opportunity for stakeholders and experts to provide inputs into Africa's strategies for economic development, with a special focus on regional issues. African leaders today are determined to chart a new political and economic course for the continent. There is consensus on the pivotal role that regional political and economic integration can play in this regard. ADF III provides an exceptional and well-timed opportunity for the AU and emergent development partnership initiatives to engage with a wide array of stakeholders. Annotated Agenda African Union Symposium Issues to be examined Issues for discussion at the Symposium are grouped into three areas, namely, economic integration, peace and security, and institutional architecture and capacities.
ADF III Opening Session Chair: K.Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary, ECA
Speakers: Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister, Ethiopia Plenary Session 2: The History and Prospects for Regional Integration Chair: Prof. Abdoulaye Bathily, Vice-President National Assembly (Senegal) Presenter: Adebayo Adedeji, former Executive Secretary, ECA Discussant: Emmanuel Mushega, Secretary-General of East African Cooperation Plenary Session 3: Assessing Economic Integration in Africa: Launching the ARIA Chair: Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, Executive Secretary, Global Coalition for Africa -GCA Presentation: Launch of the first Annual Report on Integration in Africa (ARIA), ECA Regional Cooperation and Integration Division (RCID) Discussants: Jean Louis Sarbib Vice President, Middle-East & North Africa Region, The World Bank Plenary Session 4: Integration in Other Regions: Lessons for the AU Chair: Zepherin Diabre, Associate Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Presenters: Bernard Petit European Union representative Plenary Session 5: Physical Integration through Infrastructural Development Chair: Egyptian Minister of Transport, Chair of Transport Ministers Conference
Presenters: Cyril Enweze, Vice President, ADB
Discussants: Kenneth Button,George Mason University Plenary Session 6: Economic Policies for Accelerating Regional Integration Chair: Linah K.Mohohlo, Central Bank Governor, Botswana Presenter: Konan Banny, Banque Centrale des tats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO) Discussant: Delphin Rwegasira, Exe cutive Director African Economic Research Consortium Plenary Session 7: Peace and Security Architecture Chair: Kamel Morjane, Assistant High Commissioner, UNHCR Presenter: Salim Ahmed Salim, former Secretary-General, OAU
Discussants: Lansana Kouyate, Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS) Plenary Session 8: Building an Effective African Union Chair: Simba Makoni, Minister of Finance, Zimbabwe Presenter: Said Djinnit, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, OAU
Discussants: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Senior Advisor, Modern Africa
Fund Managers Plenary Session 9: Heads of State Presentations Chair: Amara Essy, Secretary-General, OAU Presenters: Heads of State and Government This session will be an opportunity for the invited Heads of State and Government to present their vision and plans for regional economic and political integration. Parallel Closed Session: Priorities for Implementation
Co-chairs: Lalla Ben Barka, Deputy Executive Secretary, ECA
This will be a closed session in which selected representatives of the Focus Groups, regional organizations, RECs, selected governments and experts will discuss the key findings from the Forum, and prepare and approve a final declaration for ADF III. This session will be conducted in parallel with plenary session 9. Plenary Session 10: Heads of State Forum Chair/moderator: K.Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary, ECA Panels: Heads of State and Government Representatives of seven stakeholder Focus Groups Closing Session: The Way Forward
Co-chairs: K.Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary, ECA The final session will consist of a presentation of the final Declaration and Plan of Action from ADF III, and discussion of recommendations for the June 2002 Summit to inaugurate the African Union in Pretoria South Africa. Stakeholder Focus Groups Focus Groups have a more integrated role in ADF III than in the previous forums. Each Focus Group will convene a breakout session to present itself, its analysis and aims, and to receive inputs from other conference participants and experts. This is designed to maximize their interaction with the main conference and to ensure the best possible output. Each Focus Group will be tasked with preparing its recommendations for presentation in plenary session 10 (the Heads of State Forum). This will take the form of a written statement that can be tabled and specific questions in the Heads of State Forum. List of Focus Groups The following Focus Groups will convene during ADF III: 1. Private sector This is a stakeholder group of businessmen, including both Africans and non-Africans who invest in Africa. This group will identify the private sector's priorities for regional integration, and evaluate current efforts against these priorities. Convenor: Africa Business Roundtable 2. Civil society This is a stakeholder group drawn from a wide range of CSOs concerned with development issues, including poverty reduction, social service provision, human rights, etc. It will identify the role to be played by civil society in promoting and influencing regional integration. Convenor: Jalal Abdel Latif, InterAfrica Group. 3. Youth Young people are stakeholders in the future. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) will help convene a group of African youth to participate and make their voices heard in ADF III. The group will advocate the interests of young people. Convenor: Nankali Maksoud, UNICEF. 4. Parliamentarians This stakeholder group of elected representatives will be drawn from across Africa. It will focus on the future development of a Pan-African Parliament, the relationships between democratization and regional integration and how the two can be utilized to strengthen one another. Convenor: Ibrahim Fall, Inter-African Parliamentary Union. 5. Information and communications technologies (ICTs) This is a stakeholder/expert group formed by Partnership for Information and Communication Technologies in Africa, i.e. the existing working group on ICTs. This group will examine and promote the role of ICTs in all aspects of regional integration. Convenor: Karima Bounemra, Development Information Services Division (DSID) - ECA. 6. HIV/AIDS This is a group of stakeholders that comprises persons living with HIV/AIDS and persons engaged in HIV/AIDS programmes and activities, and experts concerned with HIV/AIDS. It will seek to ensure that response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic remains at the forefront of the development and integration agenda. Convenor: Ugandan PLWA 7. Human rights and the law The protection and realization of human rights is one of the fundamentals for achieving development, democracy and stability. Africa faces the challenge of cementing its regional human rights mechanism. This includes encouraging more governments to sign and ratify human rights conventions and to establish mechanisms for ensuring conformity to the requirements. As Africa heads towards integration, national legislation should be in conformity with international standards of human rights, and national judicial procedures should be consonant with the procedures of regional and international bodies. Special attention needs to be paid to the African Commission on Human and People's Rights and to the proposed African Court on Human and People's Rights. Are existing procedures adequate for protecting citizens' rights? What extra capacity do national and regional bodies need? How should African institutions fit in with their international counterparts? Or should the priority be realization of human rights at the local and national level?
Documents previously distributed in the e-journal are
available on the Africa Action website: To be added to or dropped from the e-journal subscription list, write to e-journal@africaaction.org. For more information about reposted material, please contact directly the source mentioned in the posting.
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Africa Policy E-Journal
