A/54/281
General Assembly
Distr.: General
4 October 1999
English
Original: English/French
Fifty-fourth session
Agenda item 49 (b)
United Nations reform: measures and proposals: The Millennium Assembly of the
United Nations
Regional hearings in preparation for the Millennium Assembly of the United Nations
Hearing held for the region of the Economic Commission for Africa at Addis Ababa on 24 and 25 June 1999
Note by the Secretary-General
In preparation for the Millennium Assembly of the United Nations and the Millennium Summit of the United Nations and at the request of the Secretary-General, regional hearings have been convened by the executive secretaries of the five regional commissions for a representative segment of civil society, with the participation of members of the commissions. The purpose of the hearings was to produce proposals aimed at strengthening the role of the Organization and ensuring its continued relevance in the twenty-first century. A sixth regional hearing will be held for North America.
The report on the hearing for the region of the Economic Commission for Africa, held at Addis Ababa on 24 and 25 June 1999, is transmitted herewith.
Hearing held for the region of the Economic Commission for Africa at Addis Ababa on 24 and 25 June 1999
I. Introduction
1. The Hearing for the region of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), held in preparation for the Millennium Assembly of the United Nations, was convened at ECA headquarters in Addis Ababa, on 24 and 25 June 1999. Fifteen panellists from the ECA region were invited to make presentations on the themes selected for the Hearing. Other participants in the Hearing numbered 140. The panellists and participants represented a broad cross-section of government, civil society organizations, the private sector, development partners, academia and the media. The Hearing consisted of four working segments, each chaired by a moderator. The issues selected were: cooperation for economic and social development in Africa; approaching humanitarian and human rights issues within a global context; addressing the challenges of development, peace and security in Africa; and addressing global problems -- the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century.
2. The Hearing provided an important forum for a cross-section of stakeholders in the development of Africa to articulate their views on the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century. It is expected that, through this dialogue, innovative ideas will emerge regarding the specific goals that the United Nations should strive to achieve in the forthcoming decades, in particular in the five core areas of its work, namely, development cooperation, economic and social affairs, humanitarian affairs, peace and security, and human rights. Introductory remarks delivered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia and the Executive Secretary of ECA set the stage for the highly engaging, frank and rich discussion that followed. They stimulated honest and open expression of views and ideas articulating Africa's vision of the United Nations in the twenty-first century and its relevance in the context of a world that has changed since the United Nations was established in the mid-1940s.
3. The Hearing also presented an opportunity to review and assess the institutional weaknesses of the United Nations in order to identify the challenges that, from Africa's perspective, should form part of the vision of the United Nations in the next millennium. Some of the crucial challenges highlighted were: how to make the United Nations truly representative of all peoples; how to ensure that the United Nations is the custodian and defender of the principle of the sovereignty of nations and a bastion of democracy, as enshrined in its Charter, so as to maintain the confidence and trust of Africans and reflect the views of Africa on matters affecting the continent; the kind of United Nations that Member States and stakeholders want to see emerge in the new millennium; and how the United Nations should interact with its constituencies and how Member States would contribute to achieving all this.
4. The Hearing found that there is no doubt that the United Nations has made significant contributions since its inception, in particular in areas that have been identified in its Charter as falling within its purview. For example, the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights sparked off a wave of liberation movements which ended colonial rule in many parts of the world. The role of the United Nations in Africa's socio-economic transformation has been remarkable. This includes the many development programmes initiated through research and policy work aimed at accelerating the socio-economic development of Africa, such as the United Nations Programme of Action for African Economic Recovery and Development, the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, the United Nations System-wide Special Initiative for the Implementation of the New Agenda, the industrial development decades for Africa and the United Nations transport and communications decades for Africa.
5. Through the global conferences which began in the 1970s, the United Nations has helped to keep the many social and economic development concerns at the centre of public discourse and has been instrumental in bringing together regions and nations to discuss issues of global importance and in shaping and arriving at a global consensus on how to meet some of the challenges.
