Documents

Minutes of the 21st Nepad Steering Committee Meeting

15 January 2005,
Cape Town, South Africa

Attendance:

The following delegates participated in the meeting:

i. Amb M Achache and Mr Rachid Belounes, Steering Committee members, Algeria

ii. Ms Albina Assis Africano, Steering Committee member, Angola

iii. Mr. Modise D Modise, Steering Committee member, Botswana

iv. Mr Clotaire C Okouya; Amb Raymond Serge Bale and Dr Jean Delphin Mavinga Bata, Steering Committee members, Republic of Congo

v. Mr Jean Marie Magnena and Ms Marie-Edith Tassyla Doumbeneny, Steering Committee members, Gabon

vi. Prof Firmino Mucavele, Steering Committee member, Mozambique

vii. Mr Abdul S Minty, Steering Committee member, South Africa

viii. Amb Ibrahim Ali Hassan and Mr Seif-Eldin Hishan, Steering Committee members, Egypt

ix. Mr Mohammed Al-koni Abdusaiad, Steering Committee member, Lybia

x. Mr Calver Gatete, Steering Comiittee member, Rwanda

xi. Mr Davis SO Nalo, Steering Committee member, Kenya

xii. Mr Newai Gebre-ab, Steering Committee member, Ethiopia

xiii. Mr Paul Biyeghemba, Steering Committee member, Gabon

xiv. Amb. Aluko-Olukon and High CommissionerTunji Olagunju, Steering Committee members, Nigeria

xv. Dr Robert M Okello, UNECA

xvi. Mr Michael Mah’moud, ADB

xvii. Mr Musinga Bandora and Ms Zemenay Lakew, UNDP

xviii. Claude-Joachim Tiker Tiker, CEEAC

xix. Mr Albert Muchanga and Dr A Mondlane, SADC

Welcome

1. Mr Abdul S. Minty, NEPAD Steering Committee member for South Africa, welcomed everyone and wished them a fruitful meeting and a pleasant stay in Cape Town.

Opening remarks and adoption of agenda

2. The chairperson, H. E. High Commissioner Olagunju also welcomed the Steering Committee members and called for the adoption of the agenda. The agenda was adopted without changes (see Annex I). Please attach, not insert.
(please, insert the agenda, or it is not usually included in the minutes)

UK COMMISION FOR AFRICA (Let’s follow the agenda)

Briefing by Commissioner Mohohlo

4. The Chairperson invited Ms Linah Mohohlo, Governor of the Central Bank of Botswana and member of the Commission for Africa to address the meeting, focusing on objectives of the Commission for Africa and in particular the contribution of the African members to its work.

5. Ms Mohohlo gave a brief outline of the origin of the CfA. She highlighted the objectives of the Commission for Africa, which include identifying global trends that prevent the growth of Africa; engendering new ideas to move the continent forward, as well as supporting current and previous initiatives aimed at moving the African continent out of underdevelopment. She noted that the CfA is seeking to understand and listen to Africa’s concerns. She reassured the meeting that the CfA will not duplicate but work with existing structures like the African Union Commission and the NEPAD Secretariat because the issues identified by African leaders are the same issues that are of concern to it. She highlighted the following areas as being priorities:

• peace and security

• creating an enabling environment to achieve a culture of participation by all

• economic and political governance

• management of natural resources in a way that benefits the populace are also important.

• adoption of political systems that encourage appreciable economic systems

• accountability and institutional building.

• human resource development

• trade

She indicated that the process of consultation is ongoing and production of the initial draft is at an advanced stage. The next meeting of the Commission for Africa will take place on 24 February 2005.

6. The Steering Committee underscored the fact that Africans have claimed ownership and have put all necessary conditions in place, by developing NEPAD and its priorities programmes, which are all very clear. However, action for implementation is not forthcoming from the developed countries. The CfA could assist in seeing to it that these priorities and those of the G8 Africa Action Plan are realised through significant financial contributions by the developed countries for project implementation.

7. The Steering Committee further emphasised the importance of the CfA contributing to enabling African countries to meet the MDGs, particularly through the acceleration of the flow of resources to Africa, and transparent mechanisms for accessing these resources; assisting in engaging and developing the private sector, as well as supporting capacity development on the continent.

9. The Steering Committee also commented that emphasis had to be on partnership and what the partnership should strive to achieve. It was noted that in as much as it is important to discuss strategies for partners entering countries and supporting specific programmes, it was equally important to agree on exit strategies, to ensure that development partners do not disengage abruptly, but in a phased way that engenders sustainability of initiatives. The issue of post-conflict reconstruction was noted by the Steering Committee as being important. The CfA should concentrate on sustainable development, promoting market access and FDI. Other issues that the CfA should consider include global warming and desertification.

10. Ms Mohohlo emphasised the importance of Africa engaging the CfA in a constructive manner that can build mutual trust, as well as speaking with one voice. She noted the successes in Mozambique and Angola where stability has clearly resulted in significant economic recovery.

12. Ms Mohohlo informed the meeting that she was not at liberty to divulge the contents of the draft report of the CfA.

Presentation by Professor Nkuhlu: NEPAD’s response to the UK Commission for Africa

14. Professor Nkuhlu presented a draft submission of NEPAD to the CfA, entiled, “NEPAD’s Response to the UK Commission for Africa”.

15. The meeting commended on the draft submission, which has now been finalised and has been formally submitted to the CfA (see Annex II).

Integration of NEPAD into AU structures and processes

18. The Chairperson informed the meeting that document under discussion had not been circulated earlier due to the sensitive nature of the integration process. He added that Prof. Nkuhlu; Mr Minty, the South Africa’s Steering Committee member in his capacity as host of the NEPAD Secretariat, and himself as Chairperson of the Steering Committee had met Professor Konare in December 2004. This was as a follow-up of the 12th HSGIC Summit call for the AU Commission to meet with the Steering Committee to discuss the matter of integration further.

19. Professor Nkuhlu elaborated on the integration process to date, highlighting that in July 2004 the NEPAD Steering Committee was presented with a paper co-produced by the AU Commission and the NEPAD Secretariat. The Steering Committee made inputs which were conveyed to the Chair of the AU Commission. In November 2004 the AU Commission introduced a new powerpoint proposal on integration in Algiers to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the 5 initiating countries. An updated version of the document dated December 4 2004 was subsequently presented by the AU Commission to the Chairperson, Mr. Minty, and himself in Addiss on December 6. President Obasanjo has since referred the latest proposal to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the 5 initiating countries and to the NEPAD Steering Committee. Professor Nkuhlu concluded by reminding the Steering Committee that the AU Commission Chairperson is acting within his mandate to implement the Maputo decision on integration.

20. The new document from the AU Commission on integration was said to be a major departure from the one initially presented by the Steering Committee. The meeting recalled the Terms of Reference on integration as outlined in the Maputo decision. The meeting pointed out that there are three dimensions of NEPAD, namely, content and policy; the processes that made NEPAD successful to date, as well as; its structures which are the HSGIC, the NEPAD Steering Committee and the NEPAD Secretariat. It was the view of the meeting that the thrust of integration should be at the structural level, and that the AU Commission’s document did not address itself to the Maputo declaration. The proposal was viewed as seeking to create a new structure which is contrary to the Maputo decision.

21. The chair advised that the Steering Committee must make their comments and leave the HSGIC to make up their minds.

22. As the Steering Committee could not fully comprehend the proposal of the AU Commission, and given the seriousness and sensitivity of the matter, it resolved to constitute a sub-committee to interact with the AU Commission in order to get a more thorough understanding of the proposal before it can provide informed comments to the Foreign Ministers of the 5 NEPAD Initiating Countries, secondly the Chairman of the HSGIC, as well as to the AU Commission.

23. The Steering Committee sub-committee is composed of the following countries, based on geographical representation, as well as the fact that Egypt will be hosting the next HSGIC Summit in April 2005, and Mozambique hosted the AU Summit (2003) where the decision to integrate NEPAD into AU Structures and processes was made: Algeria, Egypt (Chair), Ethiopia, Gabon, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa. A team of officials from the NEPAD Secretariat would support the sub-committee.

23. The meeting agreed that Prof. Nkuhlu would write to the Chairperson of the AU Commission, and inform him of the outcome of the meeting. He would also write to H.E President Obasanjo, Chair of the HSGIC, informing him of the process being proposed by the Steering Committee. The letter to H. E. President Obasanjo would be copied to the Foreign Minister of Nigeria. Once the Steering Committee have discussed the sub-committee’s report, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the 5 initiating countries will be informed accordingly.

Any other matter

24. Kenya made a presentation on (please add title of presentation- look at their letter of request to present-Sena has it)…...

25. The Workshop on Capacity Building will be held in Abuja in early March 2005. The HSGIC meeting is scheduled for 17-18 April 2005 in Egypt (Please use specific title of the workshop, check with Mr Mochebelele).

26. It was announced that the exploration of the possibility of mobilising public sector pension funds to provide seed capital to stimulate private sector investment is underway.

27. The 4th Africa Partnership Forum APF will be held on 8-9 April in Abuja, Nigeria.

Date of next Steering Committee meeting

25. The next NEPAD Steering Committee meeting will be held in Johannesburg on 30-31 March 2005.

Closure

The meeting adjourned at 16h00.