Linkages Africa - Issue #3

LINKAGES AFRICA Reporting on Environment and Sustainable Development in Africa Issue # 3: 8 May, 2007

Editor: Richard Sherman Executive Editor: Kimo Goree Published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Distributed exclusively to the AFRICASD-L list by IISD Reporting Services For more information on the African Regional Coverage Project visit http://www.iisd.ca/africa

Editor's note: Welcome to the third issue of Linkages Africa. We hope to provide this service on at least a fortnightly basis. If you should come across a news article or have a submission for the next issue, please send it directly to [email protected]. Linkages Africa is an exclusive publication of IISD for the AFRICASD-L list and should not be reposted or republished to other lists/websites without the permission of IISD (you can write to Kimo for permission.) If you have been forwarded this issue and would like to subscribe to AFRICASD-L, please visit http://www.iisd.ca/email/africasd-L.htm

KEY EVENTS

GERMAN MINISTER FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT MEETS AU COMMISSION CHAIRPERSON 6 May 2007: The Chairperson of African Union Commission, Professor Alpha Oumar Konaré, met with the German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. Discussions centred around issues of peace and security, fair commodity prices and trade, poverty reduction, democracy and good governance, and repatriation of funds that have been taken out of Africa. The AU Chairperson highlighted the need for Africa to have sufficient resources in order to solve its problems. These resources, he said, can come from internal as well as external sources. In this regard, he appealed to member states of the AU to be more committed and encouraged members of the Group of Eight (G8) to fulfil promises made in the past. He however expressed optimism that, with Germany in the Chair of the G8, these promises will be fulfilled. He also called for a true partnership between Africa and Europe and highlighted the need for investment in infrastructure to assist Africa's development. Minister Wieczorek-Zeul assured the AU that during its term as Chair of the G8, Germany will do its best to ensure that promises made by the group are fulfilled. She indicated that her country would step up efforts to portray the positive developments in Africa so that citizens in the developed countries would get a balanced view of the continent.

Source: African Union

AFRICA “MUST BECOME KEY PLAYER” IN INFORMATION SOCIETY 4 May 2007: The fifth Committee on Development Information (CODI-V) ended its weeklong meeting with a call on African governments to urgently create jobs in the information and knowledge society. A final report, adopted by participants at the meeting, noted that information and knowledge had emerged as fundamental economic resources and a factor of global competitiveness. The CODI-V meeting, hosted by the Economic Commission for Africa from 1-4 May, had as its central theme “Employment and the Knowledge Economy in Africa”. Four sub-committees looked deeper into the issue from the perspective of statistical data, geoinformation, libraries, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). African governments were urged to promote a culture of entrepreneurship and ensure the “buy-in” of the knowledge economy, particularly on the part of workers and employers who are most affected by the changes created by information technology. Governments were also asked to strengthen public-private partnerships, improve ICT education and “invest in knowledge, library and information services as critical agents for the provision of resources and services that ensure continuous employability and entrepreneurship for all”. Further information Source: UNECA

EXPERTS BEGIN DISCUSSIONS ON BENCHMARKS AND INDICATORS FOR LAND REFORM IN AFRICA 3 May 2007: About 35 experts began a two-day meeting in Addis Ababa to prescribe the activities necessary for the development of benchmarks and indicators for land policy and land reform in Africa. The benchmarks and indicators are part of the recommendations of a consultative meeting held in March 2006 to develop the framework and guidelines for land policy and land reform in Africa. The meeting concluded with a 14-paragraph recommendation, in which the experts said indicators should also consider Africa’s rapid urbanization and slums, poor data on land, ad hoc land policy process, low tenure security for women, and initiatives of new land certification. They called for broad consultations on the development of the benchmarks and indicators “in recognition of the multifaceted nature of land as a resource that relates to the social-cultural, economic, and political aspects of people's lives”. They said such consultations would ensure buy-in by all stakeholders and guarantee the applicability of the benchmarks and indicators. The meeting was made possible by a grant from UN-HABITAT and co-hosted in the framework of the African Union, Economic Commission for Africa and African Development Bank land policy initiative. Full Statement Expert Presentations

