Commissioner Jean-Pierre Ezin to discuss capacity-building partnership in Africa
27 March 2012
Austria
High level representatives from the EU’s institutions, African embassies based in Brussels, Africa’s regional parliaments, African Science and Research Directors, and leading NGOs will also join the debate.
The discussion will centre on forging stronger partnership between Africa, the EU and the US in the fields of security, defence and health. It is perceived that the morning’s discussions will trigger further understanding of the burdens facing parts of Africa and lead to a meaningful foothold for future shared responses to such challenges.
The morning’s principal presentation will come from Pax Mondial – a crisis response, stabilisation and development company operating in Africa and around the world. Mr Paul Wood, Chief Executive Officer, and Mr Leon S. Waskin, Senior Vice President, will outline the organisation’s capabilities and make the case for stimulating and mobilising resources to promote technical assistance in Africa.
Mr Ben Remfrey, Managing Director of Pax’s Mine Action Programme, will open a discussion on the scourge of many states recovering from conflict: landmines. These brutal and indiscriminate weapons are depressingly common in many parts of the world; Africa is certainly no exception. Every year Landmines and the Explosive Remnants of War kill or injure up to 10,000 people, many of whom are civilians, including children. Some 26 countries in Africa suffer from Landmine contamination of varying degrees. The organisation has staged successful de-mining operations in Angola, considered to be the most mine-infested country in Africa, in Mozambique, the Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Eritrea and Sierra Leone. In total, its record is one that is 100% accident and incident-free.
Of similar pressing concern in Africa is the provision of basic medical supply. Due to their remote location and lack of government funding, numerous clinics throughout Africa severely lack basic medical supplies, heavily restricting the services medical personnel are able to provide. Mr Dai Jones, Managing Director of Pax’s Medical Services Programme, will discuss at length the triad of inter-related burdens faced in certain parts of Africa- food insecurity, disease (most commonly HIV/AIDS) and a constriction on the provision of basic services due to the continent’s, often, large geographical disparities and the logistical problems that naturally arise as a result.
The loss of agricultural subsistence farming areas, caused by the proliferation of hazardous ordnance, and the restriction on medical supply are major debilitating factors for indigenous African communities. Concentrating efforts on solutions that are proven to work will be the key message of the day. Following the morning’s presentations, Commissioner Ezin, along with high level representatives from both African and EU institutions, will reflect on these issues and identify priorities moving forward.
“Capacity Building in Africa: Towards a Stronger Partnership”
WHEN: Tuesday 10:00 – 12:00, March 27, 2012
WHERE: Stanhope Hotel, Handelsstraat 9, Brussels, 1000
REGISTRATION AND MORE INFORMATION ON THE AGENDA CAN BE FOUND AT http://www.iscintelligence.com/event.php?id=53#agenda(opens in new window)
Pax Mondial’s overarching goal is to help individuals and institutions build safe, stable and productive societies. It delivers integrated operational support services to enable its partners to build capacities and operate effectively in high-risk environments. Pax Mondial believes strongly that partnership and local ownership of the activities they support are crucial to the long-term success of those efforts, and have therefore developed enduring relationships with local partners in all African countries they operate in (including Zambia, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Somalia, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria).
For further details on Pax Mondial, please visit www.paxmondial.com
The African Union (AU) personifies the institutional evolution of the continent of Africa. Its establishment represents both a commitment to accelerating the process of integration of Africa and an effective means by which to address multifaceted social, economic and political problems. The main objectives of the AU are, inter alia, to combat the remaining vestiges of colonisation and apartheid; to promote unity and solidarity among African States; to coordinate and intensify cooperation for development; to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States; and to promote international cooperation within the framework of the United Nations.
The African Union Commission is the key organ of the AU and plays a central role in day-to-day management. It represents the Union and defends its interests; elaborates draft common positions of the Union; prepares strategic plans and research studies for the consideration of the Executive Council; elaborates, promotes, coordinates and harmonises the programmes and policies of the Union; and safeguards the equality of opportunity in all programmes and activities of the Union.
