The Africa Forum is the annual gathering where OECD officials and African policy makers, private sector, academia and civil society leaders weigh the continent’s approaches to face the present and the challenges that lie ahead.
Africa Forum 2022 - Africa in the emerging global economic order
The 21st edition of the Africa Forum took place on June 2022, in Paris. The Forum covered the pressing challenges of fast rising food and energy prices, and how to reduce the continent’s dependence on raw material exports, advance productive transformation and increase investment and domestic resource mobilisation. The Forum, which was jointly organised by the African Union - OECD Development Centre, took place in the framework of the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM), chaired by Italy under the theme “The Future We Want: Better Policies for the Next Generation and a Sustainable Transition”.
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Africa Forum 2021 - Investing for a sustainable recovery in Africa
The 20th edition of the Africa Forum took place on February 2021. The Forum gathered key actors to share their views and solutions in view of the global economic recession hitting many African economies, and triggered by COVID-19. The Forum was jointly organised by the OECD Development Centre, the Republic of Senegal, and the African Union.
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Africa Forum 2019 - Africa’s integration: Investing in our common future
The 2019 Africa Forum took place on the 29th of November 2019. For the first time, the Forum was held in Casa Árabe, in Madrid, Spain. The Government of Spain, which recently reaffirmed the priority given to the continent by launching its Africa Plan III, teamed up with the OECD Development Centre and the African Union, along with partners Casa Africa, Casa Árabe, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the French Development Agency (AFD) to host it.
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Africa Forum 2018 - Africa’s shifting boundaries
The 2018 Africa Forum took place on on October 31st 2018 in Paris, France. The Forum was a joint effort between the OECD Development Centre and the African Union, and in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD). The 18th edition of the Forum scrutinised the key topics of growth, employment, migration and development in the wake of Africa’s historical decision for closer integration.
Watch the summary video or the complete video of the Forum
Read the opening remarks by the OECD Secretary General, Angel Gurría
Africa Forum 2017 - Entrepreneurship and Africa’s industrialisation
The 2017 Africa Forum took place on Wednesday, 10 October 2017 in Paris, France. Organised by the OECD Development Centre and the African Union Commission, and in partnership with the French Development Agency, the 17th edition of the Forum addressed the politics of industrialisation and how entrepreneurship can drive industrialisation and promote inclusive growth.
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Read the Summary Record
Speeches : Opening remarks by Alpha Condé, President of Guinea and Chairperson of the African Union (AU) (in French)
Opening remarks by the OECD Secretary General, Angel Gurría
Watch the video finalists of the video contest
Africa Forum 2016 - African cities for Africa’s development
The OECD Development Centre, the African Union Commission and the OECD Sahel and West Africa Club held the annual International Economic Forum on Africa on 29 September 2016, at the OECD Headquarters in Paris. This 16th edition discussed the opportunities and challenges of the urbanisation process in Africa, looking into how to address informality in urban areas, the role of cities as drivers of economic transformation, and innovative ways to provide adequate and predictable financing for local governments and municipalities.
Press Release: Development Centre
Watch the video of the Forum - Morning sessions / Afternoon sessions
OECD Observer: read the special section dedicated to the 2016 Africa Forum - African cities for development
Africa Forum 2015 - Africa beyond 2015
The 2015 Africa Forum took place on Wednesday, 9 September 2015 in Berlin, Germany. Organised by the OECD Development Centre and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, in collaboration with German Federal Foreign Office and in partnership with the African Union Commission, the 2015 edition focused on Africa’s development agenda beyond 2015, in light of the debates on Sustainable Development Goals and Financing for Development, the impact of the continent’s future demographic development on its economic transformation, and the policy responses to climate change.
Press Release: High-level international conference in Berlin: leaders call for renewed momentum
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Read the Summary Record / Booklet / Media Review
Speeches:
Former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Anan
German Development Minister, Mr. Gerd Müller (In German)
Africa Forum 2014 - By Africa, for Africa? Industrialisation and integration for inclusive growth
The 2014 Africa Forum took place on Monday, 6 October 2014 in Paris, France. Organised by the OECD Development Centre in partnership with the African Union, the 2014 edition focused on the pan-African agenda of economic and social transformation. It assessed its progress in the light of changing global trade patterns and the demographic challenges ahead, while reviewing the implications of the Ebola crisis.
Watch the video of the Forum - Morning session / Afternoon session
Read the Summary Record / Booklet
Read the speech made by OECD Secretary General, Angel Gurría
Africa Forum 2013 - Africa 2.0: Harnessing natural resource wealth for economic transformation
The 2013 Africa Forum took place on Monday, 7 October 2013 in Paris, France. The Forum was organised by the OECD Development Centre, in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the French government, as well as the European Union.
Read the opening speech made by OECD Secretary General, Angel Gurría