Source: UNECA

UNDP AFRICA MEETING DISCUSES AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT AGENDA IN A REFORMING UN SYSTEM 2 May 2007: The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Regional Bureau for Africa has, during its annual Regional Management Team meeting, appealed to donor countries, particularly the G8, to increase development aid to Africa. The theme of the meeting which was being organized by the UNDP, in conjunction with the government of the Republic of Congo and the World Health Organization (WHO), was “Africa's development agenda in a reforming UN system.” During the meeting which began on April 25 in Congo, Brazzaville, participants laid emphasis on the need to “re-equip” the UN. The meeting provided UNDP resident coordinators and representatives with a better understanding of the recommendations of the report on reforming the UN; with a view to enabling them to take advantage of opportunities for the promotion of development activities. The objective of the meeting was to strengthen system coherence, create impetus for regional integration, increase efficiency as well as responsibility and establish a program, by mid-2007, in order to enable Sub-Sahara African countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by the 2015 deadline. Other issues on the agenda of the meeting included the fight against HIV/ AIDS, good governance, environmental protection and crisis prevention.

Source: Xinhua

CSD DISCUSSES AFRICA’S SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PRIORITIES 30 April 2007: The fifteenth session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development began its consideration of the thematic cluster for the 2006/07 implementation cycle – energy for sustainable development, industrial development, air pollution and atmosphere, and climate change on Monday 30 April. After open statements, delegates discussed regional priorities. In the session focusing on Africa, the Economic Commission for Africa provided details of Africa’s policy priorities. On energy for sustainable development, he called for a coordinated institutional response to promote pro-poor energy policy and suggested nuclear energy as an option. On industrial development, he highlighted the importance of technology transfer, corporate social responsibility and reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers. On climate change, air pollution and atmosphere, he recommended enhanced policy coherence, including regional mitigation and adaptation strategies, and mainstreaming climate change in poverty reduction strategies. On cross-cutting issues, he highlighted the need to develop capacity in Africa and to mobilize public and private finance. The African Development Bank called for, inter alia, improving institutional and policy frameworks, promoting market penetration of renewable energy sources and more efficient use of Africa’s resources. Highlighting the role of the African Development Bank in financing the energy sector, he explained that it contributes to the World Bank’s Framework for Clean Energy and Development. He underscored the overriding need for public and private investment. Cote D’Ivoire questioned whether hydroelectricity is appropriate for a continent suffering water shortages. Zimbabwe commended both banks’ efforts, but questioned the real effect of their work, as measured by the affordability of energy for the average family. NGOs said that nuclear power is neither clean nor safe and should not be considered a viable policy option. Senegal noted that developing countries should benefit from projects that have local capacity for dealing with climate change. IISD’s coverage of CSD-15

Source: IISD

AD-HOC COMMITTEE MEETING OF SADC ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT MINISTERS 27 April 2007: The first meeting of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Ad-Hoc Committee of Ministers responsible for Environment and Sustainable Development was held in Gaborone, Botswana on 27 April 2007. The meeting was attended by Ministers and officials from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The main objective of the meeting was to monitor progress and provide direction on environment and sustainable development issues in the SADC region. In a Communique adopted at the meeting, Ministers reaffirmed the importance of the environment and sustainable development within the SADC Region and to this end they endorsed a Strategy Paper on the importance of environment and sustainable development, which underscores the contribution of the environment to the economy, livelihoods and human health. The Ministers reiterated the need to accord environment and sustainable development prominence in order to contribute significantly towards regional integration and poverty reduction. Ministers stressed the need to develop the SADC Protocol on the environment, and urged the Working Group mandated with overseeing the protocol development to ensure that the process is completed soon. Communiqué Remarks by the Acting Executive Secretary of SADC

