Events

Ministers of Economy, Planning, Finance and Economic Development meet in Abuja to strategise on industrialisation in Africa

Abuja, 25 March 2014 – Dr. Anthony Mothae Maruping, Commissioner for Economic Affairs at the African Union Commission (AUC) has called on African governments to develop industrial policies that are aimed at reducing inequality at all levels. The Commissioner was speaking on 25 March 2014, while addressing experts at the opening ceremony of the meeting of the Committee of Experts of the Seventh Joint Annual Meeting of the UNECA Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and the African Union Conference of Ministers of Economy and Finance, holding in Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria, under the theme: Industralisation for inclusive and transformative development in Africa”.
Commissioner Maruping said most African economies have been performing well in terms of headline numbers without significant impact on the lives of the people. “Africans are therefore calling for major structural transformation to sustain the current economic performance,” he noted. He stressed that the next critical level is industrialization as the means to meaningfully join the global value and supply chains where opportunities and jobs are created. “Africans are therefore calling for Major structural transformation to sustain the current economic performance, but also to move to the next critical level, which is industrialization among others… Africans today want to take charge of their development agenda. This is demonstrated by the two historic and unprecedented continental processes…the Common African Position on post-2015 development agenda (CAP) and Africa Agenda 2063 processes”. He noted. (See complete speech of Commissioner Maruping on the AU website: www.au.int ).
Mr. Abdalla Hamdok , Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, on his part underscored that African countries need to channel their resources to activities in industry, manufacturing and modern services in order to create more employment and improve the welfare of vulnerable groups. He said the continent should focus on developing a manufacturing sector that is interlinked to other sectors of the economy and is capable of raising productivity. Addressing participants Mr Hamdok further explained that Africa’s growth potential remains largely untapped and the existence of spare capacity in Africa, suggests that growth can be fostered with policies that stimulate aggregate demand and trade within Africa and between Africa and the rest of the world. He added that, the stimulation of aggregate demand requires greater internal articulation or close and mutually reinforcing links between various economic sectors and geographical regions. “despite its rapid economic growth over the last decade, Africa continues to display glaring contradictions between economic and social indicators, as poverty remains pervasive while unemployment among women and the youth remains very high. In a bid to tackle the
challenge, the focus of this year’s gathering is on industrialization for inclusive and transformative development of Africa”, he stated. (See complete speech of Mr. Hamdok on the AU website: www.au.int)
Mr Anatole Yehoan Tohougbe, Chairperson of the Outgoing Bureau of the Committee of Experts and Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Planning and Development of Cote d’Ivoire on the other hand presented the report of the meeting of the Extraordinary meeting of Expert of the African Conference of Ministers of Economy and Finance (CAMEF) that preceded the COM14 meeting in Abuja from 21-24 March 2014. The issues were mostly focused on the alternative sources of finances of the Africa Union. “Africa’s path to development should focus on commodity-based industrialization, especially in developing a manufacturing sector that is interlinked to other sectors of the economy and is therefore capable of raising productivity and further enhancing the competitiveness of African economies in the global market” he underlined among other recommendations of the CAMEF.
Present at the opening were representative of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr Abraham Nwankwo, Director General of Debt Management Office, Federal Republic of Nigeria; African Ambassadors; Members of the Diplomatic Community;and Senior Officials from Ministries of Finance, Planning and Economic Development as well as Central Banks.

Media Contacts
Mercy Wambui, External Communications and Media Relations Section, Economic Commission for Africa, Tel: +234 (0)8094557268, Email: mwambui@uneca.org
Esther Tankou, Directorate of Information and Communication, African Union Commission (AUC), Tel: +234 (0)9094263843, E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org / esthertankou@yahoo.com
Sophia Denekew, External Communications and Media Relations Section, Economic Commission for Africa, Te: +234 (0) 9094263896 denekews@uneca.org
Salisu Saleh Na’inna, Chair, Publicity, Trade and Culture Sub-committee, Government of Nigeria Tel. : +234 (0) 8023144711, Email: salisusaleh002@gmail.com

Africa-Arab Trade fair,29-23 March 2014,Casablanca,Kingdom of Morocco.

The 7th Edition of the Africa-Arab Fair, 19-23 March 2014 hosted by the Kingdom of Morocco under the theme "Health and Development”.

Jointly organized by the African Union Commission, office of Fair and Exhibition of Casablanca (O.F.E.C ), and the League of Arab States, this edition is devoted to focus on health sectors including pharmaceuticals and dentistry with the aim of developing and strengthening
partnership between the two regions in the area of pharmaceutical industry, health and development.

