Leaders including Carlos Lopes, Nkosazana Zuma and Donald Kaberuka to address the Conference of Ministers in Addis Ababa

Financing Africa’s transformation, regional integration, data revolution, Ebola and climate change to be discussed at the conference. Addis Ababa, 27 March 2015 (ECA/AU) Addis Ababa, 27 March 2015 (ECA/AU)  –  The capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, is hosting a week-long conference to be attended by African leaders including Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Mr. Abraham Tekeste, […]

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Financing Africa’s transformation, regional integration, data revolution, Ebola and climate change to be discussed at the conference.

Addis Ababa, 27 March 2015 (ECA/AU) Addis Ababa, 27 March 2015 (ECA/AU)  –  The capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, is hosting a week-long conference to be attended by African leaders including Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Mr. Abraham Tekeste, Mr Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary, ECA, Dr Nkosazana Zuma, Chairperson, African Union Council , Mr Donald Kaberuka, President African Development Bank, Mr Haliemariam Dessalegn, Minister of Finance, Ethiopia and Mr. Ibrahim Mayaki, CEO, NEPAD.

Over 50 African ministers of finance, planning and development, 30 bank governors, private sector leaders and some 1000 delegates, will convene to discuss issues including financing the implementation of Agenda 2063, making the Agenda work for women, regional integration of Africa, regional trade negotiations, Ebola, data revolution and developing a green economy for Africa. African Central Bank Governors will also hold a Caucus meeting on sustainable development financing in Africa.

The keynote address on the theme of the Conference, “Implementing Agenda 2063: planning, mobilizing and financing for Africa’s development” will be given by Mr. Hailemariam Dessalegn, Prime Minister of Ethiopia. Mr. Donald Kaberuka will share his insight into his contribution to the continent’s development, through his mandate as the President of the African Development Bank at the Annual Adebayo Adedjeji lecture.

The week-long conference will also see the launch of the Economic Commission for Africa country profiles and the launch of the Economic Report on Africa, whose main theme is industrialisation through trade. 

The ECA Country Profiles are a new data and forecasting tool aimed at helping African countries refocus their energies on macroeconomic and social policies to achieve structural transformation across the continent. They will provide periodic assessments of both macroeconomic and social performance, and offer practical and strategic recommendations for national and regional bodies. One of the distinguishing features of the ECA country profiles is that they are anchored on a sound methodology, which is based on the joint gathering of data with credible national sources, including national statistics offices, finance ministries and central banks. The Executive Secretary of Economic Commission for Africa, Carlos Lopes, stresses that “the new country profiles are not meant to duplicate existing publications by other institutions, but rather to provide a unique overview of challenges and opportunities for structural transformation”. 

Data Revolution and Regional Integration policies will be also addressed through high level conferences. At a side event at the CoM2015, attention will be on the continental free trade area agenda to generate momentum towards the negotiations, which are expected to start in 2015, in accordance with the continental free trade area road map. The conference will focus on domesticating Agenda 2063 into national and regional strategic and action plans. It is not the first African development framework, however it differs from previous frameworks in that it is inclusive and is based on consultations from African stakeholders.

ENDS

Contacts:

IC Publications: Ishara Callan – [email protected] and Audrey Mpunzwana – [email protected]

AUC – Tankou Azaa Esther: Head of Information and Communication Directorate, AUC – [email protected]

ECA: Sophia Denekew, ECA Media Relations, Communications Section, [email protected]

For more information, please go to http://www.ECA.org/cfm2015.

About ECA: Established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN) in 1958 as one of the UN’s five regional commissions, ECA’s mandate is to promote the economic and social development of its member States, foster intra-regional integration, and promote international cooperation for Africa’s development.

 

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