MEDIA ADVISORY

Promoting learning between China, African countries and OECD-DAC Members on Enterprise Development and Economic Transformation: Creating the Enabling Environment

INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA

WHEN 16-17 February 2011

WHERE African Union Conference Centre and Hilton Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

WHO: Organized by the China-DAC Study Group, Co-Chaired by The International Poverty Reduction Centre in China (IPRCC) and OECD-DAC , in association with the Commission of the African Union (AUC) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

WHY: Reflection on wealth creation through transformation of poor rural economies: public policies and private initiative in China and Africa along side Shaping basic capacity for enterprise development: human resources, institutions and regulations in China and Africa

Background and Objectives:

To facilitate the sharing of experiences and promote learning on economic growth and poverty reduction, the China-DAC Study Group was established by the International Poverty Reduction Centre in China (IPRCC) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC) in January 2009.

The Study Group will focus its work on two themes:

* China’s experience of economic growth and poverty reduction, including the contribution of international assistance, and its relevance for other developing countries, particularly in Africa.

* China’s economic co-operation with Africa and the lessons that China and DAC Members can share with each other to increase the collective impact of foreign aid on reducing poverty in Africa.

These themes are being addressed during a series of evidence-based policy dialogue events, which enables a larger number of stakeholders to be involved in the Study Group’s activities. In order to reflect the needs in many African countries today, the Study Group organised three events during 2009-2010 on topics which influence both the pace of economic growth as well as the extent to which economic growth contributes to reducing poverty:

* Development partnerships.

* Agriculture, food security and rural development.

* Infrastructure.

The Study Group’s first event on “Development Partnerships for Growth and Poverty Reduction” took place in Beijing, China in October 2009. The second event on "Agriculture, Food Security and Rural Development for Growth and Poverty Reduction" took place in Bamako, Mali in April 2010. The third event on “Infrastructure” took place in Beijing, China in September 2010.

This fourth event will focus on the enabling environment for enterprise development. More specifically, the event will:

* Highlight the significant role that enterprise development, trade and investment play in the creation of local, regional and global value chains and the dynamic impact on economic growth, employment and poverty reduction in China and African countries.

* Map out the course, strategies, achievements and challenges of China and African countries in creating enabling environments for enterprise development and explore the relevance and implications of the lessons from each.

The main findings and emerging lessons from the Study Group’s series of events will be presented and discussed at a policy symposium in Beijing planned for April 2011.