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The tables of discussion

During the first day, the day consecrated to Africa, issues of governance, corruption, use of resources for the good of all took the centre stage.

The Kenyan delegation was particularly strong in asking for the institution of a Peace and Reconciliation Commission that would look into the misdeeds of the past, identify, prosecute or forgive crimes, including graft and misuse of power. Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize winner and environmentalist Wangari Maathai is one of those who attended the Forum. She explained why the Forum is important to Africa. 'As you know the Forum was ... inspired by Davos, the World Economic Forum. What we observed is that when leaders of the business world and political world meet in Davos they speak about a world which does not seem to care about the worlds of the poor, the worlds of the minority, the worlds of the marginalised. So it is almost like looking at two different worlds in which we live.'

Other major themes treated at the Forum were the debt burden of many developing countries; access to water for all; the environment; land rights for pastoralists and minority groups; EPAs (Economic Partnership Agreements) between the European Union and many nations of the developing world; sustainable economy; building participative political structures; democratisation of information; protection of diversities; HIV/Aids; housing; human rights; gender issues; wars and conflicts like Iraq, Darfur and Somalia.