Source: SADC

ILO REGIONAL MEETING ADOPTS DECENT WORK AGENDA IN AFRICA 2007-15 27 April 2007: Faced with a continental challenge of growth that is failing to create enough better quality jobs to stop rising unemployment and an increasing number of people living in poverty, top worker, employer and government representatives of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) African member states adopted a sweeping new Decent Work Agenda in Africa 2007-15 designed to stimulate the creation of millions of decent jobs and improve the lives of the Continent’s working poor. Every four years the ILO African Regional Meeting brings together ILO’s tripartite constituents from its 53 Member States in Africa to discuss developments in the world of work in Africa and provide guidance for the work of the ILO in the region in the following years. The 11th African Regional Meeting took place at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 23-27 April 2007. The new initiative, called “Decent Work Agenda in Africa 2007-15” was adopted following four days of intense discussion by some 500 delegates at the ILO meeting who heard urgent calls for development from three heads of State and Government. The Agenda commits the ILO's tripartite constituency to the development of Decent Work Country Programmes as the mechanism for mainstreaming policies for more and better jobs into national development strategies. Among its key objectives is an agreement to forge strong new links between the ILO and its African member States as well as international organizations such as the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to promote employment-intensive growth. The final statement also urged the ILO to work with its African and international partners to develop a comprehensive approach focussing on improving governance of labour markets and strengthening the capacity of labour administrations and the social partners. Africa Regional Meeting Director-General's Report: ILO activities in Africa, 2004-2006 Report of the Director-General: The Decent Work Agenda in Africa, 2007-2015 Source: ILO

EAST AFRICA ESTABLISHES CLIMATE MONITORING CENTRE 25 April 2007: East African countries have strengthened the region’s capacity to predict climate-related disasters by establishing a regional climate monitoring institution. Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia and Sudan — members of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), an alliance of east African countries — signed up to the agreement in Nairobi (13 April). The new institution, the IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Centre (ICPAC), will collaborate with the region's national meteorological departments to identify ‘climate risk zones’- areas where extreme climate-related disasters are likely to occur and pose a safety risk. ICPAC will monitor regional temperature variations to ascertain which areas are at risk of dangers such as malaria outbreaks. Weather pattern predictions, based on data from US and European satellites, will also be important in determining appropriate building materials for the region. The institution will be based at the Drought Monitoring Centre in Nairobi, created in 1989 by the UN World Meteorological Organization to combat drought and starvation in the Horn of Africa region.

Source: SciDev.Net

SADC ENERGY MINISTERS MEET IN HARARE, ZIMBABWE 25 April 2007: Ministers responsible for Energy in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) met in Harare, Zimbabwe on 25 April 2007 top address a range of pressing energy issues. During the meeting, Ministers registered their recognition of energy as a prerequisite for socio-economic development and therefore for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals. They observed with concern, however, that, in spite of the region being well endorsed with energy resource the overall per capita energy consumption was far below the world average. In particular, the Ministers noted that biomass is a major source of energy for the rural and poor urban areas accounting for over 70% of the total energy demand, and that continuing poverty and the high cost associated with accessing the modern and more convenient forms of energy are some of the major factors that confine the majority of the people to the use of biofuels. The Ministers deliberated on the trends and developments in the SADC Energy Sector, the rate and level of implementation of the different energy projects and the efforts that the member states, the SADC secretariat, the International Cooperating Partners and different financers are spearheading towards the provision of reliable, cost effective, affordable and secure energy supply. The meeting was preceded by a preparatory meeting of Senior Energy Officials from 23-24 April, and a meeting of the Southern African Power Pool Chief Executives on the 23 April.

Source: SADC

UN LAUNCHES LEADERSHIP CAPACITY SCHEME FOR WORLD’S POOREST COUNTRIES 25 April 2007: The UN launched a programme to assist least developed countries (LDCs) in developing their national leadership capacity to address key development challenges, ranging from HIV/AIDS to poverty reduction. The programme will initially pilot in nine countries, including Cambodia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. Anwarul K. Chowdhury, UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing States and Small Island Developing States, has indicated that, if successful, the initiative will be extend to 20 LDCs by the end of 2007 and will cover all 50 LDCs by next year.

Source: UN-Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing States and Small Island Developing States

ON AFRICA MALARIA DAY, UNICEF SAYS WORLD MUST HELP CURB SPREAD OF DISEASE 25 April 2007: To mark Africa Malaria Day, UNICEF urged the international community to reverse the spread of malaria, a disease that kills one person on the continent every 30 seconds and cripples so many of its youth. Africa Malaria Day is commemorated every year on 25 April by governments committed to rolling back malaria and meeting the United Nations malaria-related Millennium Development Goals. The focus of this year’s Africa Malaria Day was on the need to work in partnership to reverse the progression of malaria and make a significant impact in endemic countries: ‘Leadership and Partnership for Results’, with the slogan ‘Free Africa from Malaria NOW!’ The first-ever Africa Malaria Day was held on 25 April 2000, when African leaders from 44 malaria-affected countries gathered in Abuja, Nigeria, for the African Summit on Malaria. At the summit, the first of its kind on the continent, participants signed the historic Abuja Declaration which commits Governments to fighting the disease with a view to halve it by 2010. Africa Malaria Day 2007

