Addis Ababa, 14 December 2016 (ECA) - Preparations are underway for the joint Annual Ministerial Conference of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Union Commission (AUC) to be held in Dakar, Senegal from 23-28 March 2017 on the theme, “Growth, inequality and unemployment.”
The theme builds on the understanding that the sustained reduction of inequality requires a holistic understanding of the interrelated issues for coherent policymaking.
"The Conference offers the opportunity to discuss the nexus between issues of economic growth, inequality and unemployment," says Abdalla Hamdok, Acting ECA Executive Secretary, adding: "We will address strategies for enhancing inclusive growth and promoting employment, especially for women and young people."
The conference will also explore measures for reducing inequality and extreme poverty on the continent in order to achieve the targets of the First Ten-Year Implementation Plan (2013-2023) of Agenda 2063 and the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Preceded by the Committee of Experts, which will meet from Thursday, 23 March to Saturday, 25 March 2017, the Conference of Ministers will take place on Monday 27 and Tuesday 28 March 2017. The plenary sessions of the Conference will commence with a high-level policy dialogue on the 2017 theme, followed by a series of plenary sessions on various sub-themes.
"We expect that seasoned and high-level panelists from within and outside Africa will build on the overarching theme towards an outcome that will have important implications for Africa’s future," notes Mr. Hamdok.
The Conference will feature a number of significant high-level side events and other meetings, including the eighteenth session of the Regional Coordination Mechanism for Africa (RCM-Africa). In addition, and following the dynamic 2016 African Development Week, there will be a number of side events taking place on 25 and 26 March 2017.
These events, including the annual Adedeji Lecture Series, with inspiring discussions and solutions, will be held in parallel over the two days.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: ecainfo@uneca.org