The discussion will centre on forging stronger partnership between Africa, the EU and the US in the fields of security, defence and health. It is perceived that the morning’s discussions will trigger further understanding of the burdens facing parts of Africa and lead to a meaningful foothold for future shared responses to such challenges.
The morning’s principal presentation will come from Pax Mondial – a crisis response, stabilisation and development company operating in Africa and around the world. Mr Paul Wood, Chief Executive Officer, and Mr Leon S. Waskin, Senior Vice President, will outline the organisation’s capabilities and make the case for stimulating and mobilising resources to promote technical assistance in Africa.
Mr Ben Remfrey, Managing Director of Pax’s Mine Action Programme, will open a discussion on the scourge of many states recovering from conflict: landmines. These brutal and indiscriminate weapons are depressingly common in many parts of the world; Africa is certainly no exception. Every year Landmines and the Explosive Remnants of War kill or injure up to 10,000 people, many of whom are civilians, including children. Some 26 countries in Africa suffer from Landmine contamination of varying degrees. The organisation has staged successful de-mining operations in Angola, considered to be the most mine-infested country in Africa, in Mozambique, the Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda, Eritrea and Sierra Leone. In total, its record is one that is 100% accident and incident-free.
Of similar pressing concern in Africa is the provision of basic medical supply. Due to their remote location and lack of government funding, numerous clinics throughout Africa severely lack basic medical supplies, heavily restricting the services medical personnel are able to provide. Mr Dai Jones, Managing Director of Pax’s Medical Services Programme, will discuss at length the triad of inter-related burdens faced in certain parts of Africa- food insecurity, disease (most commonly HIV/AIDS) and a constriction on the provision of basic services due to the continent’s, often, large geographical disparities and the logistical problems that naturally arise as a result.
The loss of agricultural subsistence farming areas, caused by the proliferation of hazardous ordnance, and the restriction on medical supply are major debilitating factors for indigenous African communities. Concentrating efforts on solutions that are proven to work will be the key message of the day. Following the morning’s presentations, Commissioner Ezin, along with high level representatives from both African and EU institutions, will reflect on these issues and identify priorities moving forward.
“Capacity Building in Africa: Towards a Stronger Partnership”
WHEN: Tuesday 10:00 – 12:00, March 27, 2012
WHERE: Stanhope Hotel, Handelsstraat 9, Brussels, 1000
REGISTRATION AND MORE INFORMATION ON THE AGENDA CAN BE FOUND AT http://www.iscintelligence.com/event.php?id=53#agenda(opens in new window)
Pax Mondial’s overarching goal is to help individuals and institutions build safe, stable and productive societies. It delivers integrated operational support services to enable its partners to build capacities and operate effectively in high-risk environments. Pax Mondial believes strongly that partnership and local ownership of the activities they support are crucial to the long-term success of those efforts, and have therefore developed enduring relationships with local partners in all African countries they operate in (including Zambia, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Somalia, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Nigeria).
For further details on Pax Mondial, please visit www.paxmondial.com
The African Union (AU) personifies the institutional evolution of the continent of Africa. Its establishment represents both a commitment to accelerating the process of integration of Africa and an effective means by which to address multifaceted social, economic and political problems. The main objectives of the AU are, inter alia, to combat the remaining vestiges of colonisation and apartheid; to promote unity and solidarity among African States; to coordinate and intensify cooperation for development; to safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States; and to promote international cooperation within the framework of the United Nations.
The African Union Commission is the key organ of the AU and plays a central role in day-to-day management. It represents the Union and defends its interests; elaborates draft common positions of the Union; prepares strategic plans and research studies for the consideration of the Executive Council; elaborates, promotes, coordinates and harmonises the programmes and policies of the Union; and safeguards the equality of opportunity in all programmes and activities of the Union.