strategic significance of india africa forum summit, 2015

Strategic Significance of India Africa Forum Summit

Dr. Kamakhya Nr. Singh

http://ng.linkedin.com/in/kamakhyasingh/

[email protected]

Strategic Significance of India Africa Forum Summit, 2015

Dr. Kamakhya Nr. Singh [http://ng.linkedin.com/in/kamakhyasingh/] Page 1 of 16

A few of the tweets from PMO1 of India and the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi2, himself

reflected the aims and achievement of 3rd India-Africa Forum Summit (The two previous India-

Africa summits in 2008 and 2011, in New Delhi and Addis Ababa respectively) in the last week

of October, 2015

- Partnership between India & Africa natural; our aspirations & challenges similar

- 2/3rd of India & Africa is under the age of 35. And, if the future belongs to the youth, then this century is ours to shape & build

- The heart-beat of 1.25 billion Indians & 1.25 billion Africans are in rhythm - It is not just a meeting of India & Africa. Today, the dreams of one-third of humanity

have come together under one roof - India to focus on technology to transform lives of the weakest in the remotest parts of Africa

Background

- Once upon a time (about 250 million years ago!) India and Africa3 were together - India and Africa share a lot in terms of history and culture and have common

development challenges and goals - The India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS)4 is a celebration of the close partnership

between Africa and India. It is an acknowledgement of our shared history as well as our future prospects

- Partnership between India and Africa is natural, because not only the destinies of both partners are closely inter-linked but also their aspirations and challenges are so similar

- Some of the fastest growing economies of the world are in Africa (a continent of 54 countries). India is one of the fastest growing large economies of the world

- Huge population (means labour as well as market) – about 1.2 billion for India as well as for Africa - and huge stock of natural resources in Indo-Africa region mean that there are ample inputs for development

- A World Bank report5 showed that Africa’s rate of extreme poverty fell from 56% in 1990 to 43% in 2012. But because of population increases, an estimated 63 million more people live in extreme poverty in Africa today than in 1990

- From global development perspective, most of the poorest people are in Africa and India – so global development (which is much more than economic growth) has to be driven by development in India and Africa. It would not be possible for the world to effectively end extreme poverty by 2030, without focusing its strategy and resources on India-Africa

- Under the new Government of India, there have been renewed efforts to not only let world know why India is an attractive country to engage for development but also allow India itself play a more meaningful role in geopolitical development

- Africa has been attracting lot of attention from global economic and military powers like USA, Europe, China, etc. and India cannot remain oblivious of current global development trends

- For India, it was a an important occasion where Indian Prime Minister and other Cabinet Ministers could meet the Head of States (and their representatives) at one place, while providing cultural hospitality that India has been known for



Major Takeaways

A lot of activities tool place during the four days of Summit. Major discussion undertaken and subsequent decisions reached during the four-day India-Africa Forum Summit were:

1) Development through trade and investment –

• PM Modi said6 "To add strength to our partnership, India will offer concessional credit of US$ 10 billion over the next five years. This will be in addition to our ongoing credit programme," Modi said, adding India will also offer a grant assistance of US$ 600 million which includes an India-Africa Development Fund of US$100 million, a Health Fund of US$10 million and 50,000 scholarships for African students in India with an assistance to “support the expansion of the Pan Africa E-Network and institutions of skilling, training and learning across Africa.”

• US$10 billion concessional credit and attached grant over the next five years will be in addition to the ongoing credit programme of US$7.4 billion and grant of US$1.2 billion provided since the first India-Africa Summit in 2008.

• The concessional credit would be largely utilized7 for and developing infrastructure, public transport, clean energy, irrigation, agriculture and manufacturing capacity across Africa.

• Modi also promised8 that “We will work with you to realise your vision of a prosperous Africa, based on inclusive growth, empowered citizens and sustainable development; an integrated and culturally vibrant Africa; and, a peaceful and secure Africa, which has its rightful global place and is a strong partner for the world,”

2) Climate change – Emphasizing on the need of relying on renewable source of energy so that the global climate remains favourable for future generations, Modi proposed a grand alliance on solar power between India and Africa. Modi said9:

“When the sun sets, tens of millions of homes in India and Africa become dark. We want to light up lives of our people and power their future.

“But, we want to do it in a way that the snow on Kilimanjaro does not disappear, the glacier that feeds the River Ganga does not retreat and our islands are not doomed.

