Africa’s position is focus of NEPAD Agency at Rio+20

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The New Partnership for Africa’s Development - NEPAD Agency - will be aiming to ensure that discussions at Rio+20  Summit, to be held in  the Brazilian city of  Rio de Janeiro from June 20 -22 will reflect its agenda of  enhancing Africa's growth, development and its full participation in the global economy.

Ahead of the opening of the main conference representatives of NEPAD, the African Union and development partners will hold a seminar on June 18 to discuss NEPAD and sustainable development in Africa.

The seminar will focus on Green economy and its implications for Africa’s socio-economic development and growth agenda as well as on ways of strengthening partnership between Lula Institute and NEPAD in the field of sustainable development. Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva founded the institute to fight poverty and hunger.

Key speakers at the seminar will include Mrs. Estherine Fotabong, who will be representing NEPAD’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ibrahim Mayaki;  Dr Abebe Haile Gabriel, Director of Rural Economy and Agriculture at the Africa Union Commission, and Mary Barton-Dock, a Director at the Word Bank.

More than 50,000 delegates, including government officials, business leaders, farmers and civil society activists will be attending the forum also known as the UN Conference on sustainable Development. The highlight of the event will be a declaration by about 100 heads of government on issues that are central to Africa, such as poverty alleviation, food security and climate change.