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Note: This document is from the archive of the Africa Policy E-Journal, published
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Africa: New International Initiatives
Any links to other sites in this file from 1996 are not clickable,
given the difficulty in maintaining up-to-date links in old files.
However, we hope they may still provide leads for your research.
Africa: New International Initiatives
Date Distributed (ymd): 960311
FAVDO-US Launches World Bank-NGO Africa Round Table
Last month [January], the Forum of African Voluntary
Development Organizations Washington Liaison office
(FAVDO-US) launched the World Bank-NGO Africa Round Table.
This effort represents a major African NGO initiative and is
a part of FAVDO-US' strategy of giving voice to African NGOs
in the multi-lateral institutions and building a broader
coalition to reverse the general decline in US foreign aid
to Africa.
The principal objectives of the round table are to: a)
create a forum for regular consultation and constructive
partnership between the Africa Region of the World Bank and
the US-based Africa support networks; b) disseminate best
practice lessons based on the bank's and NGO's experience in
the field; c) identify pertinent regional priorities and
concerns shared by both Africans -- governments and civil
societies -- and the World Bank, for example, replenishment
of the IDA funds and creating a support/advocacy coalition
around such issues; and d) provide a platform for visiting
African NGO practitioners seeking to dialogue with the World
Bank and the Africa constituency network in the area.
The formal launching of the Round Table was held on January
31. The two-hour meeting was attended by Edward K. Jaycox,
the bank's vice-president/Africa and the senior management
staff of the Africa Region. On the NGO side, there were
representatives from a cross-section of Africa-focused PVOs,
including a large number of InterAction member agencies,
policy research and advocacy groups, and religious networks.
Representatives of the private sector and of major donor
governments also attended.
Jaycox briefed the participants on the World Bank's mandate
and strategies for working in Africa. An overview of the
World Bank-NGO relations to date was provided by Paul Nelson
of the University of Maryland, Center for Global Change.
Mazide Ndiaye, president of FAVDO, spoke of the significant
role being played by the World Bank in Africa and
underscored the need for dialogue through such a forum. He
appealed to all sides to make the Bank "work for and with
Africans." Following the presentations, all sides
participated in a candid and constructive exchange during
the question and answer session.
As a follow-up to the launching meeting, FAVDO-US, in
collaboration with a group of NGOs, is working to develop
the round table's agenda and a tentative work plan for the
year. Since the round table is still a work in progress, all
Africa-focused networks and constituencies seeking to
interact with, and have an input to the World Bank's policy
and program in the region, are encouraged to join. FAVDO-US
is currently serving as the convener of the round table and
is back-stopping the initiative between meetings. Requests
for additional information about the initiative, including
the minutes from the launching meeting, should be addressed
to Gabriel Negatu at 202/387-7275; e-mail: gabe@erols.com.
---
This article appeared in the February 26, 1996 issue of
Monday Developments, a bi-weekly newsletter published by
InterAction: American Council for Voluntary Interational
Action. InterAction is a coalition of over 150 US-based
private and voluntary organizations (PVOs) working
internationally in sustainable development, disaster relief,
refugee assistance, public policy and education of Americans
about the developing world. Monday Developments contains
news, analysis, features and commentary on changing global
events that affect humanitarian work. In addition to reports
from around the globe, it provides updates on initiatives in
Washington that affect people in the developing world and
suggests ways readers can influence US government policies.
The newsletter also lists important conferences and seminars
on international issues, reviews new resources, and has a
section on employment opportunities in the US and abroad. To
receive a sample copy, send $4 (US currency only please) to
Monday Developments, InterAction, 1717 Massachusetts Ave. NW
#801, Dept. IN, Washington, DC 20036, USA. Tel: 202-667-
8227; fax: 202-667-8236.
InterAction's web page is at
http://http.interaction.org/ia/.
The e-mail address is ia@interaction.org.
************************************************************
United Nations: Note No. 5324, 8 March 1996
UNITED NATIONS TO LAUNCH MAJOR NEW INITIATIVE ON AFRICA
The United Nations System-wide Special Initiative on Africa
will be launched in New York on 15 March by
Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, and James
Wolfensohn, President of the World Bank.
The launching of the 10-year, multi-billion dollar programme
of concrete actions aimed at providing renewed impetus to
Africa's development will take place in the Economic and
Social Council chamber at Headquarters at 10 a.m., followed
immediately by a press conference at approximately 11:15
a.m. Other key participants in the New York launch include
James Gustave Speth, Administrator of the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and co-chair of the
Initiative's Steering Committee; Carol Bellamy, Executive
Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF);
Nafis Sadik, Executive Director of the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA); and Prabhakar Narvekar, Deputy
Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund.
The Economic and Social Council chamber will be linked via
live satellite to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the seat of the
Organization of African Unity (OAU), where Africa's response
will be provided by Ethiopian Prime Minister and current OAU
Chairman Meles Zenawi, and a representative of OAU
Secretary-General Salim A. Aalim. K.Y. Amaoko, Executive
Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for
Africa and Steering Committee Co-Chair, will also take part
in the proceedings. Launches also will be held in other
major African and European capitals.
The Special Initiative is the United Nations system's most
significant mobilization of support ever for the development
of a continent's people, as well as its largest coordinated
action. Implementation of the Initiative will require up to
$25 billion, mostly from the reallocation of existing
resources at the national and international level. The World
Bank has agreed to lead in mobilizing the bulk of this
funding, which will go primarily towards improving basic
education and health in Africa. Peace-building, good
governance, and water and food security are among the
Initiative's other areas of emphasis.
For further information, please contact: UNDP Division of
Public Affairs, tel: (212) 906-6709/5315, fax: (212)
906-5364; Africa Recovery, United Nations Department of
Public Information, tel: (212) 963-6857, fax: (212)
963-4556; the Secretariat of the Special Initiative, tel:
(212) 906-5926/5695, fax: (212) 906-5423. Inquiries can
also be addressed to Tunji Lardner c/o
jjung@nygate.undp.org.
More detail on the initiative is available on the Web at
http://www.undp.org/undp/news/unsia00.htm.
************************************************************
This material is being reposted for wider distribution by
the Africa Policy Information Center (APIC). APIC's primary
objective is to widen the policy debate in the United States
around African issues and the U.S. role in Africa, by
concentrating on providing accessible policy-relevant
information and analysis usable by a wide range of groups
and individuals. APIC is affiliated with the Washington
Office on Africa (WOA), a not-for-profit church, trade union
and civil rights group supported organization that works
with Congress on Africa-related legislation.
************************************************************
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