“No one has done less to contribute to global warming than India and Africa. No one can be more conscious of climate change than Indians and Africans.”

3) Security, Defence and Terrorism

• The most common issues in the series of bilateral talks10, targeting terrorism and defense issues, were counter-terrorism, maritime security, cyber security and defence cooperation. Threat posed by Boko Haram in large parts of north-east Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger and by Al Shabab in Kenya and Somalia was discussed in detail.

• African leaders want to increase the capability of their defence forces and have a robust intelligence so that they are better able to battle the rising spectre of terrorism and piracy in their backyard. India’s experience in dealing with similar challenges can be quite helpful to African nations.



• India stressed the need to adopt the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism11 that would remove any lacuna in legal framework that exists while having 13 different laws in dealing with it.

4) Reforms in United Nations and other global institutions such as WTO

• Indian External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, noting that democratic reforms are

essential in global institutions, said that the 70th session of the UN General Assembly is

an opportune moment to achieve concrete results to resolve these issues. She said that 12 “Unless we put in place more democratic global governance structures, the more

equitable and just international security and development frameworks that are

essential for collective peace and prosperity of this planet, will continue to elude us.

There can no longer be pockets of prosperity in vast areas of underdevelopment and

insecurity.”

• In a speech to the India-Africa Forum Summit in New Delhi, Modi said13 that the UN and other global institutions “risked becoming irrelevant” if they did not adapt to a changing political and economic landscape. He said that “The world is undergoing political, economic, technological and security transition on a scale and speed rarely seen in recent history, yet our global institutions reflect the circumstances of the century that we left behind, not the one we are in today… unless they adjust to the changing world, they risk becoming irrelevant.”

• Prime Minister Modi said in his inaugural address14 “Our institutions cannot be representative of our world, if they do not give voice to Africa, with more than a quarter of UN members, or the world’s largest democracy with one-sixth of humanity. That is why India and Africa must speak in one voice for reforms of the United Nations, including its Security Council”.

• The reform to international institutions like UN becomes more relevant in view of the

fact that India and Africa are together home to a third of the world’s population, but

neither India nor any African country has a permanent seat on the UN Security Council

What is the gain for Africa?

African countries have competitive offers for development of their continent. Indian

government offered technology and credit in an effort to match rival China's influence15 over

the continent. India will be assisting in development of infrastructure, public transport, clean

energy, irrigation, agriculture and manufacturing capacity across Africa. Even though China is

ahead, but Africa’s needs and India’s experience are a good fit16.

Overall outcome

This Summit has immense strategic significance in terms of global development as also for the

relationship between India and Africa. The outcome of this Summit will pave way for

development of as diverse field as Climatic Change, Security and Defence and Socio-Economic

Development. At the inaugural address of this Summit, Prime Minister Modi had laid down

goals and expectations from this summit. PM Modi, in his concluding remarks spelt out that



Africa would remain at the centre of India’s attentions. He indicated that India will work with

Africa to realize the vision of a prosperous Africa, based on inclusive growth, empowered

citizens and sustainable development; an integrated and culturally vibrant Africa; and, a

peaceful and secure Africa, which has its rightful global place and is a strong partner for the

world. At the end of the Summit, a joint declaration, Delhi Declaration, and a Framework for

Strategic Cooperation were adopted by India and Africa covering a range of important strategic

issues such as Economic Development, Trade and Industry, Agriculture, Energy, Infrastructure,

Education and Skills Development, Health, Peace and Security, Cooperation at International

Fora, etc.

Impact of the deliberations at the Summit would only become evident in future. A close

monitoring and regular follow-up on the actions to be taken to achieve desired results would

be a prerequisite for the success of subsequent India Africa Forum Summits. To ensure that

projects decided at the summit are completed, after proper due diligence and monitoring, the

summit would be held every 5 years, instead of every 3 years.



