New approach to natural resource governance key to advancing development in Africa

On 6–7 February, International IDEA will convene African parliamentarians and political party leaders in Cape Town to discuss institutional strengthening and natural resource policies.

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) will host a colloquium on “The New Developmental Approach to Natural Resource Governance” for African parliamentarians and political party leaders to learn more about this researched approach and share lessons learned and emerging practices on 6–7 February in Cape Town, South Africa.

Despite their abundance in natural resources and an export industry worth billions of dollars, several resource-rich African countries still grapple with poverty, unemployment and poor basic public services because of weak institutions and policies. International IDEA and the African Union acknowledge opportunities for African decision makers to build on public policy to improve development, security and services for citizens by addressing the defects in natural resource governance. Speakers will include Roger Nkodo Dang, President of the Pan African Parliament; and Solomon Lechesa Tsenoli, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of South Africa.

‘’Ensuring that Africa’s natural resources become a driver of structural transformation has become an urgent task which elected governments across Africa are expected to address,” said Adebayo Olukoshi, International IDEA’s Regional Director for Africa and West Asia. “The role of political parties and parliaments in this process will be indispensable’’, he added.

Through a series of discussion sessions with academia and policy experts, participating decision makers will identify institutional capacities, needs and areas where International IDEA could provide technical assistance to parliamentarians and political party leaders to advance their implementation of the New Developmental Approach to Natural Resource Governance.

This event will bring together nearly 50 participants from across Africa to discuss the following topics:

• A New Developmental Approach to Natural Resource Governance in Africa: Making natural resources work for the people;
• Assessing progress towards regional developmental frameworks for natural resource governance;
• Country-led efforts at embedding a developmental approach in natural resource governance; and
• Harnessing institutional technical assistance for a developmental natural resource governance.