6. It is, however, generally acknowledged that the assistance of the United Nations has been inadequate in helping Africa overcome its major challenges of achieving peace and security on the one hand, and of poverty reduction and sustainable development on the other. For instance, African countries feel marginalized in many respects because they have not received the requisite solidarity and cooperation from the international community within the context of the United Nations to enable them to overcome the continent's myriad problems. The role of the United Nations in the maintenance of peace in Africa falls short of expectations, especially when viewed against the role it has played in other parts of the world. The concerns range from neglect of Africa to the application of double standards on matters that affect Africa. The number of armed conflicts and cases of civil strife raging in various parts of the continent clearly testify to this state of neglect and the double standards applied to Africa. Despite these disappointments of the past, Africans feel that they are entitled to a stronger United Nations, capable of addressing the development aspirations of Africa's people.
II. Issues of particular concern to Africa that should constitute the challenges confronted by the United Nations in the twenty-first century
7. As Africa enters the next millennium, it sees peace with security, on the one hand, and poverty alleviation and sustainable development, on the other, as its principal concerns. To overcome these challenges, Africa itself must endeavour to put an end to the numerous conflicts and adopt policies that can sustain the momentum of economic and political reforms that would enable it to integrate into the global economy. In this respect, the Hearing noted that in the future the United Nations should play a significant catalytic role, in particular in the maintenance of peace and security and in averting armed conflicts.
8. First and foremost, there is the challenge of sustainable development, which should be addressed comprehensively. In this respect, economic and social reforms would require a comprehensive approach that addresses the issue of poverty. This approach should include investing in agriculture to ensure food security; strengthening regional economic integration to enlarge markets; promoting South-South cooperation to facilitate trade and investments in infrastructure; investing in health care, in particular by addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic; and tackling the debt crisis in order to release resources for sustainable human development. Programmes designed to achieve economic and social development in Africa, including economic integration programmes, have so far not yielded the expected results. A number of conditions necessary for achieving political and economic integration should be introduced, including having international organizations and Governments mainstream the work of the private sector into their regular programmes. Furthermore, emphasis should be placed on imbibing ethics in public service to combat corruption, encourage concerted action and collaboration among the various stakeholders in the fight against poverty, and make it possible for the public sector to create an enabling environment for private sector-led development. In addition, African countries should take advantage of the changing global environment which offers them both opportunities and challenges, in particular in expanding exports, as an essential element in the mobilization of resources to finance development.
9. The Hearing underscored the need to promote democracy and popular participation in governance through greater pluralism, transparency and respect for fundamental human rights as a precondition for peace and sustainable development so as to reflect fully the interests and priorities of Africa, bearing in mind a clear role for the United Nations with regard to this vision. Considering the important role others could play in Africa's economic development, it was felt that emphasis must also be laid on ensuring the greater participation of stakeholders. In this regard, emphasis was placed on the role of women at the national level. The role of the business community, civil society organizations and youth in promoting development and poverty reduction in Africa was recognized, as was the fact that the United Nations of the twenty-first century should be encouraged to support these aspirations.
10. The sustainable development challenges confronting developing countries, in particular those in Africa, should be viewed in the context of the relevance of the international community, specifically the United Nations. They need to be placed high on the world development agenda. For example, the issues of democracy and good governance can no longer be regarded as domestic, in view of the consequences of bad governance and conflict. The emergence of a global economy dictated by global expectations and standards requires that these issues assume greater importance and receive more attention at the global level. It is imperative that nations operate within globally acceptable standards of governance.
11. The United Nations has a crucial role to play in promoting a new development agenda that is people-centred and capable of ensuring the greater participation of stakeholders, particularly women, the youth, the private sector and civil society at large. In this regard, the Hearing called for an urgent revitalization of the United Nations to enhance its role in helping Africa meet the challenges of poverty reduction, political pluralism and the ongoing process of globalization. In particular it should create the framework for equitable trade regimes which, in any event, is within its existing mandate. The Hearing called for a rewriting of global economic rules to avoid inequalities between poor countries and wealthy nations. In conclusion, the United Nations will have a role to play in re-designing a new international economic order that will address the concerns of Africa's marginalization in an increasingly globalized world economy.
