Ministerial conference

Presentation

The Kingdom of Morocco will host the Trade Ministerial Conference of African and South American Countries, in Marrakech, on June 17th-20th 2008, following the recommendations of the Africa – South America Summit, which took place on November 26th-30th 2006, in Abuja (Nigeria).

Objectives

The Heads of States and Governments of African and South American countries, having convened in this Summit, have adopted the Abuja Declaration and the Abuja Plan of Action which stipulates the following :

« To hold, with reference to paragraphs (24), (25) and (26) of this plan of action, a Joint Conference of African and South American Ministers of Trade, and accept the offer by the Kingdom of Morocco to host the said Conference at a date to be fixed later.»                          Extract from the Abuja action plan (paragraph 38)

The objectives of the Conference, as stipulated in paragraphs (24), (25) and (26) of the Abuja plan of action, are :

• To harmonize positions on international trade issues;

• To promote and coordinate positions on bilateral and multilateral trade issues; and

• To support and promote mechanisms aimed at fostering inter-regional trade between Africa and South America, including preferential trade arrangements among countries of the two regions.

The Conference will constitute a starting point for trade partnership between African and South American countries. Moreover, it will boost the information flow exchanged across the two regions as far as trade is concerned.

The Ministerial Conference will be preceded by a businessmen forum and a senior officials meeting.