Annexure I

DELHI DECLARATION 2015

The Delhi Declaration17, emerging out of India Africa Forum Summit of 2015, showed that India and Africa needed to speak in once voice and needed to cooperate in the fields of: i) Economic Development

• Continue to work together in promoting investment exchanges and encourage establishment of direct trade relations through opening of new markets and raising the level of trade relations between the two sides in order to contribute to sustainable growth and economic development; • Support long term capital flows to Africa to stimulate investment, especially in Infrastructure and in this regard, support the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), particularly with regard to increasing financial flows to the program. Call equally upon all members of the international community to remove and cease imposing unilaterally motivated economic coercive measures jeopardizing the movement of funds, trade exchanges and socio-economic development; • Call upon the international community to expedite the process of enabling African Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) to benefit from all initiatives aiming at alleviating the burden of debts for HIPCs, within the agreed concepts and principles of sustainable development; • Enhance collaboration in the use and development of appropriate technologies as well as in emerging and high technology areas since technology provides solutions to many of our common challenges; • Cooperate and coordinate in the field of women empowerment, enhancing women's economic, social and legal status, providing women with job opportunities and better chances to participate in the economic, social and political spheres and continue joint efforts aimed at eradicating discrimination against women; ii) Trade and Industry • Work closely together within the framework of the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement (TFTA) which brought together SADC, EAC and COMESA for the expansion of trade and investment linkages and extend the framework to other Regional Economic Communities; • Support the establishment of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA) aimed at integrating Africa’s markets in line with the objectives and principles enunciated in the Abuja Treaty, establishing the African Economic Community (AEC) and its resolve to support the work of the Continental Free Trade Area-Negotiating Forum (CFTA-NF) towards concluding the negotiations by 2017; • Fast track the implementation of the Duty Free Tariff Preference scheme offered by India since this would play a significant role in increasing trade between Africa and India; • Work towards creating conducive environment for trade facilitation in accordance with the WTO Bali Trade Facilitation Agreement; • Support establishment of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Medium and Small Industries (MSIs) in order to promote employment creation and income generation for people of both sides;



• Promote Public Private Partnership (PPP) by encouraging Indian businesses to set up skills development units in African industrial zones with the aim to train African engineers, technicians, managers and workers as well as other experts in areas such as food security and solar energy; iii) Agriculture • Pursue joint cooperation in the agricultural and food security fields and support the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP) to increase productivity, conserve land and environment as well as ensure food and nutritional security; • Further increase our cooperation in improving farming techniques through appropriate and affordable technology, appropriate use of irrigation, improving crop varieties and other measures; • Promote investment in agribusinesses and food processing industries to generate employment and greater revenue; iv) Energy • Intensify our ongoing cooperation in developing renewable energy generation including solar, wind, hydro, geo-thermal and bio-mass along with building power transmission systems; v) Blue/ Ocean Economy • Promote cooperation in the Blue/Ocean economy, towards the sustainable development of marine resources; place special emphasis on closer collaboration in developing sustainable fisheries, combating illegal and unregulated fishing, managing the marine resources, exploring non-marine resources, conducting hydrography surveys, promoting eco-tourism, developing renewable energy, disaster risk reduction through modern early warning tools, pollution control and other coastal and ocean studies; vi) Infrastructure • Intensify ongoing cooperation in training, capacity building, consultancy and project implementation through concessional credit in infrastructure areas, including water supply management, maritime connectivity, road and railway construction and upgrading; vii) Education and Skills Development • Provide and facilitate the access and enrollment of African students and academicians to India’s premier institutions of higher learning in an effort to boost Africa’s human resource capacity including in areas such as engineering, medical technology and agriculture; • Collaborate in capacity building and the use of remote sensing technologies for natural resource mapping, including agriculture, water, forest cover, mineral and marine resources, disaster management and disaster risk reduction, including early warning of natural disasters; • Foster cooperation among scientific and research centers in Africa and India to make use of ICT and modern technologies and geographic information systems; • Cooperate in making technology and digital networks become effective tools in our fight against poverty, and ensure it benefits the needy, improves delivery of services, catalyzes



development and increases citizen participation in governance, as well as promotes financial inclusion and empowerment through access to banks, credit and social insurance against diseases and accidents; • Promote joint coordination and cooperation to improve the future of the youth through programs for capacity building and knowledge exchange among youths on the two sides and strengthen their capacities to meet the challenges of globalization and its repercussions; • Continue to provide the necessary support for the establishment and operationalization of the institutions agreed by the two sides; viii) Health • Enhance joint cooperation in health and pharmaceutical development as well as telemedicine and traditional medicine, jointly combat diseases and pandemics and increase the efficiency of health institutes through comprehensive training programs and coordination at international level to harness modern scientific technologies for medicine and treatment; • Cooperate in the training of doctors and healthcare personnel including through tele-medicine, medical missions, development and utilization of modern technology, enhanced access to generic medicines, promotion of the use of traditional medicines and regulatory procedures as well as combating the challenges posed by pandemics; • Cooperate in ensuring access to affordable medicines and foster innovation to address public health needs of developing countries by making full use of the flexibilities available under the WTO TRIPS Agreement;

