Abidjan — The following document was released by the African Development Bank on 22 January 1999:

On the occasion of the meeting of the Heads of Multilateral Development Banks in Abidjan, the African Development Bank (ADB), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank announced today the establishment of a new African training institution, named the Joint Africa Institute (JAI).

The new Institute, which will be located in Abidjan, is being established by the ADB, the IMF, and the World Bank. Its objective is to provide policy-related training to government officials and other participants from African countries. The courses that will be offered by the Joint Africa Institute will focus on macroeconomic management and policies, and on structural, social, and project-related issues, such as governance, poverty alleviation, gender, growth, and the environment. It will also organize seminars on topical development issues, and will use the most modern distance learning facilities as an integral part of its training activity.

The Joint Africa Institute is expected to make an important contribution to meeting the critical learning needs in the region. It will allow the three institutions to mobilize their human and financial resources in a partnership for training that takes full advantage of their synergies and complementarities.

The JAI is expected to commence operations in the second half of 1999.