10 October 2012, Sweetcrude/African Press Organization (APO), JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa — The African Regional Dialogue will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa on Thursday 11th October 2012. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) are leading the global thematic consultation on governance, with support from the Government of Germany and in association with the Pan African Parliament.
Absence of rule of law, high levels of corruption, weak capacity in local governments and the exclusion of groups from access to governance institutions are among the key obstacles for sustainable development and to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set out more than a decade ago with targets to be met by 2015.
As the MDG deadline fast approaches, the UN Secretary-General has outlined a UN-led process to determine the post-2015 development framework. Thus national and global thematic consultations on key issues pertaining to the post-2015 development agenda are being held, spearheaded by the UN Development Group. These draw on specialized expertise and a range of stakeholders, predominantly civil society, Parliamentarians, judiciary, think tanks, among others.
This meeting begins the process of consultation on how governance, especially accountability, can be integrated future international development commitments-with only three years before the 2015 deadline. The event therefore offers an opportunity to contribute and engage in African viewpoints, experiences and perspectives that reflect the realities of people’s lives and development priorities for the continent
This dialogue will include presentations by the Pan-African Parliament President Hon. Bethel Amadi and Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, Governance Practice Director, United Nations Development Programme. Other speakers include representatives from Trust Africa, Open Society Initiative and the Inter-Parliamentary Union.
The event begins at 9.00am at the Pan-African Parliament, Gallagher Estate, Midrand.
