Monthly Highlights from ECDPM's Talking Points Blog, Volume 1, Issue 2 (March-April 2012)

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    Sorting out the what, how, and who for regional action on agriculture in Africa Talking Points, Dolly Afun-Ogidan, 30 March 2012
    In 2003, African Heads of States launched the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), as an effort to renew interest in and prioritize the continent’s agriculture agenda, as well as put food security objectives at the fore of national, regional, continental and global processes. Progress on CAADP has been reviewed every year since 2006 at the CAADP Partnership Platform meeting. During the Platform meeting, various stakeholders who contribute to, have vested interest in or are associated with CAADP process, have an opportunity to coordinate collective and mutual responsibilities for CAADP implementation (…)

    Beyond development as a business by-product? Talking Points, Bruce Byiers, 16 March 2012
    That the private sector is important, if not key, to economic development is nothing new. However, with the increasing rhetoric on the need to “enhance the role of the private sector in development”, events around this topic are mushrooming. Business Europe organized a seminar in Brussels on March 15th, with the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, as well as business federation and private sector company representatives present. While we have commented before on the need to distinguish “which” private sector we are talking about, here we were very much discussing how the EU private sector (…)

    EC Communication on Trade, Growth and Development: A good start or a missed opportunity? Talking Points, San Bilal, 10 February 2012
    On Friday 27 January the European Commission published its Communication on “Trade, Growth and Development: Tailoring Trade and Investment Policy for Those Countries Most in Need” proposing “concrete ways to enhance synergies between trade and development policies”. It contains all the right words, but does not say much new. As is often the case with EC Communications, the document brings together a breadth of content from across different Directorates within the EC. This leads to a relatively un-controversial document that appears to draw on the main emerging consensus in both fields of trade and development (…)

    African mineral wealth: turning stones into breadTalking Points, Isabelle Ramdoo, 10 February 2012
    Which policy maker, in particular at the time when many developed countries are struggling with budgetary constraints and have little left for development support, would not agree that it has become imperative to transform the rich African mineral resources into long-term sustainable development? African leaders have placed the bet to attain this objective by 2050. Traditional development partners got the message and are making efforts to strengthen their partnership with Africa. This is to some extent, in reaction to the increasing role of emerging players in Africa. The future looks promising In recent years, the (…)

    Africa is in desperate need for greater unity and stronger leadership to realise its pan-African ambitions Talking Points, San Bilal, 3 February 2012
    As noted by the Economist last December, and confirmed by a recent report by Invest AD and the Economist Intelligence Unit, Africa is on the rise to become one of the most attractive regions for investment and a pole for growth. The challenge is to transform these opportunities into concrete deliverables for equitable, inclusive and sustainable development throughout the continent. Committed political drive and vision will be key in this process. This week’s African Union Summit of Heads of State was meant to bolster such Africans aspirations. The Summit was dedicated to providing the highest (…) 

     

    This article was published in GREAT Insights, Volume 1, Issue 2 

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