12. The second challenge is peace and security. The Hearing noted that the issues of peace and security and the achievement of sustainable development are very much interrelated, and that the absence of durable peace and security accentuates the difficulties of achieving sustainable development in Africa. Recent developments provide ample evidence that the majority of African States have not been able to provide peace and security for their people. Conflicts continue to rage in many parts of the continent, most of whose populations suffer from the effects of instability. This state of affairs is complicated by natural disasters and fragile ecological systems and underscores the need for Africa's development agenda in the twenty-first century to address the twin phenomena of sustained development and peace and security.
13. In this respect, the promotion of lasting peace and security should aim at addressing the root cause of instability and crisis, namely poverty, which stems from unequal distribution of national and international resources. This would help create an overall environment within which sound policies can have the best prospects for success and lead to lasting reduction and eradication of poverty. Since conflict is the enemy of development, the immediate challenge is to promote peace and security in Africa through conflict prevention as well as the peaceful resolution of disputes.
14. Against these expectations, the United Nations, as the lead organization for the maintenance of international peace and security, will in the new millennium be looked to to promote peace throughout the world and to lend full support to Africa's efforts to achieve peace and sustainable development. The United Nations, from all indications, will continue to face more difficult challenges, in particular in preventing and managing civil and inter-State conflicts, maintaining and consolidating peace and security in Africa, and promoting sustainable development. The need to establish credible early warning mechanisms in this regard was underscored.
15. The proliferation of institutions of peacekeeping with no coordinating mechanism has raised legitimate concerns that the United Nations should address urgently if it is to avoid the duplication of efforts in this area and enhance the effectiveness of these efforts. In this regard, measures to enhance cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity (OAU), as provided for under existing arrangements, will be required, although this should not be seen as a substitute for the primary role of the United Nations in the maintenance of peace and security.
16. Despite the devastation caused by armed conflicts, there are many who profit from chaos and lack of accountability, and who may have little or no interest in stopping such conflicts but much interest in prolonging them. Very high on the list of those who profit from conflict in Africa are the international arms merchants. Particularly close attention needs to be paid to the role of private arms merchants in supplying weapons to areas of actual or potential conflict. The United Nations -- the Security Council in particular -- has a critical role to play in addressing the issues of disarmament and arms proliferation, including the use of landmines, as well as the control of the production, distribution and, it is hoped, the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.
17. Developing new approaches to humanitarian and human rights issues is the third major challenge facing Africa. Humanitarian and human rights issues are fundamental to a country's economic development and stability. The close of the twentieth century poses new challenges in the area of humanitarian and human rights for the African region. A review of the situation shows a rapid increase in humanitarian crises emanating from a combination of man-made and natural disasters, as well as a rapid deterioration in the human rights situation, including lack of access to education and health. The nature of the humanitarian crises facing Africa is very complex. Africa is both generator of and host to the largest concentration of refugees, internally displaced persons and forced migrants in the world. This situation has been aggravated by the regional nature of the problem and the economic burden this imposes on fragile economies that are ill-prepared to cope with the crises. As a result, there is a growing reluctance among African countries to receive and provide for these persons, for both security reasons and lack of adequate resources. This has led to restrictive measures or laws to discourage the hosting of refugees and, in some cases, countries have refused to open their borders to refugees. As a consequence, there has been a significant increase in the number of internally displaced persons. This apparent shift in the humanitarian situation has created a new problem that needs to be addressed.
18. Given the intrinsic link between human rights and development, the Hearing emphasized the need to promote respect for basic human rights, and noted that the right to development is a fundamental right that must be recognized, acknowledged, upheld and seen as an integral component of human rights. Improving the quality of life of people should be the overarching objective of development and, as such, should encompass the issue of human rights and should be viewed in a more holistic and integrated manner. This should include the rights of women, the rights of children and the right to development, including access to basic services covering education, health and adequate infrastructure. In this regard, African Governments should provide the basic framework and institutional capacity to promote respect for human rights through good governance.