ix) Peace and Security

• Continue collaboration in the fields of Peace and Security including conflict prevention, resolution, management and peace building through exchange of expertise and training programs; strengthening regional and continental early warning capacities and mechanisms; enhancing the role of women in peace keeping and propagating the culture of peace; • Strengthen our cooperation in enhancing capacity to contribute to peacekeeping and peace-building efforts including support to the African Standby Force (ASF), and through the recent announcement by India to conduct a new training course at the Centre for UN Peacekeeping (CUNPK) in New Delhi; and by other Peacekeeping Training Centers in Africa dedicated for Training of Trainers from upcoming Troop Contributing Countries from Africa. Strengthen our cooperation for greater involvement of the Troop Contributing Countries in decision-making process; • Promote the strengthening of the UN Counter-Terrorism mechanisms; call upon all States to ensure strict compliance with the UN Security Council sanctions regime on terrorism; and call on all countries to ensure that their territories are not used for cross-border terrorist activities. We urge the international community to cooperate with urgency to adopt the Comprehensive

Convention on International Terrorism in the 70th

Session of the UNGA; • Promote peace and support post-conflict states to enhance their development priorities; • Enhance cooperation and coordination between Africa and India to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations; confront transnational crime to further support international efforts in this regard; • Increase our cooperation in securing sea lines of communication, preventing transnational crimes of piracy, trafficking of drugs, arms and humans through surveillance;



x) Multilateral Fora • Demand urgent collective action to put in place a more representative global governance architecture, reflective of the contemporary geo-political realities, that will assist in more equitable and just international security and development frameworks; • India notes the common African position and the aspirations of the African countries to get their rightful place in an expanded UN Security Council as new permanent members with full rights as contained in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration. Africa takes note of India’s position and its aspirations to become a permanent member with full rights in an expanded UN Security Council. We emphasize the need for an early implementation of the UNGA Decision 69/560, so as to make a decisive push for achieving concrete outcomes on the United Nations’ Security Council reform agenda; • Recall and reaffirm the principles behind the fight against colonialism, xenophobia, Apartheid and violation of human rights in which India and Africa fought together; • Support a negotiated solution recognizing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, resulting in a sovereign, independent State of Palestine living side by side at peace with Israel as endorsed in the Quartet Roadmap, relevant UN and AU Resolutions and in line with the provisions of international law; • Intensify coordination of positions at the United Nations, G-77 and other global political, economic and commercial fora in order to jointly tackle issues of common interest in accordance with the spirit of the Africa-India Partnership; • Urge the developed countries to undertake ambitious mitigation commitments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and honor their commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to provide financial resources as well as transfer of technology and capacity building support to developing countries to enable them to effectively address the impacts of climate change; • Enhance cooperation and coordination in finalizing an ambitious and comprehensive climate change agreement during the forthcoming COP 21 negotiations which will be held in Paris, France; • Welcome that COP 22 on Climate Change will be held on African soil in Marrakesh, Morocco in 2016 and agree to work together to ensure that the concerns of developing countries are met; • Commit to promote good governance to bring development to our peoples. We will further our cooperation in this regard through efficient use of information and communication technologies. We also look forward to deepening our cooperation and sharing of experiences in establishing fair and transparent electoral processes; • Promote and enhance cultural interaction amongst peoples and media exchange programmes as well as interaction between intellectuals in Africa and India, and encourage private sector endeavours in cultural investments to better inform the peoples of two sides about the realities of their societies



Annexure II

INDIA-AFRICA FRAMEWORK FOR STRATEGIC COOPERATION Africa and India adopted the Framework for Strategic Cooperation18. The Framework would mainly comprise the following broad areas:

