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PRESS RELEASE Nº128/2015
Fridays of the Commission: Debate stressed on a robust, fair and equitable
agreement during the July 2015 Third Conference on Financing for Development
Addis Ababa, 19thMay 2015: The African Union Headquarters hosted on 19th May
2015, the Conference-debate of the “Fridays of the Commission”under the theme
“Towards the Third International Conference on Financing for Development: Africa’s
expectations”. The event organized by the Department of Economic Affairs of the
African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with Oxfam International Liason
Office to the AU and the Directorate of Information and Communication of the AUC,
brought together representatives of the African Union Commission, officials from
UNECA and other United Nations Agencies in Addis Ababa, African Development Bank
as well as members of the diplomatic corps in Ethiopia and the civil society. The session
was chaired by Dr. Réné Kouassi N’guettia, Director of the Economic Affairs department
of the AUC. The debate was aimed at highlighting Africa’s expectations in the
framework of the Third International Conference on Financing Development (FfD3) that
will take place in July in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as well as to allow the civil society to
share its views on the FfD 3.
Dr. Kouassi commended all the participants for coming to this very critical event for the
continent. He highlighted the fact that financing the development agenda of the
continent is a very crucial issue as Africa needs to see its expectations taken into
consideration in the outcomes of the Third Conference on Financing Development. He
also underscores the necessity to go beyond the objectives set by the Monterey
Conference in 2002 in order to integrate the African development views expressed in
the Agenda 2063 as well as the African Common Position on the Post 2015 Agenda.
Mr. Desiré Assogbavi, Head of Oxfam International Liaison Office to the African Union
underlined the fact that African citizens expect that the Addis Ababa Agreement will
mobilize international action around specific initiatives focusing on education, health,
small holder agriculture and nutrition, infrastructure, women empowerment, among
other areas of development. “Decisions of the FfD 3 must be bold, visionary, and lead to
transformative change if today we are to create a universal equitable and sustainable
prosperity within planetary boundaries, and fulfill international human rights obligations
for future generations.” He noted.
Meanwhile, the Permanent representative of the Republic of Benin to the African Union,
H.E Naim Akibou, speaking on behalf the Least Developed Countries stressed on the
inefficiency of the measures taken to address the Africa’s development challenges. “The
Addis Ababa Conference therefore represents an opportunity for the world to
demonstrate an acting solidarity and clear support of the international community to the
least developed countries.”He underscored. H.E Naim Akibou urged the partners to
consider the realities of those countries, which are mainly Africans, in the establishment
of the new aid mechanism.
In the same vein, Mr. Charles Abugre, Commissioner at the Ghana National
Development Planning Commission presented an Africa’s perspective on Financing
Development. He pointed out the new world development context characterized by a
new narrative and the need for a global economic system that would be of interest to all
citizens. He called upon all the African countries to improve their ability to mobilize
domestic resources for the transformation of their local economies. The establishment
of a fair and just mechanism of debt will also be another requirement to ensure the
efficiency of the decisions that will be taken during the FfD 3 Conference. In that regard,
“Prioritization, flexibility and capacity support will be crucial”, he concluded.
Dr. Vanessa Inko-Dokubo, policy advisor on extractives industries at Oxfam
International Liaison Office to the African Union, emphasized on the inclusiveness of the
consultative process that will lead to the Addis Ababa Conference. She commended the
engagement of the civil society groups for a fair agreement in July. According to the
Oxfam Policy advisor, taxation should be at the center of the FfD 3 and measures
should be taken so that it will become one of the main levers of domestic resource
mobilization in Africa. Moreover, she reaffirmed the need to give the prominence to the
funding of Climate Change and Women empowerment.
The Conference ended with an interactive session which gave the opportunity to the
participants to raise several other issues, including the acceleration of the African
Trade, the establishment of a clear continental industrial policy, the creation of an
environment enabling investment, among others.
The” Fridays of the Commission” concept constitutes a series of conference debates on
current, economic, political and cultural issues pertinent to the continent and which give
the opportunities to different stakeholders to discuss on African developmental issues
from an African perspective. The deliberations of this session will be captured in a
Bulletin of the “Fridays of the Commission” and disseminated among the participants
and a wide audience.
For further information contact:
Esther AzaaTankou | Head of Information Division| Directorate of Information and Communication |
African Union Commission | Tel: +251911361185 | E-mail: [email protected]
Desire Assogbavi | Head of Oxfam International Liaison Officeto the African Union| E-mail:
[email protected]
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: [email protected]
I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia
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