19. On the basis of the foregoing, the Hearing offered some thoughts on what, from the African perspective, should form part of the vision for the United Nations in the twenty-first century in the areas of humanitarian affairs, human rights and peace and security. First, that vision should find ways of dealing with the increasing wave of humanitarian crises that most African countries cannot cope with and thus require international assistance. Second, it should compel African Governments to tackle the issue of the gross violations of basic human rights to which a majority of the world's peoples, in particular Africans, are subjected.
20. In this respect, the international community in the twenty-first century must play a leading role in revitalizing the world body in order to enable it to carry out its primary responsibility of alleviating human suffering through the promotion of international peace and security. The United Nations of the twenty-first century should be empowered to respond in a timely manner to humanitarian crises, especially the situation of internally displaced persons and those rendered stateless. The double standards and inaction that have characterized the United Nations must be eschewed.
21. Respect for international humanitarian law should be of concern to the entire international community, not only because of the need to protect non-combatants but also because of its implications for the transition of societies from war to peace. The emergence of conflicts that do not fit into the framework of current international humanitarian law and that involve rampant violence against civilians requires new initiatives and concrete action. A particularly topical issue for the new millennium should be the privatization of violence and its implications for already fragile economies, as well as the status of children in armed conflict, in particular the use of child soldiers. In this regard, the recruitment age for military service would need to be harmonized so as to ensure universal application.
22. Conflicts resulting from lack of consensus must be resolved and increased popular participation must be ensured, as a means of promoting peace and stability. This should be applied not only at the national level but also internationally, since the international decision-making process has become less democratic and transparent, leading to the marginalization of the vast majority of the world's people. These are serious issues that must be addressed in the new millennium if the world is to be made a better place. Addressing these concerns will undoubtedly inspire Africa's confidence in the United Nations as an organization of equal partners that can act as a custodian of people's rights all over the world.
23. As Africa enters the new millennium, the United Nations should play a proactive role in assisting Member States to respect and implement the many legal instruments already adopted, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In this regard, a number of actions are proposed, namely:
(a) Ratification and implementation of the various instruments promoting human rights;
(b) Re-energizing the Commission on Human Rights so as to enable it to play a more critical and effective role in the area of human rights;
(c) Strengthening the capacity of institutions of governance through which human rights principles can be upheld;
(d) Mobilization and appropriation of more resources and development of well-focused programmes to deal with humanitarian and human rights issues;
(e) Encouraging the establishment of independent human rights institutions by Member States;
(f) Promotion of international cooperation for sustainable human development;
(g) Ensuring the greater involvement of civil society organizations in the discussions at the United Nations, something which countries can emulate;
(h) Development of a mechanism for monitoring and dealing with human rights violations.
24. The fourth challenge is the search for a development cooperation approach and framework that works. While development cooperation has featured on Africa's agenda for many years, various efforts made so far to mobilize international resources for development have not resulted in any significant progress. Added to this shortcoming is the emergence of a development cooperation order dictated by the interest and concerns of the North, and the power of capital, information and technology. The decline in official development assistance to Africa and the rise in the debt burden illustrate the failure of international cooperation to build a new consensus for development in the new global context. The evident failure of international cooperation to respond favourably to the development needs of poorer countries has led to an increasing gap between the rich and poor countries. This trend sends worrying signals since the increase in the gap between rich and poor countries, along with a high incidence of poverty and deprivation, could pose new threats to world peace in the increasingly globalized world.
25. The Hearing acknowledged the importance of development cooperation in meeting the challenges of sustainable development and poverty reduction in Africa. As Africa enters the new millennium, the challenges will be how to make development cooperation work and, specifically, how to make aid more effective, in order to increase resource flows to Africa. The United Nations will be faced with the challenge of designing a new approach to development cooperation and systems for promoting equitable access to development cooperation resources. In this regard, international cooperation for enhancing socio-economic development, including peace and stability, must be relaunched under the auspices of the United Nations. The new cooperation arrangement should be one that de-emphasizes the strategic considerations of the North and instead emphasizes technical cooperation in support of the socio-economic development programmes of poorer countries. Furthermore, the new development cooperation should be based on a common ethical framework for facilitating cooperation among the multiplicity of actors, with a focus on eradicating poverty and creating wealth by building upon Africa's resources.
