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The Sixth Summit of the Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) was held in Abuja, Nigeria, on Sunday, 9 March 2003, at the invitation of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman of the Committee.
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The following dignitaries attended the Summit:
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His Excellency, Mr. Abdelaziz Bouteflika
President, People's Democratic Republic of Algeria;
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His Excellency, Mr. Denis Sassou Nguesso
President, Republic of the Congo;
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His Excellency, Mr. Joaquim Alberto Chissano
President, Republic of Mozambique;
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His Excellency, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo
President, Federal Republic of Nigeria;
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His Excellency, Mr. Abdoulaye Wade
President, Republic of Senegal;
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His Excellency, Mr. Thabo Mbeki
President, Republic of South Africa;
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H.E Mr. Fernando Da Piedade Dias Dos Santos
Prime Minister, Republic of Angola;
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His Excellency, Mr. Meles Zenawi
Prime Minister, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia;
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Honourable Lt. Gen. Mompati S. Merafhe
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Botswana;
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His Excellency, Mr. Jean Ping
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Gabon;
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Honourable Hackman Owusu-Agyemang, MP
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Ghana;
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Honourable Anil Kurmarsingh Gayan
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Mauritius;
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Her Excellency, Mrs. Fayza Abou El Naga
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Arab Republic of Egypt;
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Honourable Dr. Kaberuka Donald
Minister of Finance, Republic of Rwanda;
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Honourable Peter Anyang Nyong'o
Minister of Planning, Republic of Kenya;
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Honourable Oumar Hamadoun Dicko
Minister of African Integration, Republic of Mali;
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His Excellency, Mr. Mohamed Nouri Jouini
Minister of Development and International Cooperation, Republic of Tunisia;
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Honourable Justin Ndioro
Minister of Special Duties at the Presidency Republic of Cameroon;
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His Excellency, Mr. Mohammed T.H. Saila
Assistant Secretary of Technical Cooperation, Secretariat of African Unity, The Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya;
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His Excellency, Mr. K. Y. Amaoko
Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
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His Excellency, Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas
Executive Secretary, Economic Community of West African States;
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His Excellency, Dr. Jacques Diouf
Director General, Food and Agricultural Organization;
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Ambassador Lawrence O. C. Agubuzu
Interim Commissioner for Political Affairs of the African Union;
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Ambassador Said Djinnit
Interim Commissioner for Peace and Security of the African Union;
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Her Excellency, Mrs. Joan Rwabyomere
High Commissioner of the Republic of Uganda to Nigeria; and
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Mr. Theodore Nkodo
Vice President, Operations, African Development Bank.
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In his Opening Address, the Chairman of the HSGIC, President Olusegun Obasanjo, noted with satisfaction the substantial progress already made in the implementation of NEPAD, particularly, in the promotion of democracy, good governance and enhanced cooperation with development partners as well as in the sensitisation and mobilisation of the civil society in Africa for NEPAD. President Obasanjo also informed the meeting of the Roll-out campaign on NEPAD activities in Nigeria, which has just been launched in the country. He also seized the opportunity to assure all that the forthcoming General Elections in Nigeria will be peaceful, free and fair.
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With reference to the African Peer Review Mechanism, (APRM), President Obasanjo observed that the commitment of his peers to this process is already manifested in the Declaration of Intent that was signed by twelve (12) members at the last Summit. He urged more countries to accede to the process as a demonstration of their commitment to enthrone best practices in political, economic and corporate governance in Africa.
Progress Report of the Chairman of NEPAD Steering Committee from November 2002 to February 2003
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In considering the Report of the Chairman of the NEPAD Steering Committee, the HSGIC expressed satisfaction at the quality of the report, particularly the emphasis placed on putting the implementation of the Programme of Action on a sound footing. It endorsed the various engagements and activities of the NEPAD Steering Committee. The HSGIC further noted the High Priority Actions and Interventions that have been made in all sectors and mandated the Steering Committee to maintain the present momentum on the implementation of the NEPAD Programme of Action.
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With respect to the on-going Multilateral Trade Negotiations, particularly the Doha Development Round, the HSGIC underscored the importance of these negotiations and called for greater flexibility on the part of trading partners in granting the much-need trade preferences, both special and differential, including substantial reduction in subsidies and increase in commodity prices including market access. It called on the African Group of Ambassadors in Geneva and the African Ministers of Trade to intensify their efforts at ensuring that all such issues of interest to the continent, including the previous commitments, are fully considered at their subsequent meetings and engagements with trading partners.
