African Development Forum to Be Held in EthiopiaThe Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) will host the third African Development Forum (ADF) from December 9 to 13, 2001 in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.The forum, under the theme "Defining Priorities for Regional Integration", will identify the priorities and policy options for accelerating regional integration on the continent. Local observers believed that the forum will bring together a wide-spectrum of stakeholders, governments, parliamentarians, sectors of business, finance and labor, civil society and others to discuss issues, refine options and seek consensus on the way ahead. Drawing on political impetus from the coming into force of the African Union, the ADF 2001 will help galvanize a broad-based inclusive process to harmonize and accelerate integration efforts in Africa, and build consensus around the key strategic actions which need to be taken, the observers said. Meanwhile, an ECA press release noted that the conclusion and recommendation of ADF 2001 will be conveyed through the Organization of African Unity to the summit of heads of state and government, which is scheduled to be held in Pretoria, South Africa, in July 2002. The ADF has gained recognition as an effective forum for informed dialogue and consensus building on key African development challenge, and for agreeing on implementation priorities and strategies at national, sub-regional and regional levels. The ADF 1999 focused on ways to accelerate the information revolution in Africa, and the ADF 2000 called on the African leaders to manage the crisis of HIV/AIDS. |
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