EVENTS DIARY 2008 June 2008 2-4, Zambia 14th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts (ICE) On this occasion, the ICE membership will be expanded to co-opt other relevant ministries including those with specific responsibilities towards the Free Trade Area. 4-6, South Africa World Economic Forum on Africa The 18th World Economic Forum on Africa will discuss the impacts of global businesses on the continent. Discussions will review the latest initiatives to tackle the business climate, physical and social infrastructure as well as insights into emerging priorities of new business leaders. 7-12, South Africa 12th Session of the African Ministerial Conference on Environment The conference is the highest organ of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), whose members are African ministers responsible for the environment. AMCEN has led the process for the development of the action plan for the Environment Initiative for the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and meets to discuss and agree on programmes and initiatives to facilitate the effective implementation of its mandate towards environmental protection in Africa. 17-20, Swaziland SADC Integrated Committee of Ministers (ICM) The ICM is comprised of least two ministers from each SADC Member State. Its role is to ensure proper policy guidance and coordination of cross-sectoral activities of SADC. The meeting will review the activities of SADC directorates to ensure the rapid implementation of programmes that would otherwise wait for the Council of Ministers. 30-1 July, Egypt 11th Africa Union Summit The Assembly of Heads of State and Government from the African Union's 53 member countries will meet in Sharm El Scheikh, Egypt for its eleventh ordinary session. This year's theme is, “Meeting the Millennium Development Goals on Water and Sanitation”. The meeting will be preceded by the Ordinary Session of the Permanent Representatives and the Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers. July 2008 1-2, South Africa International Conference on Knowledge and Information Intermediaries The conference is meant to put a spotlight on the role of research brokers and intermediaries and the contribution they can make in supporting and enabling evidence-based pro-poor policy and practice. Under the theme, “Locating the power of in-between”, the conference is organised by the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa and the Institute of Development Studies, United Kingdom (UK). 2-4, France 10th Africa Energy Forum Launched in 1999, the Africa Energy Forum is Africa's premier annual power and gas investment and business forum, where governments and power utility companies discuss the international energy situation with focus on Africa's power and gas sectors.   [Comment on this article]

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