ADF 2001 - Thematic Focus

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African Development Forum III - Defining Priorities for Regional Integration
About ADF III Documents Partners ADF 2000 ADF 1999		Home > ADF III > ADF III Thematic Focus ADF III will focus on five thematic clusters: Economic Policies for Accelerating Regional Integration: This cluster will focus on convergence of macroeconomic policies -- monetary, fiscal, trade and exchange -- including consistency of national and integration targets and supporting policies. Towards this goal, it will identify the key strategic policy actions that will need to be taken at the regional, sub-regional and national levels. The cluster will also look at the issue of losers and winners in the process of forging convergence and how to address it in practical terms; Physical Integration through Infrastructure Development: This cluster will focus on priorities for infrastructure development as a means to step up the pace of regional integration. It will look at the regulatory framework for regional projects, financing of such projects, and services to be delivered by supra-national institutions. The cluster will look at modalities for agreeing, designing and implementing regional infrastructure projects, and for attracting and servicing investment in these sectors. The clusters will also look at how -- taking advantage of improved regional infrastructure -- strategic lines of industry, or enterprises, can be regionalized to increase their competitiveness in the global economy; Regional Approaches to Regional Issues: This cluster will look at issues and challenges that can be defined in a regional context and which would be more effectively addressed through regional approaches. These include science and technology, education and research, and food security planning and response. In this context, a point of focus will be to explore avenues for proactively using regional integration frameworks to address challenges to development such as HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, riparian issues and environmental questions. Institutional Arrangements and Capacity: This cluster will look at the optimal institutional configuration for an accelerated regional integration process. In the context of the steps needed to operationalize the African Union, and drawing on the experience of other regions, it will examine the question of sequencing of the establishment of the key structures under the African Union, as well as their mandates and inter-relationships. In addition, it will candidly assess the requirements for rationalizing sub-regional groupings and harmonizing country membership in these groupings. It will also look at capacity needs, including the skills mix, of these institutions. The Peace and Security Architecture: Given the clear link between peace and development, this sub-theme will take stock of the successes and failures of the peace and security architecture on the continent. It will examine how this architecture can be rationalized and harmonized to ensure the necessary conditions for an accelerated African Union. A key question will be how the peace and security architecture can address post-conflict transformation issues, and bridge the gap between conflict and normative development. The ADF III is an exercise in coalition building and consensus-building. If it is to succeed, the process of regional integration in Africa should engage the broadest and deepest possible range of interests internally, as well as from Africa’s international development co-operation partners. Participation at ADFIII will therefore include a very broad spectrum of stakeholders.
3 - 8 March 2002, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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