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On the issue of resourcing and staffing of NEPAD Secretariat, the HSGIC approved the Budget as presented. While noting with satisfaction that some member countries have seconded personnel to the NEPAD Secretariat and made financial contributions towards the running of the NEPAD process, it urged member states of the African Union to make voluntary contributions towards financing and staffing of the NEPAD Secretariat, particularly for the proposed APRM.
Report on Peace and Security
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The HSGIC was briefed by the AU Interim Commissioner for Peace and Security on the ongoing efforts to implement the decisions of the Durban Inaugural Summit of the African Union (AU) relating to peace and security, including those made towards seeking early and peaceful solutions to conflicts in Africa.
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The HSGIC urged all concerned parties in the DRC, Burundi, Cote d'Ivoire, Central African Republic, Sudan and Somalia to commit themselves to the pursuit of the peace process and cooperate fully with the African leaders involved in these peace efforts.
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The HSGIC stressed the importance of the Protocol Relating to the Establishment of the Peace and Security Council of the AU in the strengthening of the continent's peace and security architecture. In this regard, it took due note of the African Union Commission's Road Map relating to the establishment of the African Standby Force, as well as AU/NEPAD-G8 on-going consultations on peace support operations in Africa. The HSGIC further underscored the urgent need for AU Member States, particularly its members, to ratify the Protocol in order to facilitate its early entry into force, preferably by the next AU Summit in Maputo, Mozambique.
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The HSGIC welcomed the Addis Ababa AU/NEPAD Consultation meeting on Peace and Security of 17-18 February 2003 and endorsed its report. It encouraged the AU Commission and NEPAD Secretariat to continue to work closely in promoting the AU Peace and Security agenda to which the NEPAD is bringing added value. The Summit further encouraged them to continue to effectively engage their G8 counterparts towards drawing up a concrete programme in support of the African Peace and Security Agenda. In this regard, the HSGIC endorsed the composition of the African Team as constituted after consultations with the AU Chair and following the Addis Ababa consultations. The Team was mandated to interact closely with the G8 Ad Hoc Working Group, with a view to submitting proposals to the forthcoming G8 Summit in Evian, France.
Engagement with UN Agencies
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The HSGIC noted with appreciation, that consequent upon the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly of the Declaration on NEPAD (A/RES/57/2) and Resolutions No. A/RES/57/7 and A/RES/57/300 endorsing NEPAD as the framework for the UN system's support to Africa, the UN system has decided to assist NEPAD with the creation of an office to coordinate programme related to Africa headed by an Under Secretary General.
Engagement with the G8 Africa Personal Representatives
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The HSGIC was informed of the ongoing interactions of the NEPAD Steering Committee with the G8 Africa Personal Representatives. The HSGIC requested the NEPAD Steering Committee to work on the modalities for continued engagement and dialogue post Evian Summit of the G8. The HSGIC approved the establishment of a G8/Africa Joint Task Team on Peace Support Operations to develop a joint plan for strengthening capacity for conflict prevention, management and resolution.
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The HSGIC welcomed the establishment of the global initiative on transparency of payments made for exploitation of natural resources and urged the NEPAD Secretariat as well as the NEPAD Steering Committee to remain engaged on this matter.
International Finance Facility Proposal
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The HSGIC noted the report by the Chairperson of the Steering Committee relating to the International Finance Facility (IFF) proposed by the United Kingdom. The aim of the facility is to help meet the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The HSGIC welcomed this initiative, based on the understanding that the facility is meant to double Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Africa, and as long as it does not increase Africa's External Debt burden. It therefore, mandated the NEPAD Steering Committee and the NEPAD Secretariat to take necessary actions to urgently follow up on this proposal.
Conference of Development Assistance Agencies
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The HSGIC noted with great interest, the Conference of Development Agencies on Infrastructure held on 06 March 2003 in Paris, France. It emphasised that the NEPAD Short-Term Action Plan on Infrastructure could benefit from the renewed interest displayed by this meeting in infrastructure as a key to African development.
Visit of Constituency for Africa (CFA) to NEPAD Secretariat
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The HSGIC was briefed on the visit of the Constituency for Africa, an African-American group, to the NEPAD Secretariat on 27-28 February 2003 with a view to popularising and developing appropriate support for the NEPAD initiative in the United States.
The Role of Personal Representatives in Implementation of NEPAD Programme of Action in their Regions
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The Implementation Committee also considered the capacities of the Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and the role of the Personal Representative in their respective regions, especially in the implementation of the NEPAD Programme of Action. It resolved that the Personal Representatives of the Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee should work with the RECs in ensuring that NEPAD programmes and projects are implemented in their respective regions.