26. It is within a spirit of collective responsibility for facing the next century that the African Regional Hearing defined the aforementioned challenges facing the world to which the community of nations will have the global responsibility to respond, as well as for which to provide leadership.
III. Recommendations on the way forward
27. Africa enters into the twenty-first century with a difficult past but full of high expectations and hopes, believing that the situation has to improve in the new millennium. Africa is aware that the realization of the aspirations it has laid out requires tremendous efforts and adjustments in the way the region does business, first, internally, and second, with the rest of the world. The international community will only be interested in addressing these issues if African countries are seen to be taking the necessary actions to help themselves. This will require greater focus on development and the eradication of poverty as a priority, diverting resources from arms to agriculture so that Africa can feed its people; and tapping the potential of its vast natural resources and reversing the transfer of resources. Africa should give impetus to its efforts to face the challenges of the twenty-first century by articulating a new development paradigm, around which the United Nations can rally international support.
28. Equally important in the coming millennium is for Africa to address its marginalization in the international arena. Africa should seize all opportunities to be part of the international agenda in the next millennium. It should organize itself to influence an international order that will be characterized by intense competition, highly globalized markets and information technology. African countries should work together and develop a common vision, on the basis of which Africa's concerns can be placed on the international agenda. The region should develop a mechanism for contributing to global consensus at the national, regional and global levels. In this respect, ECA has a role to play in providing the leadership for mobilizing regional consensus.
29. It is evident from its past performance that the United Nations will have to enter the twenty-first century as a stronger, less marginalized, people-oriented organization that represents the interests of all mankind. The United Nations that should emerge in the twenty-first century must strive to gain the confidence of the world's peoples by re-establishing itself as a global organization that is both transparent and accountable to all peoples and not only to the powerful few. The greatest challenge is in realizing this objective. One way is to translate realistic resolutions into concrete actions to tackle global problems. A second way is to embark on far-reaching reforms of the United Nations in order to make it more effective and responsive to the needs of its Members. It must review the way it does business and rethink some of its operational principles, including those that have to do with non-intervention and the neutrality stance. As a world body, it should be redynamized and given a new outlook to reflect its obligation and responsibility to the world community.
30. No matter what disappointments may have been experienced in the past, the new and emerging issues in the world, such as the quest for peace, security and development, respect for human rights, and the impact of globalization on international trade and investment, necessitate the revitalization of the United Nations to enable it to play its primary role as an organization that works for the good of all. This basic principle, spirit and intent that defined the origin of the Organization must be strengthened so that it can reclaim its position in the world arena, primarily by developing a vision around a clearly defined role dictated by the changing circumstances, challenges and expectations.
31. In the twenty-first century, the United Nations must, among other things, address its critical institutional and operational constraints. Institutional issues covering vision and mission, principles and objectives should be reviewed and redefined. The operational issues covering programme focus, relationship with constituencies and stakeholders and financing arrangements should also be revamped for translating the many expectations into action. These should be seen as the bedrock of a comprehensive strategy for relaunching the United Nations in the next century.
32. The organization should be restructured to make it more democratic and allow for more equitable representation and influence in international affairs. The Security Council must not continue to operate as a United Nations body that is just for the world's stronger nations, one whose main function is to rubber-stamp the decisions of a few powerful Members. In the coming millennium, the United Nations as a world body should play a more proactive role in all its areas of competence. In the area of trade, for example, it should strive to ensure that all nations are treated equally so as to avoid the present situation in which buyers establish both the terms and conditions of trade.
33. Reform measures should be introduced to strengthen and refocus its operations and programmes so as to address regional as well as global problems of the twenty-first century. Drawing on past experience, the United Nations should exploit its comparative advantage by reorienting and refocusing its programmes to provide intellectual leadership derived from international consensus and should cover such strategic issues as global governance, a new development paradigm and agenda, and globalization of the world's economy. It must assert its authority to avert the many injustices and disparities that exist in global resource allocation. In addressing these challenges, the United Nations should act as the clearing house for major regional development projects and assist development partners to execute their programmes so that there is equitable distribution among qualifying countries.
