Electronic Roundtable I

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is pleased to have announced the launch of a series of Electronic Roundtables (ERs) on strategies for broad-based growth and poverty reduction in Africa. The roundtables are designed to complement experience sharing among African policymakers and practitioners participating in the ECA-sponsored Poverty Reduction Strategies-Millennium Development Goals Learning Group (PRS-MDG) formerly the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers-Learning Group (PRSP-LG).

Since the Learning Group last met in March 2004, ECA has engaged Member States on PRS-MDG relevant issues through policy analysis and advisory support, and through specific country and thematic studies. This series of ERs, open for participation to invitees only, is designed to take up four of the key emerging issues. These issues were also discussed at a major high-level African Plenary in March 2006 on the experiences of Member States with regard to growth, poverty reduction and the implementation of the MDGs.

The topics and timetables for the four sessions under the ERs are as follows:

•  Ownership, Leadership and Accountability
22 May to 2 June 2006

•  Growth, Poverty Reduction and the Implementation of the MDGs
12 to 23 June 2006

•  Capacity Needs for Achieving the MDGs
21 August to 1 September 2006

•  The Emerging Aid Architecture: Implications for Africa
11 to 22 September 2006

Following the experience of the first series of ERs, ECA will sponsor a second series of ERs involving presentations and a wider audience of PRS practitioners, policymakers, academics and others with a substantive interest in the topic, both from inside and outside Africa.