In their welcoming remarks Mr. Mahammed Abbou, Minister of External , professor El - Hussain Louardi ,Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Morocco, Mr. Hafiz Alamine ,minister of industry, trade, investment and digital economy, Mr. Aziz Alamine, Director General of office of fair and Exhibition of Casablanca(O.F.E.C), Amb. Semir Nasir, Assistance of the General Secretary and Mr.Nadir fath Elalim, Representative from the African Union Commission (AUC) thanked the King of Morocco, His Majesty King Mohammed VI and the Government of Morocco for convening the fair and for providing assistance and support for the success of this important event. In addition they appreciated the African Union Commission the League of Arab States and the Arab Bank for Economic development in Africa (BADEA) for their cooperation in the preparation and coordination of the fair.

On the margin of the fair, the Africa Union Commission, namely the department of Trade and Industry together with the department of social affairs organized a seminar on Trade in health services, TRIPS and public health on 22 March 2014 with the objectives of bringing together stakeholders in trade in services medical and health care sector to discuss and update the current status of the health service industry, sharing experiences and knowledge among private sectors on issues of global health dimensions. The seminar also comprises a brief presentation by Ms. Carolyne on Trade in health services and Dr. Benjamin from social affairs on PMPA which address different questions and suggestion. Besides organizing a seminar the department of Trade and Industry also participated in the "promotion of commercial Exchanges between the Arab and African countries in the health sector" forum organized by Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) on 21 March 2014.

The African Union Member States, Regional Economic Communities, members of the league of Arab States and different institutions participated in the fair.

For more information please visit our website www.au.int.org.

PRESS RELEASE Nº028/ 2014

N’DJAMENA HOSTS EXPERT MEETING OF SHERPAS OF THE HIGH LEVEL COMMITTEE OF ADVISORS ON POST 2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA

N’Djamena, Chad 25 February 2014- “We are determined to speak with one voice in the international fora on the Post 2015 Development Agenda” said Dr. Anthony Maruping, Commissioner of Economic Affairs of the African Union, while chairing the meeting of experts of the Sherpas of the High Level Committee Advisors on Post 2015 Development Agenda on 25 February 2014 in N’Djamena, Republic of Chad.

The Commissioner was speaking on behalf of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma. He expressed gratitude to H.E Idris Deby Itno, President of the Republic of Chad for accepting to host such an important and historical meeting in his country. The N’djamena spirit, Commissioner Maruping underlined, should prevail as the count down towards the 2015 deadline of the Post 2015 Development Agenda has begun.

Commissioner Maruping explained that, consultations are ongoing at all levels to ensure an all-inclusive bottom-top approach of the document on the African Common position on the Post 2015 Development Agenda so that Africans can take ownership of this document. “Speed is required in 2014”, the Commissioner said. He called on the participants to have fruitful summit compliant deliberations, in preparation of the High Level Committee meeting scheduled for 28 February 2014. (See complete speech of Commissioner Maruping on the AU website: www.au.int ).

Speaking earlier, the Minister of Economy , Planning and International Cooperation of Chad, Mrs. Mariam M. Nour outlined that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are composed of very noble causes that need to be taken seriously by all concerned policy makers. She said considerable progress has been made in the socio-economic and political areas but much still has to be done to accomplish the work expected from the High Level Committee.

The Chair of the expert group, Dr. Abdoulaye Dukule, Sherpa of H.E Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia and Chair of the High Level Committee on the Post 2015 Development Agenda, underscored the need to brainstorm on the communication strategy of the HLC among others, to enable good popularization of the activities of the Sherpas of the HLC on the Post 2015 Development Agenda.

Organised by the African Union Department of Economic Affairs in collaboration with the Government of Chad and the office of the Chair of the High Level Committee on the Post 2015 Development Agenda, the meeting is a follow up of the 22nd Assembly of Heads of State and Government which was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 30-31 January 2014, that adopted the Common African Position (CAP) on the post 2015 development agenda to serve as Africa’s input to the global post 2015 development agenda.

The objective of the N’djamena meeting is to launch the CAP and formulate a strategy for advocacy, negotiation and forging alliances.

The opening ceremony took place in the presence of H.E Ahmad Awad Sakine, Ambassador of the Republic of Chad in Addis Ababa and to the African Union. Other participants included: the representatives of Algeria, Chad, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Liberia, Namibia, South Africa, United Nations Development Program (UNDP) United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), African Development Bank (AfDB), and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The High Level Committee (HLC) was established at the 21st Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government held in May 2013, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to finalize the draft African Common Position and build regional and intercontinental alliances around the post 2015 Development Agenda.
The High Level Committee includes two Heads of State and Government from each of the five regions of the continent and is chaired by Her Excellency Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the President of the Republic of Liberia.

