Final communique - 23rd Conference of Heads of State of Africa and France.

23rd CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF STATE OF AFRICA AND FRANCE TO BAMAKO.

- FINAL COMMUNIQUE -

BAMAKO, 4 DECEMBER 2005.

1. The 23rd Africa-France Conference of Heads of State and Government was held at the International Conference Centre in Bamako on 3-4 December 2005, at the invitation of His Excellency Mr. Amadou Toumani Touré, President of the Republic of Mali.

2. Fifty-one African States took part in the Conference alongside France. Twenty-five were represented by the Head of State. The newly elected President of Liberia, Ms Ellen Johnson-Searleaf, the first woman Head of State in Africa, was particularly warmly applauded. Somalia, which was attending an Africa-France Summit for the first time, was represented by its Prime Minister. Representatives of the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union and other regional and international organisations also took part in the Conference.

3. The Conference, which was preceded by the preparatory ministerial meeting in Bamako on 1 December 2005, had as its main theme "African Youth: Its Vitality, Creativity and Aspirations".
On the initiative of President Amadou Toumani Touré of Mali, a Youth Forum was held on 8-9 November 2005 in Bamako, bringing together young people from all five regions of Africa in order to express their ambitions and expectations to the Heads of State.

4. The official opening ceremony for the 23rd Africa-France Summit was marked by:
- a speech welcoming the participants given by His Excellency Mr. Amadou Toumani Touré, President of the Republic of Mali,
- a speech given in the name of the Heads of State and Government by His Excellency El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba, President of the Republic of Gabon,
- a speech given by His Excellency Mr. Jacques Chirac, President of the French Republic,
- the Address of African Youth given by Ms Tamoifo Nkom Marie, accompanied by a group of young people.

5. After having recalled that the young account for two-thirds of the population of the African continent, the Heads of State emphasised the urgent need to restore hope and confidence to youth, and to define prospects for the future that will enable young people to play to the full the role that is rightfully theirs in the context of globalisation at the dawn of the 21st century.

6. Following exchanges of views between them on the concerns and aspirations of young people, focused on the sub-themes set out below, the Heads of State and Government arrived at the following conclusions:

7. Socio-political and economic integration of youth in the development process in Africa:
The Conference emphasised the necessity of involving young people in decisions that concern them or which have an impact on their future. It called also for a sense of responsibility and adherence to ethical values.
It also underscored the imperative need to mobilise additional financial resources to facilitate the integration of youth in the economy.
In this respect it was suggested that a Euro-African Investment Fund should be set up for the benefit of young people, in conjunction with the continuation by France of its persuasion of other partners of the desirability of a solidarity levy on air tickets.
The Conference also expressed the wish to see the WTO ministerial meeting scheduled to take place in Hong Kong take into account, in the context of the trade negotiations, the priorities for development in Africa and consequently adopted the communiqué appended hereto.

8. Training and employment:
The Conference emphasised the fundamental role played by elementary education and vocational training for access to employment, including in rural areas, and the need to adapt educational and training systems to realities and to the needs of modernisation in African countries, as well as to the requirements of globalisation.
It also made clear that peace and stability, good governance and equity were necessary to encourage economic development, a source of new employment.

9. Migration-related phenomena as factors for integration:
The phenomenon of illegal immigration was a focus of attention at the Conference. It is closely linked to the difficult economic situation experienced by African countries and the solution to it necessary involves the development of those countries through increased support from the industrialised world and new arrangements on debt.
The Conference acknowledged that the migration of young people to the interior or outside the continent contributes to the economic growth and development of the host countries. The States must grasp this opportunity to enter into agreements or conventions concerning border management, terms of residence, issuance of work permits, and so on.

10. Return of African expertise to Africa:
The African Diaspora, due to its quality and high levels of revenue, is a key factor for the continent's development. In order to ensure that Africa benefits from African expertise outside its borders, the Conference felt that the countries of origin and the host countries must work together to mobilise the technical and financial capabilities of the Diaspora, harnessing them to development projects in the countries of origin (the co-development concept) as well as limiting the numbers leaving by strengthening local training.
It was proposed that a Franco-African working group should be set up to study the phenomenon and put forward solutions.

11. African youth and the great public health issues:
The Heads of State and Government reaffirmed their commitment to intensification of the combat against HIV/AIDS through a strengthening of national health systems in order to facilitate access for young people to urgently needed healthcare and community services.
They sent out a call to the international community pressing for greater mobilisation of financial resources in support of national and regional efforts aimed at combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases, which constitute a grave danger for the young.

12. The vitality and creativity of African youth:
The Conference emphasised the necessity of using the new information and communications technologies to promote youth employment, business exchanges and opportunities, education and development, including for rural areas.
The Conference referred to the challenges and opportunities offered to young people by the revolution in information technology, as was recently highlighted by the Tunis Summit on the Information Society.

13. The role of African youth in enhancing the image of Africa, cultural diversity, art and culture:
The Conference acknowledged the leading role of youth in enhancing Africa's image and in the struggle for the acceptance of the cultural diversity that will ensure better understanding between peoples and at the same time encourage the introduction of development in a spirit of solidarity and sustainable peace.
The Conference was pleased to note the adoption on 20 October 2005 by the 33rd session of the General Conference of UNESCO of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, aimed most notably at the promotion of national cultures. It called upon the States to ratify the convention.

14. With regard to Côte d'Ivoire, the Conference emphasised that it was urgent, if the chances of reconciliation were to be preserved, to implement the provisions of resolution 1633, by designating without delay a Prime Minister and defining his specific powers.
The Conference also recalled the necessity of holding free and transparent elections within the stipulated period.

15. Presidents Amadou Toumani Touré and Jacques Chirac, acting in the name of their peers, delivered to Ms Marie Tamoifo Nkom the reply to the Address of African Youth.





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