The African Development Forum (ADF) is an initiative led by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) to establish an African-driven development agenda that reflects consensus among major partners and that leads to specific programmes for country implementation.

While the economic performance of many African countries has improved over the last five years, this improvement remains fragile. It needs to be deepened and sustained, with emphasis on policy reforms and good governance, taking into account the intensely competitive global environment, which requires a shift in planning, and delivery of development to larger regional units. New forms of partnerships are needed - partnerships in which Africa takes the lead in forming a new, shared vision of the continent, setting and implementing the development agenda with appropriate support from the international community.

The aim of the African Development Forum is to present the key stakeholders in African development (governments, civil society, the private sector, researchers and academics, intergovernmental organisations and donors) with the results of current research and opinion on key development issues, in order to formulate shared goals and priorities, draft action programmes and define the environment that will enable African countries to implement these programmes. The Forum will meet annually on a different development issue. The 1999 Forum was the first, and was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 24 - 28 October 1999, on the theme "The Challenge to Africa of Globalisation and the Information Age". The second Forum, ADF 2000, was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 3 - 7 December 2000 on the theme "AIDS: the greatest leadership challenge". The third edition, ADF III, will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 3 - 8 March 2002 on the theme "Defining Priorities for Regional Integration". For further information on ADF refer to the paper entitled "Creating the African Development Forum (ADF)".