7 Presidents crack heads with Young Leaders, Accra Ghana.

7 Presidents crack heads with Young Leaders, Accra Ghana.

150 days and counting to 2007 G8 meet in Germany

From January 11 to 14 2007, a high profiled conference is taking place in Accra, Ghana. I arrived yesterday on 10th January, to represent ActionAid International and Malawi. We will be in meeting with the following leaders to discuss the future of the German ‘Partnership with Africa.’

1. President Horst Kohler – President of the Republic of Germany
2. President John Kufor – President of the Republic of Ghana
3. President Olusegun Obasanjo – President of the federal Republic of Nigeria
4. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of the Republic of Liberia
5. President Festus Mogae, President of the Republic of Botswana
6. President Alpha Oumar Konare – President of the Commission of the African Union
7. President Thomas Yayi Boni – President of the Republic of Benin

The theme of the meeting is “Two Generations, One Future – Today’s Challenges and Way Forward”

In 150 days Chancellor Merkel of Germany will welcome Heads of State to the G8 Summit in Heiligendamm. The agenda will focus on growth and responsibility with a special emphasis on Africa.

Merkel has up until now never visited the continent while President Koehler is this week meeting young leaders from Africa and Germany together with Presidents from Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia, Botswana, Benin and the African Union in Kohler’s “Partnership for Africa” initiative to discuss political and social participation, education and employment, war and violence and environment and the natural habitat. The conference comes at the time most G8 members have not implemented measures to combat climate change, including recommendations of the UN Decade for Education for Sustainable Development; are known to have fuelled and supported armed conflicts in Africa, and have not left policy space for the African states.

Koehler has shown a keen interest in political dialogue with African counterparts and citizens – but on an equal basis. The G8 agenda currently attaches importance to an expansion of G8 relations with Africa but in the form of reforms for Africa.

In the past, the language of ‘reform’ has too often been used to impose policies on Africa, such as privatising services and opening up markets for the benefit of G8 investors. But if the G8 really cares about democracy in Africa it will support country-led processes rather than pushing reforms designed in Heiligendamm.

Koehler acknowledges already that good conditions for private investment are insufficient and African companies need better access to European and American markets whereas Merkel’s G8 agenda favours rich countries’ interests, bypassing the development needs of Africa.
Koehler is already on his way to Ghana to discuss the way forward and learn from African experiences and analysis; he is way ahead of Chancellor Merkel in terms of process and content. I look forward to meeting him! More so is my interest to talk and debate with African leaders!

Collins Magalasi
Accra, Ghana
11 January 2007