While globalization and liberalization of the world economy have created opportunities for well-prepared economies, "Africa has been among the regions that have not fared well," Ms. Lalla Ben Barka, Deputy Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), noted at a 21-23 July meeting of African trade experts and negotiators in Addis Ababa. Africa's share of world trade, she pointed out, today stands at just 2 per cent.
The meeting, organized by the ECA in collaboration with the Organization of African Unity, World Trade Organization (WTO) and UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), sought to help African countries prepare their negotiating positions for two major upcoming international gatherings: the third WTO ministerial conference in the US city of Seattle during 30 November-3 December, and the tenth session of UNCTAD in Bangkok, Thailand, 12-20 February 2000.
Meeting participants agreed that in Seattle, African countries will press for having a development dimension built into future trade agreements, greater transparency in the WTO's operations, and special and differential treatment for least developed countries acceding to WTO agreements, including flexibility in the tariff reductions expected by such LDCs.
At UNCTAD-X in Bangkok, they will recommend greater cooperation between UNCTAD, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund at the country level to help translate policy ideas into practical programmes. The UNCTAD session also should mobilize support for widening the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief initiative to include more countries, as well as to take into consideration development indicators in determining eligibility. "It is clear that without a substantial reduction in the level of external debt," declared a statement of the Geneva-based African negotiators, "the marginalisation of Africa will continue."
The need to accelerate Africa's industrial development was the theme of a special session held during the June summit meeting of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Algiers (see article "UN promotes African peace efforts"). Addressing the session -- the first time a "mini-summit" devoted to a specific economic development issue was held within an OAU summit -- UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Director-General Carlos Magariños stressed that since "industrial development is the most sustainable way to create employment and reduce poverty, it deserves much higher priority in the spectrum of social and economic development strategies." More foreign direct investment also should be attracted, participants agreed, by highlighting the continent's considerable investment potential (see article "Africa's untapped investment potential").
Organized by the Presidential Patrons Group of the Alliance for Africa's Industrialization (AAI), which is chaired by President Henri Konan Bédié of Côte d'Ivoire, the meeting pledged to spare no effort to double Africa's industrial production by the year 2010.
According to UNIDO figures,
manufacturing value added (MVA) in Africa (excluding South Africa) amounted
to around $50 bn in 1996, but may reach as much as $60 bn this year, with
South Africa accounting for another $25 bn. Although the bulk of manufacturing
output is generated by about 10 countries, a number of smaller African economies
have achieved significant growth in industrial MVA during this decade (see
graph). Nevertheless, Africa's total MVA remains only about 1 per cent of
the world figure, compared with 5 per cent for Latin America and 8 per cent
for Asia (excluding China).
With the aim of attracting greater external investment and donor assistance for Africa's industrialization efforts, UNIDO, OAU, AAI, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank are organizing a conference on "Industrial Partnerships and Investments in Africa" in Dakar, Senegal, on 20-21 October 1999. African governments will outline their investment incentives and industrial policies and present carefully worked-out investment projects.
Seeking to utilize the unique capabilities of the Internet to promote development and fight poverty across the globe, the UN Development Programme and Cisco Systems, a California-based computer networking company, officially launched "NetAid" on 8 September. Primarily a Website, but also with linkages to television and radio, NetAid aims to establish "a virtual community committed to change," according to its launch statement. Former South African President Nelson Mandela, US President Bill Clinton and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair were the first to log on to the Website <www.netaid.org>. The Website hopes to eventually get more than one billion "hits."
NetAid will focus attention on successful development initiatives and strategies, highlight humanitarian emergency situations, and promote "millions of concrete actions including donations of time, expertise, goods or money." It also will help developing country partners gain access to and learn to utilize new technologies.
APPOINTMENTS
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The World Trade Organization's General Council has
elected two Directors-General, each to serve a three-year term. Mr. Michael
Moore (left), former Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
of New Zealand, will serve from 1 September 1999. He will be succeeded by
Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Supachai Panitchpakdi.