NEPAD Projects Conference, Monday – Tuesday 8-9 October 2007, Sandton International Convention Centre

The 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 – Tuesday 8 – 9 October 2007.

The NE PAD Projects Conference will explore ways of strengthening public and private partnerships for the effective implementation of NE PAD. The conference is an expression of commitment from government, business and civil society in South Africa to move NE PAD forward and will deliberate on a common implementation framework. The overriding goal is better coordination 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 NE PAD in South Africa;
• Delibarate on the role of different stakeholders and contribute to better implementation by creating synergies and alignment of NE PAD 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 NE PAD process.

The Conference will place emphasis on the NE PAD 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:
Monday 8 October 2007
8:00 – 8:55 Registration
8:55 – 9:00 Welcoming remarks by Dr Reuel Khoza, Chairman NEPAD Business Foundation
9:00–9:30 Introducing the NEPAD Implementation Strategy for South Africa (NISSA) by Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Ms Sue van der Merwe
9:30–10:00 Keynote address by Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi Mpahlwa
18:30 for 19:00 Gala dinner. Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka to present keynote address

Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs
PO Box X152
Pretoria
0001

5 October 2007