GENERAL AREAS OF COOPERATION 1. The common characteristics of the African and Indian societies insofar as being multi-ethnic and multi-religious as well as the similar societal values have quite naturally cemented the bonds of friendship between the African and Indian peoples over the centuries; 2. Africa and India recognize the crucial need for gender equality for progress and sustainable development and are committed to promote empowerment of women, which will greatly support efforts towards poverty eradication, protect and promote human rights and build more non-violent and environmentally sustainable societies; 3. The Africa-India Strategic Partnership represents a multi-dimensional South-South cooperation and needs to be strengthened to render it more effective; 4. In this regard, Africa and India resolve to: • Facilitate greater mutual understanding of cultures, traditions and heritage and bringing our people closer through exchanges at various levels; • Promote gender equality and empowerment of women, which will greatly support efforts towards poverty eradication, protect and promote human rights and build more non-violent and environmentally sustainable societies; • Encourage use of modern social networks to build communities of mutual interest. Linkages between academia, journalists, media entities and civil society will be further encouraged inter-alia through the Forum for Indian Development Cooperation (FIDC) to document successful development interventions by civil society among communities in developing countries; • Promote good governance through the efficient use of emerging e-governance technologies. The empowering of peoples through enhancement of digital connectivity and access to these technologies that permeate all sectors of economy will help targeting of benefits to the needy, make delivery of services more efficient, catalyse development and increase citizen participation in governance, and promote financial inclusion and empowerment through access to banks, credit and social insurance against diseases and accidents; • Reaffirm our strong commitment to work together for a comprehensive Reform of the United Nations system, including its Security Council, to make it more regionally representative, democratic, accountable and effective; • Deepen ongoing cooperation and sharing of experiences in ensuring free, fair and transparent parliamentary and electoral processes, such as training and capacity building in tandem with current international best practices; • Facilitate air and maritime connectivity and more liberal visa procedures and visa concessions to enhance tourism, trade and other people to people contacts; • Support African Small Island States tackling the impact of climate change as well as their connectivity with mainland Africa.



ECONOMIC COOPERATION

5. Africa and India emphasize their commitment to achieve sustainable prosperity and reaffirm their collaboration to promote inclusive and sustainable growth for a decent life for their peoples; 6. Africa and India acknowledge that expanded trade and economic ties would further contribute to sustainable growth and economic development in both sides and welcome the contribution by India to set up value addition and processing facilities in Africa; 7. Africa-India trade has multiplied in the last 15 years and doubled in the last five years to reach nearly US$ 72 billion in 2014-2015. There is growing investment by Indian companies, both multinational and SMEs, in Africa in a range of sectors. These include telecommunication, hydrocarbon exploration, agriculture, light manufacturing, IT and IT- enabled services, IT education, water treatment and supply management, petroleum refining and retail, chemicals, drugs & pharmaceuticals, coal, automobiles, floriculture, engineering consultancy and management, paper, textiles, among others. Such investment brings in capital and technology, assists value addition and industrialization, diversification of economic activity and most importantly generates employment and promotes skill development for local populations; 8. Both sides recognize that India was among the first emerging economies to propose a duty-free market access scheme for LDCs following the Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration of 2005. In 2014 India expanded its Duty Free Trade Preference Scheme (DFTP) for LDCs, launched in 2008 and which became fully operational in 2012, to now include 98% of tariff lines. The benefits of this unilateral scheme extend to 34 African countries to increase their exports to India. India took note of the African request to provide technical assistance to the beneficiary countries of the DFTP Scheme in order to further enhance market access of their exports to India; 9. India takes note of the request by the African side to further expand its Duty Free Tariff Preference Scheme for Least Developed Countries for greater coverage. Efforts should be made to promote private and public investment from Africa into India; 10. Both sides recognize that the Indian experience in Small, Medium and Micro enterprises offers significant avenues for further cooperation in industrialization, job creation and enhancement of local capacities of Africa, particularly in the field of managing and organizing industrial clusters, and attaching them to the feeding industries; 11. Africa and India welcome the organization, every year, of the Africa – India Project Partnership Conclave by Export Import Bank of India (EXIM Bank) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII); both sides further recognize the importance of the Africa – India Project Partnership Conclaves as a platform for bringing together Indian and African entrepreneurs and decision makers, and therefore call for its continuation; 12. One of the most significant forms of Africa-India partnership has been the offer of concessional credit under the Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme (IDEAS) for implementing a range of projects as per the economic and social priorities of African countries in areas where Indian companies have relevant expertise. In the last decade, a total of almost US$ 9 billion in concessional credit has been approved for nearly 140 projects in more than 40 African countries. So far nearly 60 projects have been completed across a range of sectors; 13. Both sides recognize that technology provides solutions to many of our common challenges and therefore there is an imperative need to enhance effective collaboration in appropriate cost effective technologies as well as in emerging and high technology areas; 14. Energy and Infrastructure form substantial part of the ongoing cooperation between Africa and India. The forms of our ongoing cooperation include training, capacity building,



