This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Scotland and Africa
13/05/2005
A special conference to discuss how best Scotland can
contribute to Africa's development in the light of the
recent report from the Commission for Africa will be held
in the Scottish Parliament on Monday.
The leading Africa Campaigner, Sir Bob Geldof, is a
speaker alongside First Minister Jack McConnell, Kumi
Naidoo, Secretary General and Chief Executive of
CIVICUS, Salil Shetty, Director of the UN Millennium
Development Goals Campaign, and Omar Kabbaj, President of
the African Development Bank.
The opening session will be available on the Scottish
Parliament website at
www.holyrood.tv from
9.25am to 11.10am with a second session drawing together
conclusions, with the help of diplomats from African and G8
countries, from 2.55pm to 4pm.
Invited delegates will be drawn from every sector from
business, through education and health to the voluntary
organisations who can help take forward the recommendations
of the Commission for Africa report, particularly in
building Scotland's partnership with Malawi.
The FM is due to travel to Malawi later this month. He
will be accompanied by pupils from Sanday Community School
in Orkney who won a competition on the development of
Scotland's links with Africa.
At a Scotland-Malawi Partnership conference in Glasgow
last month Patricia Ferguson, the Minister with
responsibility for international development, said:
"As a prosperous country, Scotland has a responsibility
to make a difference to the lives of people blighted by
extreme poverty in Malawi and other African nations.
"Our international development strategy is about making
the best use of Scotland's strengths - the knowledge,
experience, and professionalism of our Non-Government
Organisations, our academic institutions and others.
"The remarkable response to the Asian tsunami showed
that the people of Scotland want to play their part in
responding to the needs of their fellow human beings who
suffer.
"The UK Government has already stated that Africa will
be high on the agenda of the G8 summit in July. As the
world's leaders descend on Gleneagles we will showcase the
practical steps being taken to deliver on our international
development policy.
The Executive's international development policy
operates in support of UK aims and focuses on the areas of
devolved expertise: governance, health and education.
It was launched by the FM on March 15. Sub-Saharan
Africa, and in particular Malawi, together with those areas
affected by the Tsunami, is a principal focus of the policy
for that has had £3 million a year allocated to it.
The timetable for Monday's conference is:
Main Session
- 09.25 Introduction and welcome by the chair, the Rt
Hon George Reid MSP, Presiding Officer, Scottish
Parliament
- 09.35 Rt Hon Jack McConnell MSP, First Minister of
Scotland
- 09.45 Sir Bob Geldof, Commission for Africa
- 10.00 Salil Shetty, Director of the Millennium
Development Goals Campaign, UN Development
Programme
- 10.15 Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General and CEO,
CIVICUS
- 10.30 Video Presentation from Omar Kabbaj,
President, African Development Bank
- 10.40 Questions and discussion
- 11.10 Session ends
Conclusions Session
- 14.55 Breakout session feedback and discussion with
G8 consulates and African ambassadors, chaired by Rt
Hon George Reid MSP, Presiding Officer
- 16.30 Close