Conference, Sandton International Convention Centre
7 October 2007
Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry together with the
Nepad Business Foundation and the Nepad Secretariat will host the Nepad
Projects Conference at the Sandton International Convention Centre on Monday, 8
October to Tuesday, 9 October 2007.
The Nepad Projects Conference will explore ways of strengthening public and
private partnerships for the effective implementation of Nepad. The conference
is an expression of commitment from government, business and civil society in
South Africa to move Nepad forward and will deliberate on a common
implementation framework. The overriding goal is better co-ordination within
South Africa to ensure efficiency and maximum impact at the level of
implementation.
It should be recalled that the objectives of Nepad are poverty eradication
and sustainable socio-economic development and growth. In this regard, the
Nepad Projects Conference will among other things:
* provide a platform to create linkages between government, the business and
civil society to support the implementation of Nepad in South Africa
* deliberate on the role of different stakeholders and contribute to better
implementation by creating synergies and alignment of Nepad programmes and
projects to make sure that there is optimum use of resources for maximum impact
to the benefit all South Africans
* One of the main outcomes of the conference will be a guiding framework to
better coordinate South Africa's engagement with the Nepad process.
The conference will place emphasis on the Nepad priority areas where
partnerships are sort, i.e. infrastructure; market access, corporate and
economic governance with a view to supporting the African Peer Review Mechanism
and key development and socio-economic issues.
Media are invited as follows:
Date: Monday, 8 October 2007
8h00 to 8h55: Registration
8h55 to 9h00: Welcoming remarks by Dr Reuel Khoza, Chairman Nepad Business
Foundation
9h00 to 9h30: Introducing the Nepad Implementation Strategy for South Africa
(NISSA) by Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Ms Sue van der Merwe
9h30 to 10h00: Keynote address by Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi
Mpahlwa
18h30 for 19h00: Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka to present keynote
address at gala dinner.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
7 October 2007
