Six
African Presidents sign major policy commitments at Head of States
summit in Gabon, held as part of The New York Forum AFRICA
- New measures to support pharmaceutical industry
Two
major policy announcements, signed by the six African heads of state of
the Communauté Economique et Monetaire de l’Afrique Centrale (CEMAC)
summit in Libreville, Gabon, were agreed yesterday. They will be
presented to the leaders of the G8 in London today (June 15) by the
Gabonese foreign secretary.
The
policy initiatives are contained within a communiqué agreed by the
CEMAC leaders at their summit, held in the margins of a grouping of more
than 1,000 business and political leaders attending this year’s The New
York Forum AFRICA (NYFA) (), the largest pan-African business summit in the world.
The two major new policy commitments are:
- The abolition of visa requirements for all citizens of CEMAC for travel within the region, to be implemented by January 1, 2014.
-
The creation of a policy framework for the protection of business in
the CEMAC region, including the adoption of harmonised drug registration
policies to combat counterfeit drugs, as well as facilitate access for
pharmaceutical companies to the regional market.
The
communiqué will be presented at the G8 pre-summit event on Africa by
H.E. Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International
Cooperation and the Francophonie for the Republic of Gabon, on behalf
of the collected governments of the CEMAC region. A final communiqué
from the CEMAC leaders will be delivered upon the conclusion of the NYFA
to the G8.
Announcing
the policy commitments, H.E. Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of the
Gabonese Republic and current chair of the CEMAC, said: “Our six nations
are working together across borders to find regional solutions to some
of our common challenges, and to strengthen our economic cooperation in
order to spur development.
“As
the eyes of the world fall on the G8 in the UK this week, the CEMAC
leaders wanted to show their own commitment to boosting trade and
investment in Africa.
“Together,
we are striving to consolidate platforms for growth in Africa, through
trade and economic cooperation, and to create new opportunities for the
next generation to fulfill their potential. These new policy commitments
are the results of fruitful talks at the CEMAC summit, and we look
forward to maintaining the momentum in our discussions with the private
sector at The New York Forum AFRICA over the next two days.”
CEMAC
is an economic and monetary union whose membership consists of
Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon
and the Republic of the Congo. It administers the Central African Franc
through the Bank of the Central African States and, through its Regional
Economic Programme, is focused on fostering development in the region
by deepening regional integration, building a strong common market, and
boosting and facilitating trade.
This
year, in recognition of the G8 agenda’s direct relevance to African
development, CEMAC aligned its own discussions with the key focus areas
of the G8 – taxation, trade and transparency.
The
six CEMAC heads of state joined other political leaders and more than
1,000 business leaders from the region and further afield to discuss
issues as diverse as national and economic security, infrastructure,
energy, and foreign direct investment, with a special focus on SMEs and
entrepreneurs.
The
CEMAC Summit agenda was designed to agree clear policy frameworks in
key areas that will help to increase trade volumes and further the
region’s development:
- Clarifying and coordinating customs and trade rules in the region to allow free trade of goods across borders;
- Deepening regional integration by increasing freedom of movement of people within CEMAC;
- Connecting CEMAC’s cities and improving transit networks;
-
Pursuing deeper and more productive trade links with the rest of the
world through improving its external tariff profile and the development
of the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiation with the EU.
Now
in its second year, the New York Forum AFRICA is organised by Richard
Attias & Associates under the patronage of the Office of President
Ali Bongo Ondimba and in collaboration with the Government of Gabon.
The
New York Forum AFRICA is a real pan-African laboratory of ideas, said
founder Richard Attias, bringing together leaders from many areas of
economic and political activity to find solutions for the ongoing
development of Africa and to encourage foreign investment.
“At
the NYFA, we will be proposing innovative solutions within the
continent so its population can seize the opportunities presented, as
well as create new opportunities for foreign corporations so they can
build lasting business relationships with Africa,” he said.
Founded & Produced by RICHARD ATTIAS & ASSOCIATES
Under the High Patronage of H.E. ALI BONGO ONDIMBA
In collaboration with THE GOVERNMENT OF GABON
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