SECOND ASIA-AFRICA FORUM CONCLUDES IN BANGKOK
Press Release
AFR/13
DEV/2164
SECOND ASIA-AFRICA FORUM CONCLUDES IN BANGKOK
19970616 BANGKOK, 13 June (UN Information Service) -- The Second Asia-Africa Forum ended today with a strong message for leaders of the developed world to continue helping in Africa's economic and social recovery.Welcoming the inclusion of African development on the Denver Summit agenda, Governments attending the Forum urged the international community to continue its development assistance to Africa, encourage investment and expand trade in the region.
A number of African countries are increasingly assuming ownership of and responsibility for their development, and making determined efforts in political, economic and social reforms. The participants noted some tangible progress made in good governance and sustainable development.
To consolidate this process, the Forum urged the international community to continue to extend its development assistance to Africa.
The Forum, in its "Bangkok Statement for Furthering Asia-Africa Cooperation", urged African countries to "intensify the pace of structural transformation of their economies, in order to enhance mutually beneficial relationships with Asian countries".
The Statement noted that trade and investment between Asia and Africa, though relatively low, has been rising steadily in recent years, and that South-East Asia has become a major source of foreign direct investment in Africa. In addition to Japan, several other Asian countries were now in a position to provide official development assistance.
Participants were encouraged by instances of triangular cooperation involving donor and developing countries, and observed that such cooperation could be expanded to involve more Asian and African countries.
The Forum emphasized the crucial role of the private sector. Although no single Asian model can be directly replicated, it noted that successful economies in Asia and Africa have implemented policies and strategies conducive to private sector development.
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The Forum recognized that there were numerous opportunities for public and private sector cooperation in such areas as the development of infrastructure, communications, deepening of the financial sector, managerial and vocational skills training, the promotion of foreign investment, and the development of joint ventures.
"I firmly believe that countries of Asia stand ready to be a partner in African development", said Pitak Intrawityanunt, Deputy Foreign Minister of Thailand, at the closing ceremony. "The areas of capacity-building, agriculture and food, and private-sector development, provide some real possibilities for cooperation."
Mr. Pitak suggested a pilot project to symbolize Asia-Africa cooperation, such as "establishing in Africa an Asia-Africa technical and human resource centre. Thailand, for instance, could provide family planning experts, health-care workers, and agriculture technology specialists to be based in such a centre", he said.
The three-day Bangkok Forum focused on capacity-building, including institutional, political and economic aspects, sustainable agricultural development and food security, and private sector development. Participants emphasized the need to establish information dissemination systems that would enable Asian and African countries to assess the potential for cooperation with the private sector.
More needs to be done to expand networks among agricultural institutions and the private sector, the Forum concluded. "In doing so, the areas of cooperation should be clearly defined, with concrete and measurable outcomes. The Forum invites co-organizers to monitor and evaluate such forms of cooperation."
Agriculture was one area where Asia's experience and success can be put to use, participants noted. The rate of growth and productivity of agriculture in Africa continues to decline, resulting in food deficits. Special attention must be paid to such areas as: the role and needs of women; the transfer of technologies, including biotechnologies; water resources management programmes; and more technical cooperation programmes and investment in agriculture.
The Forum agreed that the Third Asia-Africa Forum should be devoted to assessing the progress of cooperation. It expressed the belief that Asia-Africa cooperation would represent a major component of the new global partnership which is emerging.
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The Second Forum was jointly organized by the Governments of Japan and Thailand, the United Nations -- through its Office of the Special Coordinator for Africa and the Least Developed Countries and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) -- and the Global Coalition for Africa. It represents follow-up to the First Asia-Africa Forum, which was held in Indonesia in December 1994.
The Forum is also part of the preparatory process for the Second Tokyo International Conference on Africa Development, to be held in 1998.
It was attended by senior officials from 44 African countries, 11 Asian countries, 12 donor countries, 10 international organizations, and four research institutes.
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