Cape Town 2007
Ben Turok, MP South Africa, Fawzia Koofi and
Sabrina Saqib, MPs, Afghanistan
PNoWB held its seventh annual conference in Cape Town, South Africa on March 15-17, 2007.
The conference brought together 200 parliamentarians from 90 different countries with representatives from the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, other multilateral and bilateral agencies, civil society, trade unions, academia, and the private sector.
March 15, 2007 PRSP Seminar "How to strengthen the role of parliamentarians in PRSP Process and in Development Programs", the first of the side events around the Annual Conference.
This is the first time that the PNoWB annual conference was held outside Europe and holding it in Africa was of great significance demonstrating PNoWB’s strong commitment to keeping Africa at the heart of the development debate and to deliver on development results ahead of the G8, the G20 and the World Bank’s 15th IDA replenishment negotiations. The PNoWB Annual Conference provides the opportunity for parliamentarians to discuss and contribute to the international agenda and to look at the most effective way to strengthen the role and the participation of parliamentarians on major development issues.
It is also particularly apt that South Africa should host the Conference in 2007 as it chairs the G20 with reform of the governance structure in IFIs topping its agenda, and as the G8 presidency focuses on Africa. Of course the World Bank also presented its first progress report to the Board on the Africa Action Plan in this year. PNoWB has established itself as a valuable interlocutor for the World Bank, amplifying the voice and participation of parliamentarians on development issues and projects, mobilizing public support on key issues such as poverty eradication, HIV/AIDS, the Millennium Development Goals, governance and anti-corruption, and illegitimate debt.
The conference reflected on the role of parliamentarians in major development issues including governance. Entitled “ Partnerships for Development: delivering on the G8, G20 and the IFIs”; the conference demonstrated the growing role parliamentarians take in decision-making and their involvement in improving implementation and delivery of poverty reduction pledges.
Parliamentarians were able to raise their concerns directly with leaders in development through for example, a question and answer session with World Bank President, Paul Wolfowitz, IMF Managing Director, Rodrigo de Rato and President Donald Kaberuka of the African Development Bank. Keynote speakers included Trevor Manuel, Minister of Finance, South Africa; Hon G L Mahlangu-Nkabinde, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, South Africa; Sir Nicholas Stern, Head of Government, Economic Service, United Kingdom and Ahmed Kathrada, Chair, Robben Island Museum Council and at one time key anti-apartheid activist and long-serving political prisoner.
Ahmad Kathrada, Keynote Address
Parliamentarians were urged to take a greater role in increasing accountability and transparency of IFIs; and in taking the lead on tackling climate change. Participants called for an increase in ODA and the prioritising of agriculture to better serve poverty reduction. Other outcomes of the conference also included the launching of the illegitimate debt campaign.
The Annual Conference doubles as PNoWB’s General Assembly. The Network reviewed the progress report of its activities since the last meeting in October 2005, and elected a new Board.
Hosted by the Parliament of South Africa, the conference was organized by PNoWB, in collaboration with the World Bank, the African Development Bank and South Africa’s Parliament and Ministry of Treasury.
Event: 7th PNoWB Annual Conference
Date: March 15-17
Venue: Parliament of South Africa, Cape Town
Conference Program
List of Participants
Note from PNoWB Outgoing Chair
Africa Roundtable from left to right: Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank, Rodrigo de Rato, IMF Managing Director, Norbert Mao, Uganda and Mamphele Ramphele, South Africa chairing the session, Paul Wolfowitz, President of the World Bank and Trevor Manuel, Minister of Finance, South Africa.
Side Events Around the Annual Conference
On March 15, 2007, PNoWB and the World Bank organized a one-day seminar on How to strengthen the role of Parliamentarians in the PRSP Process and in Development Programs, the first of the side events around the PNoWB Annual Conference. The seminar was supported by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and brought together some 75 parliamentarians from around the world with representatives of the PNoWB, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Finnish Government and other multilateral and bilateral organizations, academia, civil society and the private sector.
List of Participants
Agenda of the PRSP Seminar
Recommendations of the PRSP Seminar
On March 16, 2007 on the sidelines of the PNoWB annual conference, parliamentarians from Mozambique and South Africa held a preliminary meeting to discuss the opportunity to launch a Southern Africa Chapter.
On March 18, 2007, AWEPA (European Parliamentarians for Africa), the NEPAD secretariat, the World Bank and PNoWB organised a regional seminar for Southern Africa entitled “Mobilising Parliamentarians for NEPAD; Trade and Economic Development, Special Focus: Agriculture” and hosted by the South African Parliament, on the sidelines of the PNoWB Annual Conference. Around 35 experts and Members of Parliaments from 10 Southern African countries participated in the seminar and adopted a parliamentary action plan to ensure the implementation of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP).
Presentations made during the seminar
Transcripts:
Question and Answer session with World Bank President
Question and Answer Session with African Development Bank President
Africa Roundtable
Keynote Address Trevor A. Manuel, MP, Minister of Finance, South Africa
Keynote Address, Bert Koenders, PNoWB outgoing chair and Minister of Development Cooperation, Netherlands
Remarks by Ahmad Kathrada
Watch Videos of the Conference