Midrand, South Africa, 17/3/2011 - The African Union Commission and the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency) on Tuesday hosted a consultation meeting of the NEPAD Steering Committee as part of the process of consulting and preparing the African position at the upcoming G8/Africa Summit in, Deauville, France in May 2011.

Members of the NEPAD Steering Committee, from over 15 African countries, along with Maxwell Mkwezalamba, the Commissioner for Economic Affairs at the African Union Commission (AUC) and Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki, the Chief Executive Officer of the NEPAD Agency met in Midrand in order to consolidate the basis of a renewed partnership with the G8 / OECD partners.

Speaking at the start of the session, Commissioner Mkwezalamba reiterated the “constructive engagement” between the AUC and the NEPAD Agency in preparing the upcoming G8/Africa meeting.

He went on to add that it was important for Africa to speak as one with the G8.

In his remarks, Dr. Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, the CEO of NEPAD Agency said that 2011 marks the 10 years of the inception of NEPAD and that this offered us all an opportunity to “revisit the challenges facing the G8 Africa partnership”.

“We need to take into account the new shift of paradigms whereby, for instance Africa is making more and more available domestic resources to finance its own development’’, said Dr. Mayaki.

The Deauville G8/Africa Summit will mark a turning point in consolidating the basis of a renewed partnership between the G8 and Africa. At the Summit the G8 members and their African partners will review the implementation of their respective commitments towards Africa’s development and decide on how to improve their cooperation in the future. 

It is expected that the G8/Africa declaration for 2011 will stress on issues concerning regional integration, sustainable access to energy, financial governance and transparency in extractive industries, access to education and e-health. Issues of mutual accountability, political issues including peace and security, economic development and aid effectiveness will also be addressed at a thematic level.

The NEPAD Steering Committee has been tasked to prepare and oversee a comprehensive accountability report on the implementation of Africa’s commitments. The NEPAD Steering Committee (SC) is composed of Personal Representatives of African Leaders who form the NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC). The SC members are responsible for overseeing the work and programmatic activities of the NEPAD Agency and they report to the NEPAD HSGOC.

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For more information, contact:                                                 

Gilles Eric Foadey

erickf@nepad.org

About the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency

The NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NEPAD Agency) as the technical body of the African Union www.africa-union.org, works closely with the African Union Commission (AUC), regional economic communities, national governments, civil society and the private sector to push for programmes and projects that focus on improving the lives of the African people. The NEPAD Agency is the leading African development expert, able to mobilise the private sector, heads of state and African people as a force for positive change, building continental prosperity and regional integration. For more information, go to: www.nepad.org