About CoDA
1. Background The Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA) is a new, independent, international, African-owned forum that identifies and discusses issues of importance to Africa’s development within a global context. It is a think tank that advocates for the continent, brings together a range of stakeholders to promote dialogue and provides a platform for African voices to be heard. It is policy-oriented, and works in collaboration with other African and international organizations addressing issues of Africa’s security, peace, governance and development. CoDA is sponsored by, but is not a program of, the African Union Commission, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank. It is governed by a Board of eminent African and non-African personalities and receives support from the private sector. The decision to establish CoDA was taken after the close of the Global Coalition for Africa (GCA), following a study commissioned by ECA and after wide-ranging consultations with stakeholders. It is the successor forum to the GCA and the Big Table (another high level policy forum organized annually by the AfDB , AUC and ECA), which will also now cease to exist. In that regard, CoDA aims to combine the best elements of the GCA and those of the Big Table. It is distinct from the GCA in that it is completely African owned and based in Africa. CoDA places a premium on convening informal and inclusive dialogue on niche issues between diverse and influential groups of stakeholders (including government leaders, policy makers, civil society, the private sector and media) and advocating their recommendations effectively to influence policy. Additionally, the initiative seeks to play the role of a think-tank and change agent, which takes a proactive stand, and helps define new perspectives, on a wide range of issues, including the most sensitive and controversial. CoDA also aims to build strong partnerships and synergies with leading African research institutions with the objective of grounding its work on solid scientific findings. It aims to place particular attention on bridging the gap between the research and policy making communities in Africa. 2. Governance Structures CoDA’s work is guided by an independent high-level Advisory Board with a former Head of State as Chairman and a highly regarded African as its Convener. CoDA Advisory Board Members serve in their personal capacity and are selected among the most eminent, distinguished and highest level African and international personalities noted for their professional qualities, their national and international leadership experience, their commitment, and an open approach to African issues. The initial Chairperson of CoDA is H.E. Festus Mogae, the former President of the Republic of Botswana. The interim Convener is Prof. Abdoulaye Bathily (Senegal). The work of the board is supported by a Secretariat, currently housed at ECA headquarters in Addis Ababa. ECA and AfDB are, in the interim, treating their support to the initiative as a project that is being executed by ECA.
3. Official Launch of CoDA The Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA) was formally launched in Addis Ababa on 6 March 2009. The inauguration ceremony, which was chaired by the CoDA Chairperson, H.E. Festus Mogae, featured welcoming remarks by the CoDA Convener, Prof. Abdoulaye Bathily, as well as statements of support for the new initiative from the African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). H.E. Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, delivered the opening address and officially inaugurated the CoDA process. In his remarks, Prime Minister Meles expressed confidence that CoDA would be “more effective” than the Global Coalition for Africa (GCA) due to its distinguished Advisory Board and the qualities of its Chairperson. He also noted that CoDA would be more effective because it was placing an emphasis on taking over the best features of the GCA while working at the same time to avoid duplication with other dialogue platforms and initiatives. Additionally, Mr. Meles thanked the ECA and AfDB for financing the studies that led to the establishment of CoDA and bearing the initial costs. He ended his remarks by pledging Ethiopia’s support to CoDA. 4. CoDA Initial Priorities Based on the guidance provided by the Advisory Board at its inaugural meeting in March 2009, CoDA’s substantive activities between April 2009 and April 2010 will focus on the following issues:
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