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NEPAD: Senegal and After Dakar, Senegal, 15 - 17 April, 2002
The support USA President Bush for NEPAD was expressed in a speech delivered on behalf of the President by special representative. The World Bank and UN Development Programme (UNDP) have confirmed that NEPAD will constitute the main reference for technical assistance to Africa in the future. In this context, UNDP announced three initiatives to attract investment to boost the new African development plan (see UNDP press release dated 16 April 2002). In the first initiative, UNDP is helping developing countries obtain credit ratings from well-known agencies such as Standard and Poor's, FitchRatings or Moody's, a critical factor in convincing private investors to move into a particular country. A UNDP - established trust fund is assisting countries that have achieved strong macroeconomic performance obtain these ratings. In the second programme, UNDP is fostering emerging African stock exchanges. In November 2002, in partnership with the New York Stock Exchange, UNDP plans to organize a forum in New York to promote investment in Africa through Stock Exchanges. This event will showcase African stock markets to institutional investors from the New York Stock Exchange and allow them to highlight their solid financial and legal structures. The third initiative builds on UNDP's ongoing series of roundtables (see story this issue) in Africa and seeks to organize investment dialogues in selected countries in the region. UNIDO had a privileged exposure at the Senegal Conference as the sole international organization to speak in the presence of all Heads of State during the plenary session dedicated to the private sector. Delivered by Director of UNIDO's Africa Bureau, Cheikh Sakho, on behalf of UNIDO's Director-General, the speech focused on UNIDO’s Integrated Programmes and Special Initiatives / Regional Programmes such as the UEMOA Programme on Market Access / Trade Facilitation and UNIDO’s worldwide network for investment promotion. The UNIDO delegation to the NEPAD Conference also participated in the five thematic workshops (Infrastructure, Agriculture-Diversification and Access to industrialized markets, NTIC, Energy and Environment) chaired by Heads of States. Contacts were also reinforced with the NEPAD Main Secretariat in South Africa, as well as with the African Continental and sub-regional organizations (AfDB, UEMOA, ECOWAS, ARCT, ABR (African Business Roundtable) through which the majority of NEPAD programmes will be implemented. ABR Executive President, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, made mention in his message during the opening session of the relevance of UNIDO and UNDP for the implementation of the NEPAD Component related to the Private Sector. The UNIDO delegation also participated in a meeting with the members of the NEPAD Steering Committee which is coordinating the NEPAD Initiative on Market Access. The meeting was led by Steering Committee Chairman, Professor Wiseman Nkulhu. UNIDO's ECOWAS Market Access / Trade Facilitation initiative was finalized in Abuja, Nigeria, almost simultaneously with the NEPAD Conference in Senegal. Post- Senegal NEPAD follow-up by International Organizations and business associations covers the calendar and the globe for the remainder of 2002. In London, during April, May and June, in the run-up to the June G8 meeting in Kananaskis Canada, which will focus on partnership between the G8 and Africa, a series of eight UK Department for International Development (DFID) - funded meetings on the future of Africa is being held by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). In Rome, at the invitation of Dr. Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), African Heads of State and Government of the NEPAD Implementation Committee will take advantage of their presence at the World Food Summit (10-13 June 2002) to prepare inputs for the June G8 meeting. In Crans Montana, Switzerland, the 2002 Forum (27-30 June 2002) will focus on concrete follow-up of the NEPAD Senegal meeting and facilitate the presentation of key African infrastructure projects to the world business community. UNIDO Director- General Carlos Magariños will co-chair the opening and plenary sessions in Crans Montana. The plenary session, The Integration of Africa will also be chaired by ECOWAS Executive Secretary Mohamed Ibn Chambas and COMESA Secretary General, Erastus J. O. Mwencha. In Yaounde, Cameroon, 30 - 31 October, 2002, Business for Africa's programme of action (road map) will be formally launched at the ABR/ICC African Regional Conference. And in New York, in November, the UNDP - NY Stock Exchange Forum. More
Info: Source: UNIDO
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