The African Economic Conference 2022 jointly organized by the African development bank (ADB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa(ECA) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will be held, from December 9 to 11, 2022for the first time in Port-Louis, capital of Mauritius, indicated the Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Renganaden Padayachy (Photo ).
He added, on October 6, 2022, in Port Louis, during a press conference, organized to announce the event, that the conference will be themed: “Supporting climate-sensitive development in Africa” and will take place under a hybrid format. “Hosting such a prestigious event is truly a privilege and an honor for Mauritius,” said Minister Padayachy. It is the main African forum for discussion on the emerging challenges facing the continent but also on the opportunities to be seized.
300 participants expected
This year, some 300 participants are expected at the African Economic Conference 2022: heads of state, ministers, economists, researchers and representatives of the private sector and financial institutions.
Referring to this year’s theme, Padayachy cited the Global Risk Report 2021, which describes Africa as the continent most vulnerable to climate-related disasters and Mauritius as being highly exposed to the impacts of climate change.
The Minister indicated that the Mauritian government was determined to accelerate the process of the country’s green transformation, with the objective of generating 60% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. “Sustainable growth and inclusive development imply a cleaner, greener and more climate-resilient economy,” he stressed.
For his part, the Deputy Director General for Southern Africa of the African development bank, Kennedy Mbekeanithanked the Government of Mauritius for accepting to host the African Economic Conference 2022. This conference is a platform for in-depth reflection on institutional capacity building to develop innovative and climate-friendly mechanisms to strengthen the resilience of Africa and the drive to move towards low-carbon development pathways, he underscored.
“Water supply and food production might be hampered by changing weather patterns. Africa’s most vulnerable regions are also among the most fragile due to their reliance on unprocessed raw materials and lack of economic diversity,” Mbekeani said.
He added that putting in place climate-friendly policies might become a driver of development in Africa, and investments to build resilience to climate change might have greater economic and social returns.
Mbekeani then detailed the African Development Bank Group’s new policy and strategy on climate change and green growth for the period 2021-2030, which aims to address the climate finance disparities in Africa and strengthen the climate finance gap. continental voice on climate change issues.
Africa, the most vulnerable continent
According to climate experts, most of the African continent will suffer from extreme weather events, which have increased in frequency and severity, causing damage to agriculture, tourism, cities, infrastructure, water, energy systems and even the extractive sector.
Since its inception in 2006, the African Economic Conference has supported research and policy discussions and knowledge sharing on issues affecting the continent.
