Future president of the World Bank Paul
Wolfowitz and US Assistant Trade Representative, Florizelle
Liser, were amongst a large audience that gathered
on Capitol Hill on 15 April to hear Commissioners Minister
Ralph
Goodale and KY
Amoako promote the Commission
for Africa’s report in Washington DC.
Hosted by the influential Washington think-tank, the
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS),
the event took place in the Congressional offices on
Capitol Hill. The Commissioners were joined by Sir
Nick Stern, director of policy and research for the
Commission for Africa, and Sir David Manning, the British
Ambassador to Washington. Stephen Morrison, director
of CSIS’s Africa programme, chaired the event.
Nick Stern opened the panel discussion by giving a
brief overview of the commission and a highlight of
its conclusions. Commissioners Amoako and Goodale discussed
what makes the report different, how it should be implemented
and what is required of Africa and the international
community, including North America.
Paul Wolfowitz also spoke briefly and welcomed the
work of the Commission for Africa and said that “[We]
now need to focus on implementing the Commission’s
recommendations and make sure they happen and I look
forward to supporting that effort.”
The presentations were followed by questions from
an audience drawn from Congress, the diplomatic corps,
including African Ambassadors, civil society, the private
sector and the media.
In addition to this main event, Nick Stern held a
series of productive meetings with the US Administration,
World Bank, the Corporate Council for Africa, and US
NGOs. As well as presenting to the World Bank’s
Development Committee, he addressed a large meeting
of World Bank staff, where he was joined by World Bank
President James Wolfensohn, Commissioner KY Amoako,
the Rwandan Minister of Finance Donald Kaberuka, and
Paulo Gomes, Executive Director of the World Bank.
The panellists particularly welcomed the report’s
message of partnership, and its push to increase investment
in higher education, infrastructure and the African
Union’s Peace Fund.
Listen to audio
of the event [ ]
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