CALL FOR PAPERS

INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT CONFERENCE

Promoting intra- and inter- regional trade and investment in Africa

25 – 27 May 2005

East London, Regent Hotel

South Africa

Organised by NEPAD Council, Commission for Trade and Investment

In collaboration with:

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Supported by:

The Office of the Premier of the Eastern Cape Province
NEPAD Secretariat
Border Kei Chamber of Business
Buffalo City Municipality

You are hereby formally invited to attend the inaugural NEPAD Council conference on trade and investment.

Background and Scope

The challenge that NEPAD Council faces is one on how to translate intellectual and scientific capital into concrete strategies to promote development in Africa. Africa faces major socio-economic and political challenges in its quest to accelerate growth, reduce poverty and creating employment opportunities. Trade and investment has long been considered primary instruments in attracting foreign direct investments (FDI). In an attempt to promote growth and development in Africa, the overall purpose of this International Conference on Trade and Investment is to deliberate on how to reverse the trend of international divestment from Africa, sluggish intra- and inter- African trade, to promote Africa as a favourable destination for FDI and to identify practical strategies and solutions to promoting development in Africa.

Conference Vision

The vision of the intra- and inter regional International Trade and Investment Conference is to provide a framework to foster trade and investment in Africa by:

Improving the quality of support for trade-related technical assistance and capacity-building in Africa.
Developing appropriate intervention strategies and frameworks to foster intra- and inter- regional trade and investment in Africa.
Evaluating context-specific governmental, institutional and management requirements.
Implementing policies conducive to economic growth.
Attracting foreign direct investment.

Conference Objectives

Coherent with the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) objectives, the Conference aims to identify enabling mechanisms for the implementation of intervention strategies at grass roots level. More specifically, the Conference objectives are to:

Provide a critical assessment of current trade and investment climate in Africa.
Identify specific intra- and inter- regional needs in Africa.
Encourage multi-lateral co-operation between international investors and role-players, African academic institutions, business practitioners and policy makers.
Identify the need for trade-related technical assistance and capacity-building in Africa.
Establish a platform for initiating relevant research in critical trade and investment related matters.
Establish research networks for promoting NEPAD throughout Africa.
Showcase key development initiatives in Africa.
Facilitate the development of competitive investment attraction strategies for FDI.
Offer an international Conference for business leaders, policy makers, researchers and academics, from around the globe to share ideas, debate and build consensus around trade and investment issues in Africa.

Reasons to attend

Attendees will be exposed to:

Internationally renowned and prominent speakers from industry.
High profile international policy makers from government and industry will be contributing their experiences.
Discussions which will give insight into the practical aspects of trade and investment challenges in Africa.
Practices of translating policies into workable documents.
Debates on identify the need for trade-related technical assistance and capacity-building in Africa.
The identification of concrete interventions and solution which will promote trade and investment in Africa and to attract FDI.

Who should attend the Conference?

The Conference aims to attract:

Business practitioners from multinational organizations.
Potential investors from major trading blocs.
High ranking inter-continental policy makers and government officials who influence trade and investment in Africa.
International academics and researchers.
Investment promotion agencies in Africa.
Trade associations and Chambers of Commerce.
NEPAD members.
NEPAD council members, consisting of African academics, based in the USA, Europe, U.K., Africa and Asia.

Proposed Conference themes

1. Current African trade and investment climate

2. FDI needs in Africa

Creating an enabling environment for attracting FDI into Africa, e.g. policy measures, market incentives, role of investment agencies.
Investment obstacles

3. Intra- regional co-operation in Africa

Agriculture
Tourism
Manufacturing
Intra- African trade bloc agreements

4. Inter- regional and multilateral co-operation in Africa

Agriculture
Tourism
Manufacturing
Multi-lateral trade agreements

5. Trade related Technical assistance

International trade agencies
Diverse national policies and investment agencies in Africa

6. Capacity building in Africa

Human Capital deficit needs – harness the potential of the African Diaspora to the benefit of Africa and to reverse the brain drain, education and human resources development
Management in Africa – competent leadership and the role of media in attracting FDI

7. Physical infrastructural capacity building in Africa

ICT & e-commerce
Technology
Transport networks (Road, rail, see and air)

Important deadlines

Submission of abstract and early registration 25 March 2005

Submission of paper and registration 05 April 2005

Last day registration 15 May 2005

Conference dates 25 -27 May 2005

For detailed information regarding, proceedings, accommodation costs and payment options please visit the conference website.

Conference Secretariat

The Conference Secretary

Devin Flesch

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences

PO Box 77000

Port Elizabeth

South Africa

Tel: +27 41 5043789

Fax: +27 41 5049789

Email: devin@nmmu.ac.za

Website: www.nepadcouncil.org/conference2005