The ACM has as its objective the bringing together of think-tanks from across Africa to consider, discuss and develop policy proposals that will advance development on the continent.
Eight think tanks, drawn from North, West, East, Central and Southern Africa participated in the meeting.
Deliberations at the meeting focused on, in the first instance, consolidating a collective African position on major contemporary challenges facing the continent, and, in the second instance, on further integrating the African think-tank community into the broader Global South think tank community.
During the discussions concentrated on Africa’s approach to multilateralism in general, its relationships with regional formations such as the Forum for China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and others advancing the cause of the Global South; and peace and security on the African continent.
The meeting had four objectives:
To serve as an embryo for the setting up of an annual consultative meeting amongst likeminded African think tanks for the purposes of dialoguing substantive political and socio-economic issues confronting the African continent. The idea is to prepare these think tanks for engaging in various international conferences on the basis of an engaged contribution.
To prepare a synthesised African position on China-Africa relations intended as a contribution to the China Africa Think Tanks Forum (CATTF)
To seek cooperation amongst the participants for the development of an Africa Fragility Index.
To introduce the Global South Perspectives Network and Global Resilience Council.
Participants included:
Ms Buyelwa Sonjica, Chairperson of the ISI Advisory Council and former Cabinet Minister
Prof. Wei Xu, Deputy Director of the Institute for African Studies, Zheijiang Normal University, and Prof, Ariella Liu, Director of the South Africa – China Think Tank, based at Nelson Mandela University Business School.
Mr Zine Barker, Head of Academic Chair, Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), Algeria
Prof Assi Kimou, Deputy Director Cellule d’Analyse des Politiques Économiques du CIRES (CAPEC), Cote D’Ivoire, and Dr Ndiakhat Ngom, General President South-South Transatlantic Institute, Senegal
Dr Melha Rout Biel, Executive Director, South Sudan Center for Strategic and Policy Studies (CSPS), South Sudan
Prof Francis Matambalya, Executive Director, The Nyere Foundation, Tanzania, and Prof. Omar Mjenga, Centre for International Police Africa, Tanzania
Dr David Monyae, Co-Director University of Johannesburg Confucious Institute (UJCI)
Hon. Faiz Jacobs, a senior Member of Parliament from our host province the Western Cape
Ms Febe Potgieter, a former senior diplomat at amongst others the African Union.
Representatives of the Africa Women’s Association led by its President Ms Jenny Wu.
Dr Georgios Kotsakis, Director of the Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability.
Mr Priyal Singh from the Institute of Security Studies.