Report on the Implementation of NEPAD
Infrastructure Short-term Action Plan
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The African Development Bank (ADB) made a presentation on the poor state of infrastructure in Africa, and the various efforts to address the issue. The HSGIC noted, with satisfaction, the progress made in this sphere, and expressed profound appreciation to the ADB, other development partners and funding agencies that have given support for the construction and rehabilitation of infrastructure on the continent. It renewed its determination to mobilise domestic resources for infrastructural development in Africa.
Report on Institutional Mechanism for Mutual Review of Development Effectiveness Between Africa and its Partners
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The HSGIC noted the report and the interim recommendations and proposals that were presented by the Executive Secretary of the UNECA. It further noted that mutual review of development effectiveness must be comprehensive to cover issues of market access, subsidies, the debt issue and commodity prices. It emphasised the need for policy coherence and harmonisation for effectiveness of aid delivery. It however, expressed appreciation to the lead agencies and urged them to continue with the work in progress until the Development of Effectiveness Report is submitted to the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Development in June 2003 as well as to the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD. It urged the UNECA and the OECD to keep the HSGIC fully updated on the outcome of this process.
Report on Agriculture
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In endorsing the Report submitted by the Director General of FAO, the HSGIC noted the specific projects identified for implementation such as the African Rice Initiative, Irrigation projects and Rural Infrastructure in various parts of the continent. It underscored the significance of effective Weather Prediction Programmes and Disaster Management in the light of the drought and famine currently afflicting the continent. It commended the FAO and other relevant agencies for their collaboration, particularly the elaboration of a Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), and urged all member states of the African Union to take effective actions to implement the Programme, in line with the NEPAD goals and objectives.
Report on e-Africa Commission
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The HSGIC noted the Report submitted by the e-Africa Commission. It endorsed the six priority areas, such as the e-Schools Project, East-Coast African Sub-marine Cable Project and the e-Readiness Study Project, which have been identified for early implementation. It commended the promoters of these laudable projects and implored them to continue to work towards the bridging the digital divide between Africa and the developed world. It called for the provision of adequate resources for speedy execution of these projects.
African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM)
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The HSGIC recalled the decisions taken at its Fifth Meeting regarding the timetable for the conclusion of work on the APRM process. It underscored the essence of the Peer Review process as a system of voluntary self-assessment, constructive peer dialogue and persuasion, as well as the sharing of experiences among members and emphasised the need for wide dissemination of information about the APRM. It expressed appreciation to the Steering Committee, NEPAD Secretariat, organizations and individuals that have collaborated in the preparation of the following documents presented to the meeting:
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Accord on the APRM; now Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the APRM;
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Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance;
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African Peer Review Mechanism Base Document;
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APRM Organisation and Processes;
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Objectives, Standards, Criteria and Indicators for APRM; and
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Outline of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Country Review Visit and Mechanism.
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After consideration of the documents and extensive deliberation on this issue, the Committee:
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Approved, as operative guidelines for the APRM, the documents on Objectives, Standards, Criteria and Indicators for the APRM, African Peer Review Mechanism Organisation and Processes and the Outline of the Memorandum of Understanding on Technical Assessments and the Country Review Visit;
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Approved the MoU as a framework for a formal accession to the APRM. Consequently, Algeria, Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda signed the Memorandum of Understanding of the APRM; and
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Mandated the Chairman to undertake further consultations with the Representatives of each region on the HSGIC, on the appointment of the Chairperson and members of the Panel of Eminent Persons, and for this process to be concluded by 31st March 2003.
Presentation by President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal on Africa and the Digital Gap
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The HSGIC expressed deep appreciation to His Excellency, Presidents Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal for his presentation on this particular issue, and for his continued contributions to the NEPAD process in general. It agreed that Africa must endeavour to mobilise domestic and foreign resources for the promotion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Africa, in order to bridge the digital divide between the continent and the developed world. It therefore, called for increased assistance to Africa in this important area, in line with the NEPAD Priorities.
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The HSGIC also mandated the Steering Committee to study the effect of a possible war on Iraq on the continent and submit its report as soon as possible.
Appreciation
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The HSGIC expressed its profound appreciation to President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Government and people of Nigeria for the hospitality and excellent arrangements, which facilitated the success of the Meeting.
Date and Venue of the Next Summit
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The HSGIC decided that its next meeting would hold in Maputo, Mozambique at a date to be determined.
Done at Abuja, this 9th Day of March 2003
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