During the Assembly, Mrs. Johnson Sirleaf presented the Draft Common African Position which is the outcome of a series of consultations with a wide spectrum of African stakeholders since 2011. The document is structured around five pillars and enablers i.e..
• Pillar 1: Structural Economic Transformation
• Pillar 2: Science, technology and innovation
• Pillar 3: People-centered development
• Pillar4: Environmental sustainability, natural resources management and disaster risk management
• Pillar 5: Finance and Partnerships

The document also identified peace and security; good governance, transparency and fighting corruption; enabling governance architecture; human rights for all; macroeconomic policy; private sector development; a credible participatory process; monitoring and evaluation; traditional knowledge; and capacity development as key enablers for implementation.

The Assembly expressed a need for a Post-2015 Development Agenda that remains focused on completing the unfinished business of the MDGs, whilst also incorporating new and emerging challenges. It also expressed its aspirations for a global agenda that creates an enabling environment for Africa to transform its economies, pursue sustainable development, strengthen resilience and promote an agenda that encourages open and accountable governance supported by strong, mutually beneficial and diversified global partnerships. The Assembly further requested to bring peace and security upfront as a pillar and emphasized the need for a standing committee to follow up, monitor and report the implementation of the Post 2015 Development Agenda.

JOURNALISTS ARE INVITED TO COVER THE EVENT

Attached is the draft work program and agenda of the of Sherpas of the High Level Committee on the Post 2015 Development Agenda

Media contact: Mrs. Esther Azaa Tankou, Senior Editorial Officer, Directorate of Information and Communication, E-mail: yamboue@africa-union.org / esthertankou@yahoo.com

JOINT PRESS RELEASE
Africa: Urgent action needed to link mining with region’s development objectives
Celebrated for the first time, Africa Mining Vision Day calls for a more sustainable, people-centred mining agenda
Cape Town, February 3, 2014– On the margins of Africa’s largest annual mining conference, “Mining Indaba”, multilateral development organizationshave called on the private sector tojoin forces with them in ensuring the revenues from mining are reinvested in people.
Issued on the newly created Africa Mining Vision Day, the call comes amidst a downward trend in commodity prices and in particular minerals, which has raised uncertainty on the momentum of the continent’s sustainability agenda. For instance, during the first four months of 2013, mining stocks fell nearly 20 percent.
Industry leaders, ministers, policy-makers, members of academia and international organizations will be urging the private sector to play a stronger role in fast-tracking the implementation of the African Union (AU)’s Africa Mining Vision, which aims to ensure the extractives sector can boost social and economic development across the continent.
“AMV Day 2014 would be the first of a long term process of dialogues and partnership building with a view to increasing mutual understanding on how to promote sustainable development in the extractive sector in Africa and the need for mutual benefits between host country and mining companies,” said the hosts and partners.
AMV Day is hosted by the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC), housed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA),in close collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It is supported by Australian Aid and the World Bank.
Nearly one quarter of Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is now based on extractive resources, the highest ratio among all regions. Between 2000 and 2008 alone, the value created from natural resources in Africa rose from $39.2 billion to $240 billion.
The extractives sector is expected to play a catalytic role for development in many African countries. To that end, the resources from mining need to be reinvested in infrastructure and further growth, while opening opportunities for economic diversification and transformation.
Management of mining revenues will entail the creation of more effective public-private partnerships and closer involvement from other stakeholders, including local communities and governments.
Achieving broad-based, sustainable development means establishing the right environmental safeguards, but also fulfilling a number of economic and social priorities.
For instance, participants will underline that the need to guarantee environmental sustainability, distribute the benefits from extraction effectively, create social safety nets, invest in skills and infrastructure and intensify agriculture to create jobs and bolster food security.
In December, ECA, AUC, AfDB and UNDP launched the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) to help implement the Africa Mining Vision.
The new hub will help implement the African Mining Vision, which aims to ensure Africa’s mineral resources can support economic growth and development. It will translate that vision into practical solutions for reducing poverty and involving people in development.
Experts and researchers will be made available to help countries implement the vision, advising governments, businesses and civil society organizations on issues such as licensing, geological and mining information systems, artisanal and small-scale mining and investments in diversification.
The one-day event will look at a diversity of topics, including private sector involvement, building local skills and establishing sustainable business agendas.
For media queries, please contact:
ECA: Mercy Wambui,mwambui@uneca.org +251-921-014767
UNDP: New York - Nicolas Douillet,nicolas.douillet@undp.org +1.212.906.5937;Johannesburg - PhumzaManquindi, Phumza.manqindi@undp.org+27 12 354-8050
AUC: Esther Azaa Tankou,yamboue@africa-union.org +251 911361185
AfDB: PietroToigo,p.toigo@afdb.org+216 71 10 1299