Roundtable with President Sarkozy

14 Feb 2011

The Africa Progress Panel met with President Sarkozy in Paris on Tuesday (February 15^th) to discuss what this year’s G20 can do for Africa. With expectations high for the French G8/G20 presidency, Africa Progress Panel highlighted that France has a historic opportunity to ensure the G20 promotes African development.

L'Africa Progress Panel a rencontré le Président Sarkozy à Paris mardi 15 février pour discuter des priorité de l'Afrique dans le cadre de la double présidence française du G8 et du G20.

Background documents and links

Press release

“France has a historic opportunity to lead”

The Africa Progress Panel encourages President Sarkozy to drive the G20 development agenda

15 February 2010: Today, eight members of the Africa Progress Panel (Kofi Annan, Michel Camdessus, Peter Eigen, Bob Geldof, Linah Mohohlo, Olusegun Obasanjo, Bob Rubin, and Tidjane Thiam) met President Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as the French Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, and Cooperation to discuss ways in which the G20 can tackle the barriers to Africa’s progress.

Led by Mr. Annan, the Panel asked President Sarkozy to put Africa’s development at the heart of his G20 presidency, arguing that France has a historic opportunity to show leadership – by driving forward the development agenda agreed at last year’s G20 Summit in Seoul.

During its discussion with President Sarkozy, the Panel emphasised four clear priorities:

Development of transport, energy and communication infrastructure is a key priority in Africa. Lack of reliable infrastructure is a major barrier not only to development but also to regional integration, trade, and economic diversification. The Panel is proud that APP member Tidjane Thiam is chairing the G20 High-Level Panel for Infrastructure Investment.
Improving food and nutrition security is an agreed global priority, particularly as we continue to face a protracted food crisis. It will require concerted efforts to promote and facilitate private investments in agriculture. The G20 countries must develop coherent and coordinated policies to increase productivity and mitigate the risks from price volatility without distorting markets.
Reforming the global economic system is a priority for governments seeking to secure their finances against future economic crises. But this reform process also provides a critical opportunity to address issues that hold back African development: the conclusion of the Doha Trade Round; increasing access to African markets; reducing barriers to African trade; and institutionalizing African participation in the global economic system.
Promoting good governance, accountability and transparency is in the best interests both of ordinary Africans and multinational companies. Priorities must include increasing the transparency requirements for G20 companies (including on verification and publication of payments), and implementing higher international transparency standards.

Following the meeting, Panel members were pleased to note a strong convergence between their own goals for Africa and President Sarkozy’s declared priorities for this year’s G20 presidency.

Kofi Annan said after the meeting: “I am delighted that President Sarkozy's views largely converge with those of the Africa Progress Panel, and that he is determined to give clear priority to Africa in implementing the important agenda for development adopted by the G20 in Seoul. He has the historic opportunity and, we would argue, the responsibility, to tackle some of the main barriers to African progress. We at the APP stand ready to support him as he faces the difficult task of reconciling the global growth and development agendas. We also welcome the decision made by France to put the partnership with Africa at the heart of the G8 Summit this year.”