CoDA to convene forum on Africa's Response to the Global Financial Crisis

Accra, Nov 25, GNA - The Coalition for Dialogue on Africa (CoDA) is convening a "Multi stakeholder Dialogue on Africa and the Global Financial Crisis", in Tunis, Tunisia, on 28 November 2009, a statement by the Economic Commission for Africa said on Wednesday.

The forum, to be attended by representatives from academia, governments, legislatures, think tanks, trade unions, civil society, the private sector and the media, is the first high profile event for the new initiative.

Its core objective is to bring together experts from a cross section of sectors to discuss the impact of the global financial crisis on Africa and agree on innovative solutions for a coherent regional response to the crisis.

CoDA, launched in March 2009, places a premium on convening informal and inclusive dialogue on niche issues between diverse and influential groups of stakeholders and advocates their recommendations effectively to influence policy.

Additionally, the initiative seeks to play the role of a change agent, which takes a proactive stand, and helps define new perspectives, on a wide range of issues, including the most sensitive and controversial. CoDA is an institutionally independent forum for free discussion among non state and state actors. It is the successor forum to the Global Coalition for Africa (GCA) and the Big Table (Africa-OECD) policy forum. Although it is a joint venture of the African Union Commission (AUC), African Development Bank (AfDB) and Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), it is not an intergovernmental program of the three institutions. Its work is guided by an independent high-level Advisory Board, which is currently chaired by Mr Festus Mogae, the former President of Botswana.

Several other internationally renowned personalities including Dr. Cheick Modibo Diarra, Chairman, Microsoft Middle East and Africa; Mr. Walter Fust, CEO/Director General, Global Humanitarian Forum; Dr. Frene Ginwala, Former Speaker of the National Assembly of South Africa; Dr. Mo Ibrahim, Chair, Mo Ibrahim Foundation; Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe, former Vice President of Uganda; Mr. Martin Khor, Director, Third World Network, Mr Paul Martin, former Prime Minister of Canada and Mr. Ismail Serageldin, Director, Bibliotheca Alexandrina are also members of the initial CoDA advisory board. The Chairman of the African Union Commission, Dr. Jean Ping, the Executive Secretary of the UNECA, Mr. Abdoulie Janneh and the President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Donald Kaberuka are ex-officio members of the Advisory Board. Prof. Abdoulaye Bathily, is the Convener. The CoDA Secretariat is housed at the headquarters of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). 25 Nov, 09