Washington, D.C. — Secretary Paulson to Join Global Leaders from Top U.S. and African Companies and Government Agencies for First U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Africa
United States Secretary of the Treasury Henry M. Paulson, Jr. will deliver the keynote address at The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) 2007 U.S.-Africa Business Summit Closing Gala Dinner November 16, 2007 at The Cape Town Convention Centre, it was announced today.
Secretary Paulson will be in Cape Town in the middle of a three-country visit that includes Tanzania and Ghana. Secretary Paulson will be meeting with business and government leaders in the three countries to discuss the underpinnings of Africa's recent growth and explore ways to support Africa's economic development, including through increased U.S.-Africa investment and trade ties.
"We are pleased to welcome Secretary Paulson as the closing keynote speaker of the Summit," said CCA PRESIDENT STEPHEN HAYES. "To close the Summit with such a high-level U.S. government representative is symbolic of the message that CCA promotes everyday—that with the right forum, the United States and Africa can come together to talk business and both parties will greatly benefit."
Hosted every two years, this is CCA's sixth Summit, but the first-ever to be held in Africa. More than 1,500 participants are expected to attend.
Appropriately titled "Africa: Entering the Door to Opportunities," the Summit will provide a forum for some of the world's top global business leaders to discuss trade and investment opportunities in Africa, best practices, and how best to increase trade and investment in ways that will help engender sustainable growth on the continent.
The 2007 Summit will feature business trade missions led by a diverse pool of U.S. organizations, to nearly 30 African nations. In an unprecedented offering, Summit delegates will have an opportunity to explore business prospects in an additional African country, immediately following the Summit in Cape Town. Each trade mission will feature a financing expert.
The U.S.-Africa Business Summit will include sector-specific plenary sessions, workshops, business networking opportunities, and a two-day trade expo where businesses will showcase their products, services, and capabilities to potential buyers and customers throughout Africa. Sessions will focus on key sectors including, infrastructure development, mining, agribusiness, telecommunications, energy, transportation, and sports and tourism among numerous others.
To date, corporations including Chevron, Merck, ExxonMobil, Marathon Oil, The Boeing Company, 3M, Cargill, General Motors, Chrysler, Hewlett-Packard-SA, Coca-Cola Africa, Johnson & Johnson, Development Bank of Southern Africa, and Lazare Kaplan International, JR Boulle, Oracle South Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development, South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, HRDI, Merck, Hess Corporation, African Wildlife Foundation, Buchanan Renewable Energie, African Development Bank, Carana Corporation, Government of Mauritius, Baker Hostetler, OPIC, Commercial Services, Westinghouse; as well as media outlets including New African, African Business, Corporate Africa, and Institutional Investor, have come together as sponsors of the upcoming Summit.
CCA's U.S.-Africa Business Summits have a stellar track record of attendees and high-powered workshop and plenary sessions. Former World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, President George W. Bush, South Africa President Thabo Mbeki, and many other African Heads of State have participated in past Summits.
To find out more about the upcoming Summit visit www.africacncl.org.
CCA, established in 1993, is a nonpartisan 501 (c) (3) membership organization of nearly 200 U.S. companies dedicated to strengthening the commercial relationship between the U.S. and Africa. CCA members represent nearly 85 percent of total U.S. private sector investments in Africa. The organization is dedicated to bringing together potential business partners and to showcase business opportunities on the continent.
