Mr. Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), last Monday declared that Africa’s resilience during the recent global economic crisis had proven that macroeconomic reforms over the past two decades had successfully strengthened the continent’s economic foundations. Continue reading
Enterprise for Development: A New US Policy Approach Toward Africa
On April 26, 2010, the AGOA Action Committee introduced a new six-pronged Africa policy framework entitled “Enterprise for Development: A New US Policy Approach Toward Africa,” or EnDev. The proposal will be presented to the Obama Administration and Congress in support of their on-going work to strengthen and enhance expanded US engagement, trade, investment and proven poverty alleviation efforts with Africa. Continue reading
AGOA’s Architects Unveil New Africa Economic Policy for Obama Administration
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
“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
“Leaders on the Cutting Edge of Change:” Remarks by Rosa Whitaker
“Innovative Mechanisms for Maximizing Capital Flows to Africa”
April 26th, 2010
The Willard InterContinental Hotel, Washington, DC
Opening Remarks by Rosa Whitaker
Good afternoon, Excellencies, honored guests, ladies and gentlemen. We are delighted that you could all join us today. We have with us a host of senior US and African government officials, including Ministers of Finance, Ambassadors, and senior State Department advisors. We also have several senior World Bank officials, and of course we are so pleased to welcome President Donald Kaberuka today. Continue reading
Lesotho Update Winter 2009/10
In This Issue:
Lesotho Stands Strong at Copenhagen Conference
Cellphone Technology Doubles E-Mail Access
Basotho Farmers to Grow Sorghum for Beer
Lesotho to Expand Safe Water Supply
Rural Homes To Gain Access to Solar Power
Uganda Update Fall 2009
In this issue:
- World Bank president hails Uganda as a leader in regional integration
- Reforestation project targets global warming
- Farming program lets thousands return home
- Trade capacity programme opens way the exporters
- MTN Uganda to invest $100 million in upgrades
- UWA turns to social media to save gorillas
- Nile Breweries to double capacity at new plant Continue reading
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
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
Obama in Ghana
Published at allafrica.com – Trade Talk with Rosa Whitaker
by Rosa Whitaker
In Ghana, President Obama made a strong, albeit not new, call for better governance in Africa. I was there and witnessed the extraordinary enthusiasm that met the president and also the ambivalence among Africans about his message.
Why did Mr. Obama not call upon the Russians to embrace better governance when he was there just days before arriving in Accra? Indeed, why had he not delivered a similar message to the people of the Middle East during his historic speech in Cairo in June? Continue reading
Rosa Whitaker Joins High-Level Speakers at World Trade Organization’s Aid for Trade Conference
Yesterday in Geneva, Rosa Whitaker, President and CEO of the Whitaker Group, joined World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Pascal Lamy, World Bank President Robert Zoellick, President Donald Kaberuka of the African Development Bank, Ministers of Trade from Africa and Asia, the heads of regional organizations such as ECOWAS, and leaders of the International Trade Centre and the United Nations Development Programme as a presenter at the WTO’s Second Global Review of Aid for Trade. Continue reading
Nigeria Higher Education Foundation Presents Leadership Awards to Soyinka, Payne, Ezekwesili and Whitaker
The Nigeria Higher Education Foundation (NHEF), on June 24, 2009, honored four distinguished leaders for their commitment to sustainable development through education at an inaugural gala event in New York City. Honorees included Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, World Bank Vice President for Africa Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, Congressman Donald M. Payne (D-NJ), and Rosa Whitaker, President and CEO of The Whitaker Group. 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
Uganda Update Spring 2009
In this issue:
- Uganda set to be among Africa’s strongest economies in 2009
- Uganda secures African Development Bank funding to improve local markets
- MTN Uganda launches mobile money transfer service
- Computer education initiative wins Intel award
- Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa launches African Seed Investment Fund
- GroFin to invest $20 million to support small businesses
- Uganda poised to become business outsourcing hub Continue reading
Ugandan Economy to be among Africa’s Strongest in 2009
Coffee is Uganda's top export, earning $348 million in 2008.
Uganda’s economy is expected to be among Africa’s strongest in 2009 with a growth rate of around 6% thanks largely to strong regional trade and continued demand for its agricultural exports, according to the African Economic Outlook 2009, published in May by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Continue reading
President Obama’s Emerging Africa Policy
Published at allAfrica.com – Trade Talk with Rosa Whitaker
by Rosa Whitaker
Slowly but surely, President Obama’s Africa policy is beginning to take shape. In my twenty-five years of work on African economic issues, I’ve seen consecutive US Administrations become increasingly more committed to Africa’s development. I don’t believe President Obama will be an exception. The fact that his overall foreign policy is driven by experienced-hands with Africa expertise gives reason to believe that Africa will be well-integrated and supported within the broader US foreign and economic policy construct. Continue reading
Africa: The Unsung Piece of Jack Kemp’s Legacy
by Rosa Whitaker
Congressman Jack Kemp will be remembered for many things, but for me, Jack Kemp will always personify a particular vision of an Africa enjoying the prosperity that only integration can deliver, a full and active partner in the global community.
I was privileged to work with Congressman Kemp to make that vision a reality-first in the late 1990s, when he was one of the main advocates working with me in a bipartisan effort to pass the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and more recently as co-chair with me of the AGOA Action Committee advocating for enhancements to the legislation. Continue reading
African Finance Officials Outline Strategy to Weather Global Economic Crisis
Tanzanian Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs, Mr. Mustafa Mkulo
African Finance Ministers and central bankers in Washington last week for the spring meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were cautiously optimistic that with careful fiscal policies at home and support from multilateral institutions and international donors, many African countries will be able to weather the global economic downturn and even emerge from it stronger than before. Continue reading
Tackling Lesotho’s Health Challenges
Dr. Karabo Mokobocho-Mohlakoana is Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Lesotho. She was in Washington on the week of April 20 as part of a delegation of senior health officials from 11 African countries and the African Union under the aegis of Global Health Progress, an initiative to bring research-based biopharmaceutical companies and global health leaders together to improve health in the developing world. In this interview, she discusses how Lesotho and its partners are tackling the country’s health challenges.
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