The 2002 Africa Day symposium is intended to familiarize stakeholders in Japan with the background and substance of regional integration efforts in Africa, and to provide concrete examples in the area of transport and information and communication technology. The symposium is also intended to provide input to the ongoing New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) initiative, next year's Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) and next month's G8 Summit.

The Africa Day symposium is an annual event organized by ADC and UNU to celebrate the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). This year's symposium is particularly significant, as it is being held at the time when the OAU is being transformed into the new African Union (AU), and African development is being featured as one of the main items at the G8 summit in June 2002 in Kananaskis, Canada.

The symposium will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, 23 May 2002, in the U Thant International Conference Hall (3F) at the United Nations University. Media representatives are cordially invited to attend. Simultaneous interpretation in English, French and Japanese will be provided. A cocktail reception, hosted by the Vice Prime Minister of Gabon, will be held soon after the symposium for all participants.