Ten years after the enactment of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a coalition of its original architects and supporters on Monday unveiled a comprehensive new trade and economic policy to be presented to the Obama Administration that would build on AGOA’s successes and expand the growing trade relationship between Africa and the United States. Continue reading
Moving Forward into AGOA’s Second Decade
This week TWG helped to organize and to co-host two back-to-back events that brought together an amazing coalition of people from Africa, the US and beyond to plan the strategy for AGOA as it moves forward into its second decade, and to discuss ways to maximize capital flows to Africa and give the African Diaspora vehicles to use remittances to invest in Africa’s development. Continue reading
“A Call to Action:” Remarks on AGOA by Rosa Whitaker
“Leaders Forum: AGOA and the Way Forward on U.S.-Africa Economic Policy”
April 26th, 2010
The Willard InterContinental Hotel, Washington DC
Remarks by Rosa Whitaker
Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen, Honored Guests. I would like to begin by welcoming you all and by thanking my co-hosts for their support of this event: The AGOA Action Committee, the Africa Coalition for Trade, the African-American Unity Caucus, the Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa, the Constituency for Africa, the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation, Manchester Trade, and the Corporate Council on Africa. Continue reading
How Not to Use Trade Preferences
By Patrick Costello
The report on trade preference programs recently released by the Center for Global Development, while making a number of sound recommendations for reforming and harmonizing the myriad of preference programs extended to the developing world from “rich countries,” contains several points that would be harmful to nations benefiting from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Continue reading
International Trade Daily – Group Seeks to Protect AGOA Members From Asian Apparel ‘Hyper-Competitors’
By Len Bracken
International Trade Daily
April 27, 2010
Reproduced with permission from International Trade Daily, 79 [ITD-BUL] (April 27, 2010). Copyright 2010 by The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (800-372-1033) http://www.bna.com
A group supporting the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA ) released April 26 an outline for a new U.S. policy approach toward Africa that includes a call to protect the law’s beneficiaries from what the group calls “hyper-competitors” from other parts of the world. Continue reading
Create Jobs in Africa, and All Else Will Follow
Published at allAfrica.com – Trade Talk with Rosa Whitaker
by Rosa Whitaker
Bill Gates’ commitment at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to give $10 billion over the next decade to develop and distribute vaccines to children in the world’s poorest countries has stimulated an interesting discussion on what would be the best use for such a large charitable gift. It’s an important discussion too, as more very wealthy entrepreneurs use their charitable giving to change the whole paradigm of aid to the “bottom billion.” Continue reading
Africa Health News November-December 2009
In this issue:- World’s largest malaria vaccine trial launched in southern African nations
- New infections are declining in sub-Saharan Africa as people living with HIV increase
- New partnerships advance NTD treatments
- Safe blood foundation saves lives
- African private sector contributes to global fund
- New report highlights successful collaborations in improving health
- Leaders in Health: Dr Benjamin Kumbour, Minister of Health, Ghana Continue reading
Congress Daily – Reaction to McDermott Bill Harsh, Muted
By Peter Cohn
Congress Daily
November 20, 2009
African nations and domestic textile interests wasted no time slamming the first serious legislative attempt in the 111th Congress to overhaul U.S. trade preferences, while Bangladesh, a key player on the opposite side of the debate, was lukewarm. Continue reading
Africa Health News September-October 2009
President Kagame calls for strong health leadership- Leaders discuss secure supply chains
- Alliance launched to eliminate malaria deaths
- Kenya to benefit from private equity health investments
- New drug targets sleeping sickness
- New public-private partnership to improve blood collection safety
- African nations seek accreditation for medical laboratories
- GSK to make a large investment in AIDS drugs for Africa
- WHO proposes preparedness response to H1N1 flu pandemic
- Leaders in Health: Dr Gunther Faber, CEO, the Healthstore Foundation
- Tanzanian anti-malarial bed net plant to expand production
Rosa Whitaker Calls for Expanded AGOA, Stronger Constituency For Africa
Lays out Policy Imperatives for the Obama Administration during annual CBC Conference
Washington, D.C. (September 25, 2009) – At two headline events on US-Africa policy during the Congressional Black Caucus’s Annual Legislative Conference, Rosa Whitaker, President and CEO of the Whitaker Group and the first ever Assistant US Trade Representative for Africa, called on advocates for Africa to reach out to Congress and the Obama Administration in a concerted effort to support several new trade and investment initiatives for the continent. Continue reading
Debunking Myths About AGOA
Published at allafrica.com – Trade Talk with Rosa Whitaker
by Rosa Whitaker
In the aftermath of the annual AGOA Forum held last month in Nairobi, there has been a chorus of pessimists placing AGOA in the Hall of Shame of failed policy initiatives. They could not be more wrong.