Source: UN

UNDP ADDRESSES AFRICA-ASIA ECO PARTNERSHIP MEETING 25 April 2007: In his address, the Assistant Resident Representative for United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Stephen Duah Yentumi called for stronger collaboration among developing countries to help accelerate progress towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He said there is the realization that vast problems in the cities of the South require collaborative efforts involving partnerships among local authorities, the private sector, government and international agencies. He said the UNDP has set up a special initiative for South-South cooperation, which is implementing the African-Asia Eco Partnership Programme to help developing countries work together to formulate policies, share information and agree on common priorities to create their own solutions to problems they face. He said the programme, which was launched in 2002, is focusing on the facilitation of sustainable solutions that enhance the delivery of pro-poor services and contributes to sustainable development of cities in the south. The Africa Asia Eco Partnership (AAEP) programme is a facility developed to support selected African and Asian countries in establishing environmentally sustainable urban societies through shared experiences and by promoting inter-city and intra-city partnerships. Africa Asia Eco Partnership (AAEP) programme

Source: Ghanaian Chronicle

AFRICAN UNION AND WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME ADDRESS CLOSER PARTNERSHIP 24 April 2007: A new cooperative agreement aimed at closer partnership and cooperation between the African Union and the United Nations World Food Programme in areas such as food security, education and emergency preparedness and response has been agreed. The agreement falls within the framework of a ten year capacity building programme for the African Union signed by AU Chairperson, Alpha Oumar Konaré, and the then UN Secretary General, Kofi Anan, in November 2006. The African Union Commission is developing this strategic partnership with the World Food Programme in mobilizing efforts and resources for AU Member States to address the challenges of agriculture and food security. In addressing these challenges, the African Union developed and endorsed the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) as a framework agricultural development and reducing food insecurity. The African Union Member States have also pledged to allocate at least 10% of their national budgets to agriculture.

NEW INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE ON SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT LAUNCHED 24 April 2007: An international initiative to counter land degradation in sub-Saharan Africa was launched in Burkina Faso. The new project, which has been two years in the planning, could eventually raise around US$1 billion to restore and rehabilitate damaged and degraded lands. The Strategic Investment Programme for Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa (SIP) will bring fresh approaches and a wealth of experience to overcome the problem. It will reflect the fact that one of the best ways to defeat land degradation is to get funding, expertise and know-how directly to the grassroots including farmers and local communities. The initiative is being coordinated under the auspices of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). It is anticipated that, subject to GEF Council approval, the implementation phase of the new program will commence in June this year. The GEF is expected to invest about USD 130-150 million and hopes to leverage a further USD 500-750 million in co-funding.

Source: UNEP AFRICA PROGRESS PANEL LAUNCHED 24 April 2007: The Africa Progress Panel (APP), which includes Kofi Annan, Michel Camdessus, Peter Eigen, Bob Geldof, Graça Machel, Robert Rubin and Muhammad Yunus, was launched in Berlin with a pledge to work together with Africa and its development partners to make sure that existing commitments to Africa’s development are kept. In introducing the Panel today, its chairman, former UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan, emphasised the Panel’s belief that Africa faces enormous change and the urgent imperative this creates for the world to deliver on its promises on Africa. The APP is an independent body with a unique and authoritative membership. It sees a clear remit against which it will deliver. In Berlin today, it defined its role as engaging face-to-face with leaders and policy-makers, to make them aware of the progress they are making on Africa, compelling them to face the challenges and accelerate progress towards agreed goals. The Panel today presented its first public communiqué, which focuses on the key areas for future work in Africa: good governance, peace and security, productive investment, employment creation and trade, a healthy and educated population, and predictable financing.

