About the Forum

Organised by the OECD Development Centre and the African Development Bank, the International Forum on African Perspectives has grown to become the largest and most important annual event on Africa in Europe.

Each year, hundreds of journalists, business people, development co-operation professionals, researchers, civil society representatives and students come to hear and engage with a panel of experts discussing the findings of the African Economic Outlook (AEO), a comprehensive report of the economic, social and political development of the continent and assesses its progresses towards the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals.

The 2009 Forum includes a full day of talks centred on two panels. The first will look at the continent’s macroeconomic outlook and the investment landscape. The second will explore the special theme of the 2009 AEO, specifically "Innovations in Information and Communication Technologies" and what, if anything, they mean for development.

The Forum benefits from the support of the European Commission, the French Agency of Development, the French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry, and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.