7 May 2000
The Ministerial Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Co-operation in Africa (CSSDCA) will be held in Abuja, capital of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from May 8-9 2000.
The Conference is aimed at providing a comprehensive response to the challenges of Security, Stability, Development and Co-operation in Africa. It will be recalled that need for a concerted and determined action to address these challenges, gained greater momentum, especially after the Summit of African Heads of State and Government held in Algiers, Algeria in 1999, during which Summit, the leaders of the continent adopted a proposal submitted by President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, to proclaim 2000 as the Year of Peace, Security and Solidarity in Africa.
This was further reaffirmed during the Fourth Extraordinary Summit of the Assembly of Heads of state and Government held in Sirte, Libya on 9-9-99, which mandated the convening of an African Ministerial Conference on Security, Stability, Development and Co-operation.
The Conference is expected to adopt a final Document that would incorporate a Declaration of Principles; and a plan of action and an Implementation Mechanism, to facilitate a realisation of the objectives of the CSSDCA initiative.
The Ministerial Conference will be preceded by the meeting of Experts from 5 to 6 May 2000 and a meeting of the CSSDCA Steering Committee scheduled for 7 May 2000, 2000.
Abuja, Nigeria
7 May 2000.
Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs