This sub-theme will seek to stimulate discussions on the challenges of development, peace and security in Africa. The discussion will focus on the connection between peace and development and will highlight how there will never be real development without peace, and, conversely how peace can not be maintained for long without meaningful development.

The myriad continental conflicts suggest that the majority of African states have failed to provide what is probably the most fundamental public good for their citizens, peace and security. Continuous conflicts rage in nearly half of the continent’s countries with at least, a third of the population currently suffering for lack of peace and security. There is little doubt that these conflicts have had and continue to have extreme adverse effect on the region’s effort to pursue sustainable human development and good governance. The significant economic and political progress made in recent years remains threatened and often impeded by conflict. It is apparent that unless countries of the region manage to transcend these tragic legacies and achieve peace and normalization, real progress in the political and economic spheres can neither be gained nor sustained.

For the United Nations, there is no higher goal, no deeper commitment and no greater ambition than preventing civil conflicts and wars. Ensuring peace and human security is, in the broadest sense, the cardinal mission of the United Nations. As such, the UN in collaboration with regional, sub-regional and civil society organizations is working to restore peace and security, and strengthen Africa’s capacity for preventing and resolving conflicts.

Given that the major challenge in Africa remains one pertaining to peace and development, participants of this Regional Hearing are asked to deliberate on the following:

• The connection between peace and development and how this agenda can be kept in the forefront of the development discourse;

• The need for post-conflict recovery and reconstruction initiatives;

• Ways and means of resolving conflicts instituting mechanisms for preventing conflicts from erupting into violent confrontation.;

• Concrete ways and means whereby existing regional and sub-regional organizations can help countries in resolving conflicts; and

• Concrete ways and means whereby the international community can help countries in resolving civil conflicts.

Sub-Theme On Approaching Humanitarian and Human Rights Issues within a Global Context

This sub-theme will seek to stimulate discussions on the challenge and imperatives of humanitarian and human issues in Africa in the 21^st century.

One of the fundamental objectives of the United Nations is to promote universal respect and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The United Nations has consistently promoted the full and universal application of human rights in Africa and has emphasised the inextricable link between observance of human rights, peace and sustainable human development in the region. It continues to stress that human rights, peace and sustainable human development are complementary, interdependent and mutually reinforcing.

In recent years, Africa has seen a dramatic and unacceptable deterioration in adherence to humanitarian norms in situations of conflict. Armed opponents treat non-combatants with indiscriminate and ruthless ferocity, employing any and all means that advance their end. Civilians are often the main targets with women and children suffering in disproportionate numbers. They are often subjected to atrocities that include ethnic cleansing, organized rape.and systematic displacement. International pressure, in the strongest way possible, must be brought to bear on all warring parties to adhere to humanitarian norms.

In the area of human rights and humanitarian issues, the objectives of this Regional hearing will be to discuss:

• Ways to ensure the progressive realization of human rights in the region and how best to provide support for institutions of governance to strengthen capacity for protection of human rights

• Developing a human rights approach to sustainable human development and international co-operation, thereby ensuring that human rights concerns will be mainstreamed into development efforts and not relegated to specific initiatives

• How to ensure effective adherence to international humanitarian norms, especially the protection of civilians and children in situations of conflict

• Ensuring a principled and co-ordinated approach to humanitarian assistance that will best address human needs and facilitate the preparation of a coherent and effective strategy for recovery and reconstruction.

This sub-theme will seek to stimulate discussions on the Role of the United Nations in the 21^st Century by addressing emerging problems, the ways and means by which Africa can contribute to the identification and support the United Nations’ role in the solution of these problems in the third millennium. By virtue of its mandate, universal membership and constellation of agencies and programmes, the United Nations is well placed to address the global problems that the world will confront in the 21^st century. The nature and complexity of such problems will change overtime, but their distinguishing features are that they have significant cross border spillover effects, and a purely national or regional approach is inadequate or inappropriate in dealing with them – in other words international collective action will be required.

• What global problems can be foreseen to dominate the international agenda in the first quarter of the next Century?

• In what way should Africa contribute to identifying and supporting the management of these problems?

• Through what process should international consensus be developed for dealing with these problems?

• What innovative institutional devices should the UN create to manage such problems?

• Given that financing the mechanisms for dealing with such problems would require additional resources, how should the world – its countries and people – pay for them?

Sub-Theme on Cooperation for economic and social development in Africa

This sub-theme will seek to stimulate discussions on the challenges and imperatives of Africa’s economic and social development. The basic strategy for achieving sustainable development through economic growth is now well established. Despite the broad consensus on how economic and social development should be pursued in Africa, it has been difficult to achieve progress. Reducing poverty and improving social conditions in Africa is a central issue confronting African governments and the international community. The continent faces an increasingly serious social crises among which are the very low rate of literacy, inadequate basic education, lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation and public health emergencies (malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS) which will have serious consequences for development. In addressing the challenges Africa is facing we need to confront these issues:

• What are the conditions for creating a positive environment for investment and economic growth?

• What have been the consequences of the African debt crisis?

• How can the UN partner with African governments, bilaterals, multilaterals, donors, civil society to reduce the social costs of the crisis and further economic and social development?

• How do we mobilize resources in support of reversing the deterioration of economic and social conditions?

• Greater regional co-operation and integration are more and more needed in Africa in the area of transportation, communication and trade. What progress has been recorded in furthering the process of regional economic cooperation and integration and what are the obstacles to accelerating it? The hearing should direct its attention to:

• The relevance of current economic cooperation and integration strategies and policies to Africa’s economic problems

• Progress recorded in the harmonization and rationalization of regional economic groupings

• Inter-relations between regional cooperation and integration and the emerging liberalizing and globalizing world economy.