As part of the Letter of Intent signed in June 2016, ACBF and the International Institute for Democratic and Electoral Alliance (AWA/IDEA) co-organized the first event on Inter-party Dialogue on Natural Resources Governance in Central Africa on 14-15 Nov. 2016 in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
The two institutions are collaborating as a reflection of the recognition that the strategic goal of inclusive and sustainable development in Africa, described in the AU Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), cannot be achieved without a robust participatory and accountable democratic framework.
The two institutions agreed to collaborate in implementing projects of mutual interest that can improve the quality of life in a sustainable manner and to satisfy the basic needs of citizens in terms of access to public services, security and employment.
In his keynote message read at the opening of the Inter-party dialogue on 14 Nov. in Brazzaville, Professor Emmanuel Nnadozie, Executive Secretary of ACBF, said that “Africa needs transformation not only because it is the best way to create wealth, reduce poverty, minimize inequalities, strengthen productive capacities and enhance social conditions of its people, but also it ensures the achievement of sustainable development.”
He stressed that natural resource wealth is a real development asset when coupled with investments in skills and technological capacities and with good macroeconomic institutions and management. “Capacity of all actors and stakeholders involved in the natural resource value chain—extraction, processing, marketing, and management of revenue—is of fundamental importance in turning the sector to benefit the broader society” Prof. Nnadozie said, “Building such capacity requires the decisions and commitment of political power, hence political parties are critical in this regard.”
He called up on African governments and development partners to provide the necessary political and financial support to capacity building institutions such as ACBF in pursuance of their capacity building mandate across the continent.
Political party representatives from 6 Central African countries and institutions working on natural resources governance globally have attended the meeting. ACBF is represented by two Experts who have participated and made presentations. The Inter-party dialogue is the first of a number of initiatives ACBF and International IDEA have planned to implement in the coming months.
