The strategic partnership between Africa and the emerging powers
including China, India and Brazil has been spotlighted on the AU
agenda.
At the 13th Ordinary Session of African Union's Permanent
Representatives Committee concluded in Addis Ababa on Thursday, the
ambassadors to the AU has given their consideration to the Task
Force report on the strategic partnership with the three
countries.
A meeting of the Task Force, composed of eminent African experts
from both the private and public sectors, research institutes and
development partner institutions, was held last November at the AU
headquarters in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, aimed to provide
guidance for the development of a framework document for the
establishment and operationalization of Africa's strategic
partnerships with the three countries.
The Task Force put forward recommendations that Africa's
strategic partnership with the emerging powers should be consistent
with the clearly articulated vision and development strategy of the
AU as embodied in the Strategic Plan of the Commission and the
NEPAD program, and Africa must face the emerging powers as a united
continent and strengthen its integration agenda.
It also recommended that the priorities of Africa in the context
of partnership should include acceleration of industrialization,
infrastructure development, agricultural development, technology
and knowledge development and acquisition, human capital
development, enhancement of market access, and development of
modern services sector.
And the immediate objective of the partnership is effective
industrialization of the continent, the development of service
industries, and the diversification of African economies. The
partnership should harness the experiences and comparative
advantages of the partners in achieving this objective.
Meanwhile, a media strategy and program highlighting the
positive image of Africa should be developed and marketed globally
and especially in partner countries.
The Task Force report also emphasized that Africa must make
efforts to understand the cultures and values of the strategic
partner countries and vice versa. A program of cultural exchange
must be an integral element of the strategic partnership
framework.
There is a need to incorporate an effective monitoring,
evaluation and follow-up mechanism in the partnership framework,
according to the report.
The report urged AU to assess every two years the partnership
with the emerging powers, and coordinate the assessment every five
years of all partnerships in which Africa is engaged with the rest
of the world to ensure that they are consistent with the interests
and needs of the peoples of Africa.
(Xinhua News Agency January 26, 2007)
