AGOA FORUM UPDATE: GOK PRESENTS FINAL DRAFT PROGRAM WITH

UNCLAS NAIROBI 000765 STATE PASS USTR CONNIE HAMILTON, PATRICK DEAN COLEMAN, AND WILLIAM JACKSON STATE FOR AF/FO, AF/E, AND AF/EPS ANN BREITER, GABRIELLE MALLORY, MARY B. JOHNSON, AND TAWANNA DAVIDSON STATE ALSO FOR AF/EX SYLVIE MARTINEZ AND SONJA WRAY-BROWN AF/PD FOR CLAUDIA ANYASO AND TIJEN AYBAR STATE ALSO FOR EEB/TPP/BTA AMY HOLMAN STATE PLEASE PASS USAID/EA AND USAID/AFR/SD BRUNO CORNELIO AND JEFF MALICK TREASURY FOR DAN PETERS AND REBECCA KLEIN COMMERCE FOR KEVIN BOYD, ALICIA ROBINSON, AND BECKY ERKUL AGRICULTURE FOR DON EVANS AND CATHY MCKINNELL LABOR FOR SUDHA HALEY AND MAUREEN PETTIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC AMGT ECON ETRD AGOA PGOV PREL KE SUBJECT: AGOA FORUM UPDATE: GOK PRESENTS FINAL DRAFT PROGRAM WITH CO-CHAIRS; PRIVATE SECTOR PROGRESSES REFS: (A) NAIROBI 325 (B) NAIROBI 372 (C) NAIROBI 421 (D) NAIROBI 559 This cable is not/not for internet distribution. ¶1. This is an action message; please see para 10. ¶2. Summary: During the April 9 meeting of the AGOA Forum Preparatory Meeting, the Government of Kenya (GOK) presented a final draft of the full three-day program. After consulting with embassies of AGOA-eligible countries, the GOK accepted all but one session co-chair proposed by the US interagency team. The GOK also proposed holding a separate ministerial closing ceremony following lunch on the final day of the forum. The private sector sub-committee has made significant progress planning a five-day trade fair, beginning August 3, for forum participants and the public. Econ/C noted that an open exhibition would be a security concern for the US delegation and discouraged public access to the event. Econ/C emphasized the importance of effective registration and badging for a successful forum and requested a written plan from the GOK detailing the registration process from start to finish. End Summary. -------------- GOK Accepts Most Session Co-Chairs -------------- ¶3. During the April 9 meeting of the AGOA Forum Preparatory Meeting, the Government of Kenya (GOK) presented a final draft of the full three-day program for the forum. The draft - based on the agreed theme: "Realizing the Full Potential of AGOA through Expansion of Trade and Investment" - incorporates all USG-proposed African co-chairs except Mozambique for the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) breakout session. On the margins of the Preparatory Meeting, Lina Ochieng, the chair of the technical sub-committee, explained -- without providing details -- that the GOK believes that Kenya is better placed than Mozambique to lead an IPR session. Note: The GOK did not appear aware of its proposed role as co-chair for the Good Governance and Enabling Investment Environment breakout session. (Comment: Our take is that the GOK hopes to co-chair a session but remains non-committal about the subject matter. End Comment.) ¶4. The GOK proposed holding a separate ministerial closing ceremony from 14:15 to 16:00 following lunch on August 6, the final day of the forum. The Chair of the full committee proposed holding a separate lunch after the closing ceremony in an effort to retain high-level delegates for the duration of the event. Econ/C suggested combining the lunch and closing ceremony into one session 12:30-14:00, as originally discussed by the GOK and the US interagency team. -------------- Private Sector/Civil Society Progress -------------- ¶5. The private sector sub-committee continues to make progress on AGOA Forum preparations. The sub-committee expressed full support for forum sequencing and welcomed the opportunity to provide a read-out of the private sector event during the ministerial on August 5. In the private sector event plenary, organizers expect to hold discussions on three cross-cutting issues: enhanced trade integration and expansion, specific experiences and issues with AGOA, and the question of competitiveness in Africa with special attention paid to supply side factors. In breakout sessions, the private sector will raise three topics for discussion: what the private sector expects to achieve from AGOA, successes and challenges since the inception of AGOA, and recommendations for the African Ministers and the US delegation. Private sector committee members are working to identify speakers for the plenaries and breakout sessions and to harmonize their program with civil society so that outcomes to the ministerial can be delivered effectively. Econ/C requested that the private sector include a session on public-private partnerships in its program. ¶6. The private sector sub-committee has hired an exhibition organizer and has begun mobilizing the participation of private sector partners and embassies of AGOA-eligible countries. The five-day exhibit, opening on August 3, will showcase goods and services as well as facilitate business to business networking. An AGOA Exhibition web site -- www.eeoevents.com/agoa/ -- is now available with registration details, pricing, and floor plans and is linked to the official GOK AGOA website. The GOK requested feedback from the USG about the availability of a US delegate to open the exhibit. Econ/C said it was unlikely that a high-level US delegate will be in Nairobi by August 3 to open the exhibit. After the Chair stated that the exhibition will be open to the general public (in a space detached from the main venue with a separate entrance for the public) Econ/C said an open event would be a security concern for the USG, and that the GOK could have a successful event with only registered forum participants attending the trade show. ¶7. Econ/C stated that the civil society component of the forum is important to the US delegation and announced an April 14 DVC to link the US civil society lead, the Sullivan Foundation, to the civil society sub-committee. Econ/C clarified that the USG is providing funding for civil society participants from African countries but not for US civil society participation and encouraged video conferencing as a way to expand exposure to the forum to members of civil society who are not able to travel to the event. -------------- GOK Progress -------------- ¶8. Now that the theme is finalized, the GOK will proceed with sending invitations to AGOA-eligible countries (except Guinea and Madagascar). The conferencing sub-committee is working to ensure adequate space for all forum events, particularly on day one when there are three concurrent events taking place: the African consultative group, private sector meetings, and civil society events. This sub-committee is also focused on finalizing registration and badging processes. ¶9. Econ/C emphasized the importance of effective registration and badging for a successful event and requested a written plan from the GOK detailing the process from start to finish. Econ/C also requested a written list of registration fees for all forum events and possible dates from the GOK for a joint press statement involving Minister of Trade Amos Kimunya and Ambassador Ranneberger. (Note: Our proposed dates have thus far conflicted with Trade Minister Kimunya's schedule. End note.) ¶10. Action request: Post seeks US interagency team guidance regarding the appropriate breakout session for the GOK to co-chair, the addition of a ministerial closing on August 6, the possibility of a US delegate to open the trade exhibition on August 3, and the USG position on opening the trade fair to the general public. Ranneberger