Press Releases
Press Release No. 23/1997
ECA and UNDP to Hold High-level Forum on Governance in Africa
Addis Ababa, 9 July 1997: The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are this week hosting a high-level forum to provide a platform for Africans, international
organizations and Africa's external partners in the donor community to engage in a dialogue on the state of governance in the region through the medium of national governance programmes.
The forum on governance in Africa is organized in the context of the UN System-Wide Special Initiative on Africa (UNSIA). The initiative, unveiled in March 1996, is focused on United Nations System collaboration at country level in key development areas, including Education, Health, Water, Governance, Harnessing Information Technology for Development, and Promoting Food Security and Sustainable Livelihood.
The forum -- to be held from 11-12 July at ECA's headquarters here -- is co-chaired by K.Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary of ECA and James Gustave Speth,
Administrator of UNDP, the two co-chairs of the Administrative Co-ordinating Committee on the UNSIA. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will deliver a special message by video at the opening ceremony of the forum.
At least 15 African countries are expected to participate in the forum, with prime minister Kwassi Klutse heading the Togolese delegation.
The others confirmed are: Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea,
Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Mozambique and Swaziland. Nigeria will participate as an observer.
African institutions slated to participate include the Organization of African Unity, African Development Bank, and Global Coalition for Africa. Umbrellas representing NGOs in Africa are MWENGO, Forum of Women in Development, and FAVDO. Their participation follows an NGOs Consultation that took place in Addis Ababa last May as part of the Africa Governance Forum process.
They are joined by 18 donor countries, with Norwegian Minister of Development Cooperation, Kari Nordheim-Larsen, Belgium's Minister for Technical Cooperation and a German deputy minister expected to represent their respective countries.
Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA will participate at the Director- General and Director level.
The forum will give the participating African countries an opportunity to articulate their positions on a number of issues, including:
Constitutional and judicial reform Electoral and parliamentary assistance
Empowerment with reference to civil society, civic education, NGOs, private sector and communications and media.
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African development, political and social-economic issues, critical issues relating to governance in Africa, responses and programmes initiated by African and
international partners and the African perspective on governance will all be under the spotlight.
Among the issues to be debated will be Local government, civil service reform, socio- economic management, public administration, accountability and efficiency.
In addition to ECA and UNDP, several other UN system organizations and agencies will be represented at the forum: ILO, IMF, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNICEF, UN Centre for Human Rights, UN/DPA, UN/DDSMS, UNOPS, UNAVEM III, and the World Bank.
Observers will include the Inter-Parliamentary Union, European Centre for Development Policy Management, Institute of Social Studies, African Institute for Economic and Social Studies, Institution of African Democracy, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Japan International Cooperation Agency, International Peace Academy, and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, among others.
Representatives from the European Union, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Secretariat of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Assistance Committee will be at hand.
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