Source: Africa Progress Panel

ECA EXPERTS MEETING ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL TRANSFORMATION 23 April 2007: Addressing the UN Economic Commission for Africa’s expert meeting, Josue Dione, Director of Food Security and Sustainable Development, stressed that the overall economy of most African countries, and their potential for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, depend significantly on how seriously they take agriculture. Welcoming about 20 experts to a 3-day meeting on agriculture and rural transformation, Dione said this was because of the strong backward and forward linkages between agriculture and other productive and service sector of the economy. The experts, who are drawn from research institutes, universities, regional economic communities, and the private sector, will review the main challenges and opportunities relating to agriculture and rural transformation in Africa. They will also give recommendations on the next edition of the Sustainable Development Report on Africa which addresses agriculture and rural transformation in Africa. Address by Josue Dione, Director of Food Security and Sustainable Development Expert Presentations

Source: UNECA

INFRASTRUCTURE TRUST FUND FOR AFRICA LAUNCHED 23 April 2007: The European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, and representatives of Austria, Belgium, Spain, Italy the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Germany and Greece, and the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed a memorandum of understanding setting up a trust fund to finance infrastructure in Africa. The Trust Fund is a financial instrument of the EU-Africa Infrastructure Partnership, one of the pillars of the new EU Strategy for Africa adopted by the European Council in December 2005. In the 2006-2007 start-up phase the Community and its Member States have mobilised EUR 87 million for the Fund, and the EIB has made available EUR 260 million in the form of loans. Projects will be selected with an eye to the priorities of the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa's Development. The Trust Fund will back such NEPAD projects as the Félou hydropower scheme (Senegal, Mali, and Mauritania) and the East Africa Submarine Cable System.

Source: EU

UNEP ANNOUNCES TOP AFRICAN PRIZE FOR ITS 16TH GLOBAL PAINTING COMPETITION 22 April 2007: The United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for Africa announced the regional winners of the Sixteenth International Children’s Painting Competition on the Environment to mark Earth Day, 22 April 2007. Children aged 6-14 were invited to express their hopes and fears about the climate change through the medium of art. This years painting competition attracted over 363 entries from 16 countries in Africa. This annual competition is jointly organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Japan-based Foundation for Global Peace and Environment (FGPE), Bayer and Nikon.

Source: UNEP

CLIMATE CHANGE CONSULTATIONS HELD IN AFRICA 22 April 2007: A series of consultations designed to help “facilitate an African civil society voice on the response to climate change” have taken place in Nairobi, Dakar and Pretoria. The meetings, held between 16 and 22 April 2007, were arranged by LEAD International, in partnership with a number of other organizations. The meetings tackled climate issues in three sub-regions—East, West, and Southern Africa. The events coincided with an online discussion, and will be presented during a side event at the 15th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development.

Source: LEAD Climate Change in Africa

UN-HABITAT GOVERNING COUNCIL AGREES TO ESTABLISH AFRICA FUND 20 April 2007: The 21st Session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, (UN-HABITAT) took place from 16-20 April 2007 at the UN-HABITAT headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. The session focused on the main theme of Sustainable Urbanization: local action for urban poverty reduction with an emphasis on finance and planning. Members of the UN-HABITAT Governing Council o reaffirmed support for the agency at the close of its twenty-first session after passing 10 resolutions aimed at taking the battle against urban poverty closer to slum dwellers than ever before. During the Session the African Ministerial Conference on Human and Urban Development (AMCHUD) proposed, and delegates approved, the establishment of the Africa fund/financing mechanism for participatory slum prevention and upgrading. The fund, which is to be administered by UN-Habitat in collaboration with the AMCHUD executive secretariat, will target new and existing pilot projects, including Slum Upgrading Facility pilot projects, in order to develop the ability of members of the Conference to scale up such projects. In addition, the Governing Council passed several landmark resolutions. One gives the agency the go-ahead to set up experimental financial mechanisms for pro-poor housing and infrastructure, and the other is a new Medium-term Strategic and Institutional Plan. Other resolutions included new guidelines on: decentralisation and strengthening of local authorities; guiding principles for providing basic services; a resolution on Arctic cities; urban youth development; and the approval of the biennial work programme and budget. AMCHUD statement AMCHUD Proposal for an Africa Fund

