European Parliamentarians with Africa

The Role of Parliamentarians in Private Sector Development and Climate Change Adaptation, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 15-16 June 2009

The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), East African Parliaments, the East African Business Council and AWEPA will organise a Great Lakes Region Parliamentary Training Seminar on Private Sector Development, Climate Change and Agriculture Development on June 15 and 16 in Dar es Salaam. This will constitute a follow up to regional seminars organized according to the same theme in 2006 and 2007. The objective is to enhance the role of parliaments and parliamentarians in improving the business and investment environment in the region, in the build up to the East Africa Common Market. In addition, the Seminar will provide opportunities for parliamentarians to address the relationship of climate change with private sector development (PSD) and agriculture development, with a view to proposing policy and legislative action in support of adaptation, mitigation and food security initiatives. 

The seminar seeks to support MDGs 1, 7 and 8 which aim respectively to ensure environmental sustainability, eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, and the creation of a  global partnership for development, supportive of commercially viable business ideas that enhance growth, wealth and job creation.

The new East African Common Market offers considerable opportunities that parliamentarians and the business community need to fully understand - both to stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty in the region.

Parliaments, through their legislative, oversight and representation functions are key institutions in ensuring a conducive business environment in the context of legislation and legal frameworks based on democratic principles. These are crucial cornerstones for pro-poor economic growth - a fundamental requirement in poverty reduction strategies.

Objectives:

• Initiate processes to formulate and harmonize national policies and legislation, supportive of a conducive climate for business and with the potential for providing incentives to enhance economic activity in the region.
• Initiate a dialogue process on the impact of climate change on food security and potential joint efforts by private sector and parliaments to address the challenges of climate change and agriculture development.
• Discuss Gender concerns in economic activities, access to credit and poverty eradication.
• Debate the impact of the current global financial crisis on private sector development and regional integration processes.

Target Groups:

Parliamentarians and private sector actors

Number of Participants:

From Africa: 60
From Europe: 10

Partner Organisations:

Parliament of Tanzania
EALA
EABC