34. With the dramatic growth of civil society organizations and the need to be as inclusive as possible, the reform process should include an outreach-development programme to solicit the active participation of civil society and the private sector in the decision-making and consensus-building process. By so doing, the United Nations can facilitate the movement of citizens globally and help to develop networks and relationships between citizens of the North and South. This process could be extended to help Africa-based civil society organizations build relationships with Governments and other development partners.
35. Financing all this is an issue to be addressed collectively. The view emerging from the African Regional Hearing is, however, that there should be a collective source of resources for financing efforts to combat global problems. The proposal of a global tax system under which taxes levied on international capital would pay for these initiatives was floated for consideration. The practicality and mechanisms of such a system are open to discussion.
36. The Hearing closed on a note of strong optimism, underscoring the need to have a stronger United Nations, capable of addressing the development challenges of many of the world's peoples. It will also be expected to promote peace and security and be a guardian and custodian of the rights of people all over the world.
Annex I
Hearing for the region of the Economic Commission for Africa, held in preparation for the Millennium Assembly of the United Nations
Programme of work
Thursday, 24 June 1999
8.30-9.20 a.m. Registration
9.30-10.15 a.m. Opening ceremony
K. Y. Amoako, Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for
Africa
Seyoum Mesfin, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ethiopia
Miles Stoby, Assistant Secretary-General, Coordinator of Preparations for the Millennium
Assembly of the United Nations
10.30 a.m.-1.30 p.m. Subtheme I: cooperation for economic and social development in Africa
3-4.30 p.m. Subtheme II: approaching humanitarian and human rights issues within a global context
4.45-6.30 p.m. Subtheme II (conclusion)
Friday, 25 June 1999
9-11.30 a.m. Subtheme III: addressing the challenges of development, peace and security in Africa
11.45 a.m.-1 p.m. Subtheme III (conclusion)
3-4.30 p.m. Final segment: addressing global problems -- the role of the United Nations in the twenty-first century
4.45-6.30 p.m. Final segment (conclusion)
Annex II
List of panellists and participants in the hearing for the region of the Economic Commission for Africa, held in preparation for the Millennium Assembly of the United Nations, Addis Ababa, 24 and 25 June 1999
A. Members of the Commission
Algeria
Smail Chergui, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Boukrif Hamid, Counsellor, Embassy of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Bousbia El-Mouloud, Counsellor, Embassy of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Naim S. Chaibout, Embassy of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Angola
Herminio Joaquim Escorcio, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Angola in Egypt
Maria Isabel de Resende, Chargé d'affaires a.i., Embassy of the Republic of Angola
Tete Antonio, Embassy of the Republic of Angola
Botswana
Edith Basadi Modisane, Chargé d'affaires a.i., Embassy of the Republic of Botswana
Diabi J. Mmualefe, Embassy of the Republic of Botswana
Burkina Faso
Delphine Barry (née Traoré Wato), Inspector, Ministry of Social Affairs and the Family
Blandine Ouédraogo, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Léandre B. Bassole, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Burkina Faso
Benjamin Nana, First Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Burkina Faso
Leonard Simpore, Second Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Burkina Faso
Burundi
Salvator Kadobeye, First Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Burundi
Chad
Toumar Nayo, Minister Plenipotentiary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
Abdelkerim Mahamat, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of Chad
Mahamat Ahmed Kosso, First Secretary, Embassy of Chad
Brahim Adoum, First Counsellor, Embassy of Chad
Comoros
Soilihi Abdou, National Coordinator for the European Development Fund and Secretary General of the Comorian Red Crescent, Ministry of National Education, Vocational Training and Francophone Affairs
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Jean-Prosper Miamona, Chargé d'affaires a.i., Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Côte d'Ivoire
Yere Lobognon Pierre, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
Christophe Kouakou, Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
Djibouti
Djibril Djama Elabe, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Zahra Kamil Ali, Head of the Legal Department, Office of the President of the Republic of Djibouti
