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The South African Institute of International Affairs cordially invites you to a seminar organised by the Governance of Africa's Resources Programme on “From Global Energy Dependence to Local Economic Independence”
Date: 21 September 2010
Time: 08h30 (Registration), for 09h15
Venue: Jan Smuts House, East Campus, University of the Witwatersrand
RSVP: Nosiphiwo Msitweni, by 15 September 2010
Tel: 021 422 0717
Email: nosiphiwo.msitweni@saiia.org.za
The Governance of Africa's Resources Programme takes pleasure in inviting you to participate in a lively discussion on the developmental impact of resource extraction in Africa. This one day seminar aims to explore a range of topical issues related to international and African lessons from oil producing countries. The event will bring together international, African and local experts to exchange views on future political-economic trends on the continent, the developmental impact of oil production in Uganda & Angola, lessons learnt from Norway, and the future of renewable sources of energy on the continent.
The seminar will thus interrogate energy security against a background of growing sustainability concerns as one of the defining issues of the 21st century. For the developing world this provides both challenges and opportunities. In Africa, the challenges for resource-rich countries are whether the global need for greater energy security can be a catalyst for improved governance and strategic re-investment of resource revenues to foster broad-based local economic development.
From Global Energy Dependence to Local Economic Independence
A seminar organised by the Governance of Africa’s Resources Programme, South African Institute of International Affairs
The SAIIA Governance of Africa’s Resources Programme gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
21 September 2010
Draft programme
Background
Energy security against a background of growing sustainability concerns will be one of the defining issues of the 21st century. For the developing world this provides both challenges and opportunities. In Africa, the challenges for resource-rich countries are whether the global need for greater energy security can be a catalyst for improved governance and strategic re-investment of resource revenues to foster broad-based local economic development.
This seminar asks two questions: first, how can income from the extraction of non-renewable resources, such as oil, filter down to local communities and improve local economic development and governance? In the debate on resource governance, this aspect is often lost in the concerns around geopolitical resource interests and how resources are shaping Africa’s strategic alliances. The second question is linked to the fact that ironically Africa remains energy poor, despite its resource wealth. Thus the combined pressures of depletable resources and climate change are forcing Africa like the rest of the world to look beyond oil. Can renewable energy production play a part in Africa’s sustainable development and address the continent’s energy poverty, which is a major constraint on economic growth and diversification?
08:30-09:00 Registration
09:00-09:15 Opening and Welcome
Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, National Director, SAIIA
H.E. Mr Tor Christian Hildan, Ambassador of Norway
09:15-10:00 Keynote Address: How can a national oil endowment support economic development: international lessons
Petter Nore, Director – Norway Oil for Development Programme, (tbc)
Keynote Address: Trends and Drivers shaping the future of Africa
Tanya Hichert, Institute for Futures Research, University of Stellenbosch
Respondent: Dr Petrus de Kock, SAIIA Governance of Africa’s Resources Programme, SAIIA
10:00-10:45 Discussion
10:45-11:00 Tea break
Session 1: Local economic development and governance: The case of Angola and Uganda
This session will concentrate on lessons learnt from Angola and Uganda/Ghana in terms of using income from oil for strategic national development. In the case of Angola what benefit has its high GDP growth brought to people at the local level. How has it affected local institutional realities and can income from oil be applied for development at that level? Uganda on the other hand is a ‘new oil producer’. Its challenge is to derive maximum developmental benefit from oil extraction. As a new oil producer Uganda has to develop institutional, policy and other regulatory frameworks to govern the sector. Can we draw any lessons from Uganda’s experience thus far, and what vision does the Ugandan government have for the role of oil income in its national development framework. Lastly, this session will also look at the critical role that multinationals play in oil-producing countries in their mode of engagement in ensuring better governance and better prospects for broad-based, local economic development.
11:00-12:30 Panel Discussion:
Chair: David Roche-Kelly, Wits, Department of Economics
Angola’s oil endowment and local economic development: the role of local government institutions
Leon Kukkuk, Independent Writer & Researcher, African Security Sector Network
Ghana/Uganda’s new oil wealth: The challenges of creating responsible governance and oversight institutions
Frank Tumusiime, African Institute for Energy Governance (Uganda)
MNCs and the extractive energy sector: A corporate social model for transparency and local development?
Atle Rettedal, Statoil
12:30-13:00 Discussion
13:00-14:00 Lunch
Session 2: Renewable energy resources in Africa: A viable model for local economic development?
Given that non-renewable resources are finite, an important policy question is whether Africa’s sustainable economic development can be linked to the development of clean, environmentally responsible forms of energy production. Can Africa’s reliance on the export of non-renewable sources of energy be turned into a strategic advantage by investing income from oil in sectors that will enhance the continent’s economic and energy independence in future?
14:00-15:00 Panel Discussion:
Chair: Romy Chevallier, Climate Change Researcher, South African Institute of International Affairs
Trends and drivers shaping the future of renewable energy in Africa
Saliem Fakir, Head Living Planet Unit, World Wildlife Fund
The South African energy challenge: A coal free scenario?
Gary Pienaar, Senior Researcher, Governance and Ethics, Political Information & Monitoring Service and Economic Governance Programme ANSA/IDASA
15:00-16:00 Discussion & Closure
Renewable vs. non-renewable energy sources: can we bridge the gap? |