consultancy and project implementation through concessional credit in areas including water supply management, power generation and transmission, road and railway construction and upgradation, hydrocarbon exploration among others; 15. While underlying the importance of private investment in achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth, the two sides decide to share experience and knowledge in this regard, and to: • Embark on sensitization efforts to create greater awareness of India's DFTP scheme among businesses in Africa and appeal for the extension of this duty free preference scheme to all African states; • Accelerate trade between Africa and India through a coordination mechanism composed of representatives of the Government of India and the African diplomatic Missions represented in India to promote investment from Africa into India and facilitate the setting up of African-owned businesses in India; • Enhance collaboration in technology transfer and demonstration, training and joint research and development for specific applications; • Explore possibilities of collaboration and training in utilising space technology for remote sensing and natural resource mapping including for water, agriculture, forest cover, mineral and marine resources, weather forecasting and disaster management and disaster risk reduction including early warning of natural disasters; and of nuclear technology for areas such as medicine, agriculture and hydrology in large installations that will have direct benefit for our peoples. COOPERATION IN TRADE AND INDUSTRY

16. The Africa-India partnership is grounded in the core recognition that our peoples are our fundamental resource and that capable and skilled human resources are a foundation for building prosperity for all; 17. Both sides recognize the importance of developing technological capacities of the peoples towards an enhanced beneficiation and value addition to resources; 18. Africa and India take note of the importance of the capacity building institutions, which India is in the process of establishing in Africa’s diverse sectors, and recognize that such efforts would greatly assist African industries and service sectors, and in the long run contribute to the growth of the continent; 19. Both sides underscore the importance of capacity building that supports industrialization and the need for establishing relevant institutions in that regard; 20. In this regard Africa and India agreed to: • Support establishment of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Medium and Small Industries (MSIs) in order to promote employment creation and income generation for people of both sides; • Promote Public-Private Partnership (PPP) by encouraging Indian businesses to set up skills development units in African industrial zones with the aim to train African engineers, technicians, managers and workers as well as by encouraging other experts in areas such as food security and solar energy; • Review the functional mechanisms of the already established institutions with a view to ensuring that the processes for their establishment, provision of material, human and financial resources and management are clearly understood and supported; • Create a mechanism to enable women groups to access credit for productive activities and markets for their products;



• Enhance cooperation through training and collective negotiations on global trade issues, including at the WTO to protect and promote the legitimate interests of developing countries, especially the LDCs. COOPERATION IN AGRICULTURE 21. Large sections of populations in both Africa and India sustain their livelihoods from agriculture. Improving the productivity of agriculture including crop farming; animal husbandry and water management through sustainable and judicious use of inputs is vital to ensure food and nutritional security and represents a significant challenge and opportunity; 22. There has been extensive cooperation between the two sides including through sharing of experience, training, capacity building through setting up of institutions, and concessional credit in farming techniques, irrigation, soil quality assessment improvement as well as provision of farm equipment, among others; 23. Africa and India fully realize that sectors such as tourism, agriculture, fisheries, forestry and energy production are all sensitive to the adverse impacts of climate change; 24. In this regard both sides agree to: • Further increase cooperation in improving farming techniques through appropriate and affordable technology, organic farming, improving crop varieties, seeds, efficient use of fertilizers and other measures; • Enhance joint efforts for more effective and efficient management of water resources and improve irrigation techniques through transfer of technology and knowhow; • Support Africa’s commitment to consign the hand-held hoes to the museum, as it has become a symbol of agricultural backwardness in Africa and oppression of women, who constitute the majority of agricultural workers. India will endeavour to provide tillers, cultivators, harrowers and harvesters at concessional rates and the transfer of such technologies for their production in Africa, in order to empower the African farmers; • Promote investment in agribusinesses and food processing industry to generate employment and greater revenue; • Continue to collaborate to ensure that public investment, services, and policies for agriculture give due priority to enabling, supporting and complementing smallholders’ owned investment, with particular attention to women and youth food producers; • Ensure that Indian agricultural cooperation with African countries give priority to food production and improving levels of nutrition in order to increase the resilience of local and traditional food systems and biodiversity; • Encourage all initiatives to diversify their economies to expand climate sensitive sectors and to promote adaptation measures that are capable of increasing resilience within the sector ; • Enhance cooperation and coordination in finalizing an ambitious and comprehensive climate change agreement during the forthcoming COP 21 negotiations, which will be held in Paris, France. COOPERATION IN RENEWABLE ENERGY 25. Intensify our ongoing cooperation in developing renewable energy generation including solar, wind, hydro, geo-thermal and bio-mass along with building power transmission systems.