Egypt
Marawan Zaki Badr, Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the Organization of African Unity, and the Economic Commission for Africa
Ashras Elmoafi, Counsellor, Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Mohamed Nagi Salem, Counsellor, Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
Ethiopia
Berhanu Kebede, Director General for International Organizations and Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Mesfin Alebachew, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tadesse Belay, Ethiopian Investment Authority
Gabon
Paul Bekale, First Counsellor, Embassy of the Gabonese Republic
Sylvestre Miembet, Counsellor, Embassy of the Gabonese Republic
Gambia
Abdul R. Cole, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Department of State for Trade, Industry and Employment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ghana
J. A. Laryea, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Guinea
Bangaly Dabo, Political Adviser, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Djibril Moriba, Principal Private Secretary, Minister responsible for foreign affairs in the Office of the President, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Kenya
Edward Bwisa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Kenya
Flora Karugu, First Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Kenya
Margaret Auwa Nyanpong, Commercial Attaché, Embassy of the Republic of Kenya
Nyaga Peter Nthiga, Press Attaché, Embassy of the Republic of Kenya
Lesotho
Humparey M. Leteka, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Kingdom of Lesotho
Motjoka Dallghty Ramonono, Embassy of the Kingdom of Lesotho
Liberia
Marcus M. Kofa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Liberia
David J. Saryee Jr., Minister Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Liberia
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Esmail M. Abuzinin, People's Bureau of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Madagascar
Mr. Jaona, Counsellor, Embassy of Madagascar
Malawi
S. A. Kalinde, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Malawi
David R. Ezala, First Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Malawi
Benencto E. Kamanga, Second Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Malawi
Lawrence F. T. Chipembere, Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Malawi
Mali
Souleymane Sidibe, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Mali
Lassana Keita, Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Mali
Diallo Boubacar G., Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Mali
Hamid Sidibe, Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Mali
Haidara Haidara, Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Mali
Maiga Ousmane, Technical Adviser, Embassy of the Republic of Mali
Mauritius
Mahendr Dosieah, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Mauritius
Mozambique
Alexandre Da C. Zandamela, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Mozambique
Namibia
Eddie S. Amkongo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Namibia
Sitwala Mapensi, First Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Namibia
Niger
Abani Sani Ibrahim, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and African Integration
Nigeria
Enny E. Onobu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Frank Ngozi Isoh, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Francis A. Eyo, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Rwanda
Pascal Ngoga, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Rwandese Republic
Sao Tome and Principe
Maria de Lourdes Salvaterra Dias, Principal Private Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation
Sierra Leone
Ibrahim M'Baba Kamara, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone
Patrick Willie Bonglo, Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone
N. Bakie Remoe-Doherty, Second Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone
Sudan
Ali Nimari, State Minister for External Relations, Ministry of External Relations
Omer A. Magid, Ambassador, Ministry of External Relations
Osman Elsayed Fadel Elsayed, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan
Tunisia
Mohamed Ali Ber Abid, First Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia
Uganda
Alfred Mubanda, Minister for Foreign Affairs
Alex Kumugisha, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Uganda
Job Emmanuel Elogu, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
D. Taliwaku, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Joyce Onek, First Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Uganda
Joseph Omodo, Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Uganda
Zambia
Eva Jhala, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Legal Affairs
Mwenya Lwatula, Embassy of the Republic of Zambia
