VZCZCXYZ0011
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNR #0765/01 1061153
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 161153Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9206
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC PRIORITY 3204
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC PRIORITY 1797
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 0518
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 0567
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 6479
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 0100
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 3246
RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI 5316

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