1-3 October: The Africa Trade Network(ATN) will hold a continent-wide civil society meeting on the WTO from 1st-3rd October 2009. The meeting will contribute to strengthening Africa civil society’s activities around the Ministerial Conference of WTO planned for November-December 2009. (http://www.twnafrica.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=205:pan-african-civil-society-preparatory-meeting-for-2009-wto-ministerial&catid=70:events&Itemid=118)


8 October: National Campaign Forum on October 8th, 2009 at Akoti in the Sefwi Wiawso District of Western Region. Concern Citizens of Sefwi are the hosting organisation. Facilitated by the National Coalition on Mining (NCOM)


14-16 October:  The Third World Network Africa (TWN Africa) will hold a Dialogue on the Gender Dimensions, Impacts And Implications of the Global Financial and Economic Crises in Africa from the 14 – 16 October 2009, in Accra Ghana.
(http://www.twnafrica.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=204:africa-wide-dialogue-on-gender-africa-and-the-global-financial-and-economic-crises&catid=70:events&Itemid=118)
 

Accra, Aug. 10, GNA - The 2009 Annual Review and Strategy Meeting of the Africa Trade Network (ATN) opens in Accra on Tuesday, August 11, to discuss the impact of the global economic crises on Africa and to enable civil society come out with appropriate responses in their campaigns to deal with the crisis.  

The four-day conference to be held between August 11-14 will explore the implications of the global crises on food, energy, finance, trade and production and chart a framework within which on-going African civil society advocacy and campaigns on the EPAs, WTO, debt, resource extraction and other economic policy concerns can be situated.

The meeting brings together members of the ATN and other networks of civil society organisations working on finance, trade, investment and economic development in Africa to discuss and develop shared positions on the current crises of the global economy and their implications for Africa's development.

A statement in Accra said the global financial and economic crisis had exposed the weak nature of African economies within the global system as shown in the dependence on few export primary commodities thus undermining economic activity in most countries. 

from: http://www.ghananewsagency.org/s_economics/r_7308/

AFRICA TRADE NETWORK

UNCTAD XII PANEL DISCUSSION ON

'WHY THE EPAs ARE AGAINST DEVELOPMENT'

Organized by the Africa Trade Network (ATN) in collaboration with Stop EPA Advocacy & Campaign Partners

Date and Venue:  09.30am-12.30pm, Tuesday 22nd April 2008 at the 'NGO Hall', Ghana International Conference Centre, Accra.

Background: In December 2007 35 ACP countries, including 19 African countries, initialed so-called 'Interim Economic Partnership Agreements' (IEPAs) with the European Commission, as a stepping stone towards comprehensive EPAs to be completed in 2008. The Caribbean Region has already concluded such a full EPA with the EU. As is widely acknowledged, the EPAs will radically affect ACP-EU trade and economic relations and have profound negative impacts on ACP national and regional economies. Further, as a potential model for North-South relations, the EPAs have implications far beyond the regions and peoples directly concerned. Africa will experience the most concentrated and far-reaching impacts of the EPAs, and therefore has perhaps the strongest imperative for interrogating and resisting the EPAs.

UNCTAD XII, taking place in Africa, offers the opportunity: i) To consolidate the voices of concern and dissent - official-cum-civil society- around the 'actually- existing EPAs' as an effective pole of influence and to harmonize their interactions, mutual support and collaboration in intervening in EPA processes; ii) To root this consolidation in a practical frame of reference of strategic imperatives, parameters and 'red lines' in the EPAs and, iii). To mainstream critiques against EPAs in richer and more comprehensive linkages with progressive initiatives of, and within, developing countries in the wider milieu of Development and Trade.

Moderator:  Gyekye Tanoh, Third World Network Africa/ ATN

Speakers:

Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, ENDA Tiers Monde, Senegal/ATN

Emily Jones, Oxfam GB

Hon Deputy Minister of Trade & Industry, Republic of South Africa

Representative of the Ministry of Economics, Brazil

Hon Minister for Commerce, Republic of Senegal (tbc)

Contact: ATN Secretariat, email: politicaleconomy@twnafrica.org ; Christabel Phiri: +233 246 935127