The Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics (ABCDE) is a unique platform designed to expand the flow of ideas between thinkers, practitioners and policy-makers within the field of international development.

 

The ABCDE 2005 is co-organized by the World Bank, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Development Co-operation and the Ministry of Finance of The Netherlands.

 

OECD Development Centre is organising a regional sessionon "Focus on Africa" on Monday 23rd of May, 17.00 - 18.30.

 

Agenda

            Organizer: OECD Development Centre

            Chair (5 min):

            Helmut REISEN, OECD Development Centre

            Speakers (15 min each):

            Nick AMIN, Commission for Africa Secretariat, United Kingdom

            Lucia WEGNER, OECD Development Centre

            Discussants (10 min each):

            Yusuf DODIA, Private Sector Development Association, Zambia,

            Leo DE HAAN, African Studies Center Leiden, The Netherlands

            Floor discussion (35 min)

Description of Session

2004 has been a good year for Africa and prospects for growth are more favorable than they have been for years. The forthcoming G8 Summit and renewed commitments of  donors  to  scale  up their aid are adding to the positive momentum. How can this  be  turned into sustained strong development, reduced poverty and progress on the MDGs?

 

The  Regional  Session on Africa will open with a presentation of the Commission for  Africa  Report,  which  contains  a package of measures to boost growth and fight  poverty,  including  improving  governance,  creating a better investment climate,  investing  in infrastructure and ensuring the participation of a broad range of stakeholders.

 

This will be followed by an introduction to the recently launched 2004/05 African Economic Outlook, covering short-term economic perspectives and a closer look at regional and national approaches to reducing Africa's vulnerability to shocks. As such approaches include the creation of favourable conditions for indigenous drivers of economic activity - especially a thriving local private sector - the Session will also discuss how policy makers might to boost private sector development and lift legal and financial constraints to capital accumulation

 

For more information on ABCDE Amsterdam 2005 and for full conference program please see: www.worldbank.org/abcde-amsterdam

 

 

Related Documents

 

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