COOPERATION IN BLUE /OCEAN ECONOMY 26. Livelihoods of large sections of our peoples are dependent on Oceans which have emerged as the new frontier for the development of the peoples of Africa and India. The significance of Oceans for global or regional trade and its marine resources as a contributor to the economic prosperity of our people is evident. 27. In this regard the two sides decide to: • Put special emphasis on exploring closer collaboration through training, capacity building and joint projects in developing sustainable fisheries, maritime connectivity, managing marine resources, exploring non-marine resources, promoting eco-tourism, developing renewable energy, and disaster risk reduction through modern early warning tools, pollution control and other coastal and ocean studies; • Pursue cooperation in port operations and marine transport, addressing illegal and unregulated fishing and hydrography surveys. COOPERATION IN INFRASTRUCTURE 28. Intensify ongoing cooperation in training, capacity building, consultancy and project implementation through concessional credit in infrastructure areas, including water supply management, maritime connectivity, road and railway construction and upgradation.

COOPERATION IN EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT 29. Since the Second Africa-India Forum Summit (2011), over 24,000 scholarships across 300 training courses conducted at 60 training institutions have been utilized by African nationals in areas such as IT, renewable energy, agriculture, marine & aeronautical engineering, marine hydrography, SME entrepreneurship, rural development, parliamentary affairs, logistics and management, climate change adaptation, disaster management, cyber security, forensic sciences, and defence and security, among others; 30. Both sides recognise the fundamental importance of educational cooperation and skills transfer in enhancing opportunities available to their youth in contributing to economic, scientific, technical, and social development and the need to build further through expansion of training slots in existing and newer areas in line with the opportunities and challenges arising in the African continent in key areas outlined in Agenda 2063; 31. Both sides understand that the development of Science, Technology, Research and Innovation is a crucial element and an integral part of the process of development; 32. Both sides emphasize the importance of the early introduction of ICT in educational institutions as a key enabler for capacity building, education, health, industry, poverty eradication and delivery of public services; 33. Acknowledge the importance of successful implementation of the Pan-African E-Network Project aimed at providing an efficient tool to bridge the digital divide and also offer affordable and easy access to quality education and healthcare to the peoples of Africa; 34. In this regard Africa and India agree to: • Continue cooperation in the areas of scientific and technological development as well as in Information and Communication Technology; • Explore possible joint investments to establish a robust, reliable and accessible fibre optic infrastructure in Africa, with a view to setting an enabled African information society, and integrated digital economy whereby all actors have access to reliable and affordable ICT networks and services;



