Protecting and Empowering People

"Symposium on Economic Insecurity in Africa"
Cotonou, Benin
24-25 May 2002

• Report
  PDF: 48KB
  

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Announcement

Commission on Human Security, in coordination with Centre Pan Africain de Prospective Sociale (CPPS) and Africa Institute, will organize a roundtable meeting on economic insecurity in West Africa on 24-25 May 2002 in Cotonou, Benin. In the roundtable, Approximately 25 to 30 representatives from five west African countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Benin) will participate and discuss what are the causes of human insecurity and how does poverty relates to economic insecurity experienced by ordinary people. Central to these discussions will be views on how globalization affects people's livelihoods and what should be done to promote human security in this region.

Two Commissioners, Professor Albert Tevoedjre, former Deputy Director-General of the ILO and Benin's former Planning Minister and Dr. Frene Ginwala, the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Parliament of the Republic South Africa as well as the Chair of the Global Coalition for Africa, are leading this initiative. The commissioners intend to listen to the voices, views and analysis of African people through this roundtable, and feed these into a comprehensive report of the Commission's activities in Africa. This will constitute the primary input from Africa into the Commission's final report, an integrated human security Plan of Action. Furthermore, this roundtable is considered as the first event of the comprehensive consultation process for furthering human security in the continent.

The Commission on Human Security foresees various workshops, meetings, and roundtables in Africa, which will be led by its two African Commissioners: Dr. Ginwala and Professor Tevoedjre.