Second meeting of Commission for Africa opens

From: Audrey Dekalu, GNA Special Correspondent, Addis Ababa.

Addis Ababa, Oct. 7, GNA - The second meeting of the Commission for Africa (CFA) was on Wednesday opened in Addis Ababa to chart ways of helping Africa beat poverty and end conflict.

The CFA an initiative by UK's Prime Minister Tony Blair, launched in February 2004, is to help drive forward Africa's development and increase its prosperity.

Mr Blair chaired the meeting, which has its focus on governance, peace and security; human development, culture and inclusion; opportunity and growth and aid and debt relief.

Key outcome of the meeting would identify priorities and focus on work over the coming months and also identify areas for further action by the Commission.

The Commission would, therefore, be exchanging ideas on the shape and content of a report to be published in 2005, outline strategies for the next phase of consultation, throughout Africa and across the G8, and also discuss the early ideas, which have emerged from their preliminary work since May 2004.

They are also to explore ways of building further support for their work and how international support can be mobilized for focusing on Africa in 2005.

The Commission would propose actions, which support the best in Africa development - be it donor-led or home grown - and mobilize the international support necessary to ensure that lives of millions of Africans are measurably improved.