Source: UN-HABITAT

AFRICAN UNION LAUNCHES THE GRAND DEBATE ON THE UNION GOVERNMENT April 2007: The Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, at its 8th ordinary session held in Addis Ababa from 29-30 January, 2007, decided that the next ordinary session of the Assembly to be held in Accra, Ghana in July, 2007, will be devoted to a “Grand Debate on the Union Government.” The African Union has invited the African public to make contributions to the debate through a web-based consultation forum. The consultation aims to gather opinions on the future of the African Union and to provide opportunity for the broad public on the continent to contribute to the shaping of Africa's destiny. AU Grand Debate

UNEP LAUNCHES NAIROBI CITY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 17 April 2007: Compiled by the Nairobi City Council in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (UN-HABITAT), the Nairobi City Development Strategy provides the first comprehensive snapshot of the state of Nairobi at the turn of the century. The report, unveiled at the 21st session of the UN-Habitat Governing Council, is accompanied by a series of wide-ranging recommendations on how to boost the quality of urban life for the Kenyan capital’s close to three million residents. These include measures to reduce environmentally-related diseases, control pollution and beautify the city through landscaping and tree planting projects. Nairobi City Development Strategy, Executive Summary

Source: UNEP

REPORTS

Africa Renewal: April 2007 Edition The April 2007 edition of Africa Renewal features articles on, inter alia, indigenous peoples, the UN’s Africa priorities, and child soldiers. Africa Renewal is published in English and French by the Strategic Communications Division of the United Nations Department of Public Information, with support from UNDP, UNICEF and UNIFEM. April 2007 Edition Table of Contents

UPCOMING MEETINGS

The Seventh Ordinary Session of the Pan African Parliament: 7-18 May 2007, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. The seventh Ordinary session of the Pan African Parliament is expected to address four major issues: environment and climate change; peace and security in Africa; NEPAD and the APRM (African Peer Review Mechanism); and the Union Government of Africa. In addition, in-house issues will also be discussed. A number of other activities are also expected to take place. For further information contact: PAP; tel: (+27) 11 545 5000 fax: (+27) 11 545 5136; e-mail: [email protected]; Internet: http://www.pan-african- parliament.org/7thOrdinarySession1.htm

Pan African Parliament Debate on Climate Change and Environment: 14 May 2007, Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. The seventh Ordinary session of the Pan African Parliament is expected to environment and climate change on 14 May 2007.. For further information contact: PAP; tel: (+27) 11 545 5000 fax: (+27) 11 545 5136; e-mail: [email protected]; Internet: http://www.pan- african-parliament.org/7thOrdinarySession1.htm

Africa Partnership Forum: 22-23 May 2007, Berlin, Germany. The Africa Partnership Forum will hold its 8th meeting hosted by the government of Germany in its capacity as the G8 presidency. On the programme will be key issues impacting African development such as investment, peace and security, gender and climate change. For more information contact: Africa Partnership Forum Support Unit; tel: +33 (0) 1 45 24 15 00; fax: +33 (0) 1 44 30 61 33; e-mail: [email protected]; Internet: http://www.africapartnershipforum.org

International Conference on Collaborating in Africa: New Approaches in the Water Sector: 24-25 May 2007, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The main objective of this conference is to exchange and share ideas about new approaches to collaboration between North and South stakeholders. The discussion will focus on novel information technologies. The aim of the forum is to promote collaboration for the development of new knowledge, the definition of water policies and programmes, the better management of water utilities, and the establishment of projects to improve access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and sustainable use of the resource. Participants will also discuss the role of women and girls, and rural, semi-urban and urban water management. For more information contact: Nlombi Kibi; tel: +1 (613) 562- 5800, ext 3982 or +1 (613) 590-71; fax: +1 (613) 562-5873; e-mail: [email protected]; Internet: http://www2.uquebec.ca/TS/EA/Pres/ConfAng.html

The sixth Ordinary Session of the African Ministers’ Council on Water: 28-31 May 2007, Congo, Brazzaville. The sixth Ordinary Session of the African Ministers’ Council on Water takes includes a number of events, namely the: AMCOW Technical Advisory Committee Meeting; AMCOW Executive Committee (AMCOW EXCO) Meeting; and the sixth AMCOW Ordinary Session. Additional events scheduled for the Session include the Water and Media Training and Consultations, and the Pan-Africa Civil Society Organisation Consultations. For more information contact: Henry Ndede, UNEP; tel: (254 20) 7624276; fax: (254 20) 7623928; e-mail: [email protected]; Internet: http://www.amcow.org