In fact, AGOA is among the most successful US policies towards Africa-especially in terms of a return-on-investment ratio. According to the OECD, over the past 50 years the US has spent well over $325 billion dollars in foreign aid to Africa – yet Africa remains the only region of the world getting poorer. The returns on investments from US aid have been dismal. Continue reading
Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report Recommends Extending AGOA Trade Preferences to Boost African Apparel
Will Global Recession Damage US-Africa Trade Ties?
Published at allafrica.com
by Paul Collier and Rosa Whitaker
Writing after last week’s United States-Africa trade forum in Nairobi, Paul Collier and Rosa Whitaker call on both the U.S. and African nations to craft a meaningful strategy to prevent better trade relations from becoming “a casualty of the recession and of the drift towards political expediency and protectionism.”
This week in Nairobi, Kenya, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton led a US delegation to the 8th Annual African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum. This Forum, a meeting of US and African ministers, business and civil society leaders, was created as part of AGOA — the first comprehensive US trade policy towards Africa. Continue reading
Marketing and Branding for African Exporters
At last week’s 8th Annual AGOA Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, TWG Managing Director Aubrey Hruby joined a distinguished panel of speakers from such organizations as USAID’s West Africa Trade Hub, South African sourcing agent Cool Ideas, and the Kenya ICT Board to address the topic “Development of and Access to AGOA Export Markets.” Continue reading
The New Global Reality: Africans Lead the Way at the AGOA Forum
Kenyan PM Odinga addresses the AGOA Forum. Source: KICC, 2009 AGOA 8th Forum.
The world has come to expect strong and dynamic leadership from the Obama administration. In the campaign, they promised to bring change and new ideas to domestic and international policy and to redefine and recalibrate the US’s role in the world. At the 8th Annual AGOA Forum-the annual US-Africa Summit-held this week in Kenya, however, it was the African leaders who broke new ground. Continue reading
Africa Health News July-August 2009
- African Institutions to Lead Global Health Consortia
- Wyeth Launches Final Trial of Drug to Prevent Blindness
- International Network Established to Combat Malaria Resistance
- Malaria Vaccine One Step Closer
- Rockefeller Foundation Unveils Groundbreaking Initiative to Improve Health in Africa and Asia
- Ethiopian Health Minister to Chair Global Fund Board
- Global Business Coalition Announces 2009 Awards for Business Excellence
- Dr. Sam Zaramba, Director General of Health Services, Uganda — a Leader in Health Continue reading
Not On My Watch
Published at allafrica.com – Trade Talk with Rosa Whitaker
by Rosa Whitaker
As the Obama Administration develops its Africa and trade policies, it is critical that it resists pressure from some development advocates and members of Congress to support legislation that extends the duty-free access to the US market enjoyed by African nations under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to all Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Continue reading
Africa Health News May-June 2009
In this issue:
- Global Health Progress initiative hosts senior African health officials.
- President Obama asks for $63 billion for global health.
- Rwanda first developing nation to offer pneumococcal vaccine.
- Sustainable drug procurement key to enhance to healthcare in Africa.
- Private equity fund launched to strengthen healthcare in Africa.
- Delegation observes World Malaria Day on Capitol Hill.
- Dr Eric Goosby, Global AIDS Coordinator nominee. Continue reading
Trade-Led Growth and Development, Even in a Recession
By Meg Dallett
Amidst the omnipresent news stories about countries and industries suffering in the global economic crisis, there’s good news coming out of East Africa: according to the African Development Bank’s African Economic Outlook 2009, growth for the region is expected to be about 5.5% for this year. This is much, much better than almost every other region in the world is expected to do. Continue reading
When Medicine is Just Out of Reach
On the ground in Ghana
Last week, I stopped by the Fevers unit at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital here in Accra. I was amazed to learn during my conversation with Dr. Adwoa Agyei, a brilliant young doctor at the unit, that about 25% of the population of Ghana has been exposed to hepatitis. Dr. Agyei lamented that the problem is not a lack of vaccines. The vaccines are available – delivery is the issue. Continue reading