• Promote greater interaction, exchange and partnership between the tertiary institutions of Africa and India; • Renew, expand and upgrade the existing Pan African E-Network Project infrastructure so as to permit an innovative utilization of the E-Network Project with the view to cover newer areas of mutual interest; • Intensify cooperation through sharing of experiences, gender-specific training courses and capacity building measures including through skill development; • Provide and facilitate the access and enrolment of African students and academicians to India’s premiere institutions of higher learning in an effort to boost Africa’s capacity in areas such as engineering, medical, technology, agriculture as well as emerging areas; • Fast-track the implementation of those capacity building institutions that have been found to be feasible for continuation under IAFS-III; • Intensify cooperation in capacity building, joint research and development and implementation of projects in renewable energy sources including solar, wind and hydro power along with building efficient power transmission systems. COOPERATION IN HEALTH 35. Africa and India recognize that the promotion of health is critical in the development of human capital, which drives socio-economic growth; 36. They reaffirm their commitment to enhance collaboration and share experience in the application of advancement in science, technology, research and development to training in the area of HIV, TB, Malaria, Ebola and Polio; 37. Both sides recognize the need to improve nutritional and food securities of their peoples and acknowledge the right for adequate food for all and the availability and accessibility of food in quantity and quality sufficient to satisfy the dietary needs of individuals; 38. In this regard both sides agree to: • Collaborate in the provision of universal access to primary and public healthcare, to build resilience to fight and prevent deadly epidemics and disease control through implementing educational programme in this field, recommendation of policies, administering services and conducting research; • Support Africa’s campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa (CARMMA) and facilitate its implementation through cooperation in training and education for health professionals; • Ensure access to affordable and quality medicines and treatment, particularly generic medicines; • In this regard both sides acknowledge the importance of full use of the flexibilities provided by the agreement on trade related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) administered by the World Trade Organization (WTO); • Train doctors and healthcare personnel, including through the deployment of telecoms and ICTs in support of tele-medicine and e-health applications; • Strengthen public-private sector collaboration in the areas of pharmaceutical and procurement in Africa and India in the framework of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Plan for Africa and the fight against counterfeit medicines; • Continue their dialogue on intellectual property rights, regulatory procedures and access to medicines and research and development in traditional medicine; • Sharing of experiences, specialized expertise and best practices in health care systems development and community health programmes;



• Exchanges regarding food production to always meet dietary need and quality standards. COOPERATION IN PEACE AND SECURITY 39. Africa and India recognize the importance of peace, security and stability as a precondition for development; 40. Africa appreciates commitment of India towards supporting various African Union Missions such as those in Mali and in Somalia; 41. In this regard, Africa and India decide to: • Support AU Peace and Security initiative within the African Peace and Security Architecture; • Support programmes on conflict prevention, management and resolution; • Pursue cooperation on Maritime security issues through training, capacity building, sharing of information, surveillance and other measures in securing Sea Lines of Communication, preventing transnational crimes of piracy, combating terrorism, illegal and unregulated fishing, trafficking of drugs, arms and humans through surveillance, and hydrography surveys; • Enhance cooperation and coordination between Africa and India to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including countering violent extremism and, in this regard, make concerted efforts for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism; • Share best practices and experiences in cyber security especially in combating cyber crime and use of internet for terrorist purposes. REGIONAL AND OTHER FORMS OF COOPERATION 42. Appreciate the ongoing fruitful cooperation between the AU/RECs and India; 43. Take note with appreciation of the third meeting between India and the eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs) of Africa held in New Delhi in August 2014. The RECs have worked towards harmonization of standards and rules as well as towards creation of common markets and this has an important bearing on the development of India’s trade and investment with African countries.



References:

1https://mobile.twitter.com/PMOIndia 2http://www.narendramodi.in/pm-s-concluding-remarks-at-3rd-india-africa-forum-summit--374218 3http://geology.com/pangea.htm 4http://www.iafs.in/home.php 5http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/10/16/ending-poverty-in-a-rising-africa?CID=ECR_LI_worldbank_EN_EXT 6http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/finance/india-announces-10-bn-concessional-credit-to-africa/articleshow/49587222.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst 7http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/india-offers-africa-10-bn-soft-loan-seeks-stronger-ties/ 8http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/modi-promises-high-priority-to-india-africa-trade-increase-115102901655_1.html 9http://www.climatechangenews.com/2015/10/29/india-pm-proposes-solar-power-alliance-with-africa/ 10http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/india-africa-summit-pm-narendra-modi-holds-bilateral-talks-with-african-leaders/ 11http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/india-africa-summit/151930.html 12http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/india-africa-forum-summit-bid-for-unsc-seat-in-focus-as-pm-narendra-modi-meets-heads-today/ 13http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/10/indias-modi-zimbabwes-mugabe-press-for-un-reform/ 14http://www.narendramodi.in/text-of-pm-s-statement-at-the-inaugural-ceremony-of-the-third-india-africa-forum-summit-on-29th-october-2015-374160 15http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/10/29/world/asia/ap-as-india-africa-summit.html?_r=0 16http://www.firstpost.com/world/india-africa-forum-summit-china-way-ahead-but-africas-needs-and-indias-experience-are-a-good-fit-2485804.html 17www.mea.gov.in/Uploads/PublicationDocs/25980_declaration.pdf 18https://www.mea.gov.in/Uploads/PublicationDocs/25981_framework.pdf

strategic significance of india africa forum summit, 2015

Economy & Finance