Zimbabwe
N. Ndondo, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe
Rhoda Ngarande, Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe
Jonah Sithole, Counsellor, Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe
B. Moderators
S. A. Kalinde, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Malawi
Joe Abbey, Ambassador, Accra
Theodore Nkodo, Director, Central Operations Department, African Development Bank
C. Panellists
Samir Amin, Director, Forum Tiers-Monde
Nalini Burn, Economist/Gender Analyst, Senior Lecturer, University of Mauritius
Odette Iskandar, President, Egypt and Middle East Company
Tekalign Gedamu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Abyssinia Bank
Axelle Kabou
Rahim Khan, Board Member, Botswana Centre for Human Rights
Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika, President, Federation of African Women's Peace Network and Member of Parliament for
Mongu Central, National Assembly of Zambia
Njande Mwanajiti, Southern Africa Human Rights Network
Oluwole D. Oshota, National Executive President, ANNUNSA
Lieutenant General Arnold Quainoo, Executive Director, Centre for Conflict Resolution
Fatou Sow, Institut fondamentale d'Afrique noire
Peter Takirambudde, Director, Africa Region, Human Rights Watch
John Tesha, Organization of African Unity
D. Non-governmental organizations
Choolwe Beyani, Research Coordinator, African Forum and Network on Debt and Development
Dereje Zewde, African Humanitarian Action
Sara Hlupekile Longwe, African Women's Development and Communication Network
Kunijwok Kwawang, All Africa Conference of Churches
Burang Goree-Ndiaye, Executive Director, Association of Non-Governmental Organizations
Lulseged Assefa, Christian Relief and Development Association
Santos Alfredo Nassivila, Senior Programme Officer, Development Innovations and Networks
Atsede Guth, Treasurer, ERDC
Abdou El Mazide, President, Forum of African Voluntary Development Organization
Amakeletch Gougsa, Hope for Women
Kelly S. Yohannes, Hope for Women
Kelly Zidame, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions -- Afro
William N. Appleton, IRAL (Germany)
Nancy Kachingwe, Mwelekeo Wa NGO
Augustin Mujyambre, Treasurer-General, Organization of African Trade Union Unity
Tedenek Fantaye, Coordinator, Partnership Africa Canada
Tarekegne Ararso, RBG (Ethiopia)
Woldetresaie Mebrat, Secretary General, Red Cross Society (Ethiopia)
Amadou Ly, TACT
Mohammed Usman, Water International Centre
Gladys Nkeharo Mutukwa, Chairperson, Women in Law and Development in Africa
Getachew Woldemichael, World Vision Ethiopia
E. Private sector
Lucia Quachey, Secretary-General, African Federation of Women Entrepreneurs
Tekle Sem, Manager, Alter
Adeyinka Orimalade, Secretary General, Association of African Trade Promotion Organization
Asrat Bekele, General Manager, National Trading Private Limited
F. Other development partners
J. Rushemeza, African Development Bank
Frederic Hegret, International Committee of the Red Cross
Femi Fajana, Organization of African Unity
Abdalla Bujra, Organization of African Unity
E. Bassey Akpan, Acting Director (Economic Development and Cooperation Department), Organization of African Unity
Teshome Mulat, Organization of African Unity
Etul Mpwotsh Ngung, Head, Bureau for Refugees, Displaced Persons and Humanitarian Affairs, Organization of African Unity
Hassan Soalli, Director, Women's Affairs, Arab Maghreb Union
G. Press and media
Addis Tribune, Addis Ababa, The Ethiopian Herald, Desta Mesfin, Ethiopia Radio, Teklu Seyoum, Ethiopia Radio, Haile Tesfaye, Ethiopia Radio, Lewis Machipisa, Inter Press Service, Media and Communications Centre, Pan African News Agency, The Reporter, Tetteh Hormeku, Third World Network -- Africa.
H. United Nations system of organizations
United Nations
Teferra Shiawl, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations Secretariat
B. T. Costantinos, United Nations Development Programme
Melvin Chaloboh, Project Deputy Director, United Nations Development Programme
Emile Ahohe, Chief Technical Advisor, UNDP/RLS
Specialized agencies
Mamady Lamine Conde, Director/Representative, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
Alexander Nunes Correia, Programme Assistant, World Health Organization Office for the Organization of African Unity and the Economic, Commission for Africa
Amdu Zewdu, Programme Assistant, World Health Organization Office for the Organization of African Unity and the Economic, Commission for Africa
I. Observers
Indonesia
Andi Rahadian, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia
Ireland
Michael Byrne, Embassy of Ireland
Kuwait
Mohammed A. Al-Awadhi, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the State of Kuwait
Turkey
Murat Bilhan, Ambassador, Turkish Embassy
Holy See
Szcvano Tomase, Vatican Embassy
Meera Sethi, Representative, International Organization for Migration