STATEMENT ON THE NEW AFRICAN INITIATIVE (MAP) MEETING IN ABUJA, NIGERIA

Issued by Department of Foreign Affairs

22 October 2001

President Thabo Mbeki will attend the Implementation Committee meeting of Heads of State and Government on the New African Initiative (MAP) scheduled for Tuesday 23 October in Abuja, Nigeria. The meeting is expected to be attended by all five initiating Presidents and representatives from all five regions as defined by the OAU, constituting a 15-member committee.

The Implementation Committee meeting will be officially opened by the Chairperson, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and will also be briefed on:

The EU-Africa meeting held recently in Brussels
The briefing to the G8 leaders on the New African Initiative
And a report of the Steering Committee on the New African Initiative which will focus among others on the:

Revised draft New African Initiative Document
Proposed names for the Initiative
Management Structure
Setting of Secretariat: location, funding, personnel etc
Setting up of specific task forces
Global marketing strategy for the New African Initiative
Priority sectors, programmes, projects
Follow up engagements: funding mechanisms, Conference on Financing in Dakar, Senegal etc
Work programme for Implementation Committee
The Implementation Committee is scheduled to end its business on Tuesday 23 October.

For more information contact Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853