On-Line Regional Integration Discussion Launched Ahead Of ADF III

19 February 2002
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United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Addis Ababa)
press release

Addis Ababa — The Economic Commission for Africa has today launched an on-line discussion in the run-up to the Third African Development Forum (ADF III), which takes place here from 3 - 8 March 2002 under the theme "Defining Priorities for Regional Integration".

The discussion, organized in conjunction with AllAfrica.com and Bellanet, is the latest in a series of Internet-enabled opportunities for dialogue organized by the ECA in the last four years around key policy findings and forums, with the aim of broadening participation and providing space for a wider and greater range of African development stakeholder views. Recommendations from the regional integration will feed into the main forum, as well as into ECA's programmatic work.

In his welcome message to participants, ECA Executive Secretary K.Y. Amoako explains the rationale behind the discussion: "While only a small cross-section of those interested in African development issues is actually present at ADF, on-line discussion can be tremendously effective as a means of broadening participation and including voices that might otherwise not be heard".

The discussion is structured around the five main ADF III themes: the History and Prospects for Regional Integration; Physical Integration through Infrastructural Development; Economic Policies for Accelerating Regional Integration; Building an Effective Union; and Peace and Security Architecture.

AllAfrica.com, a leading Web content provider on Africa based in the U.S., is featuring a special ADF home page as part of its site, and is conducting a parallel debate drawing on the ADF III themes. Bellanet, a Canada-based international initiative specializing in effective use of ICTs for development based in Canada, is hosting the electronic discussion list and providing a web archive.

Meanwhile, preparations are being stepped up for ADF III itself, which will bring together a wide spectrum of stakeholders -- government, parliaments, business, finance, labour, civil society, international organizations and the Diaspora, including experts from different part of the world -- to discuss the milestones, bring clarity to the issues and chart the future of Africa's regional integration.

Pre-forum events on will include a meeting of transport experts, an ICTs workshop on electronic commerce and Internet governance, media briefings and an African Union (AU) symposium on Sunday 3 March. The symposium will provide an opportunity to clarify the status, process and objectives of the establishment of the AU, to obtain input from a range of stakeholders, and chart the way forward.

Speakers scheduled to address the official opening ceremony on Monday 4 March are Ethiopian Prime Minister Mr. Meles Zenawi, OAU Secretary-General Mr. Amara Essy, and African Development Bank President Mr. Omar Kabbaj. The Forum then begins in earnest with Plenary sessions on the main themes, featuring presentations and discussions led by prominent figures and leading specialists in regional integration. The third plenary session, titled "Assessing Economic Integration in Africa", will feature the unveiling of preliminary findings of a major regional integration research project undertaken by ECA.

The 12th meeting of the Conference of African Ministers of Transport and Communication, organized by ECA's Regional Co-operation and Integration Division, will take place on Wednesday 6 March.

There will also be a Heads of States Forum, where representatives of stakeholder focus groups will have the opportunity to ask the attending Heads of State and Government how they believe integration should proceed in Africa.

The final session on Friday 8 March will include a presentation by Prof. Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate for Literature.

A number of special events are also planned to maximize the value of ADF III as a knowledge- sharing opportunity, including an exhibition of products and services from 4 - 7 March 2002. The exhibition will feature the Transport, Water Management, Power Management, Banking and Finance, Security, Health and Communications sectors, as well as exhibits reflecting on peace and security in Africa. More than 30 exhibitors, from Africa, India, and Europe, are expected to participate in this year's exhibition, the third of its kind since the Forum was started in 1999.

* To join the ECA on-line discussion on regional integration, send a blank e-mail to join-adf3@lyris.bellanet.org and you'll receive an automated response explaining next steps. For archives of the discussion, go to www.bellanet.org/adf/2002/

* To take part in the allAfrica.com discussion, go to: http://allafrica.com/specials/adf

* To sign up for the exhibition, send an e-mail to Ann Matthews at amatthews@uneca.org

* For more information on ADF III, visit: www.uneca.org/adfII

* To register to attend ADF III, please e-mail adf@uneca.org

* For media participation and related issues, please e-mail ecainfo@uneca.org

Issued by the Communication Team ECA: P.O. Box 3001 Addis Ababa Ethiopia. Tel: +251-1-44 50 98 or 44 31 61. Fax: +251-1-51 03 65. E-mail: ecainfo@uneca.org. Web: www.uneca.org

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