The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group holds it 2011 Annual Meetings in Lisbon, Portugal from 9-10 June 2011, with the participation of finance ministers, central bank governors and CEOs from the institution's 77 member countries.
The meetings, on the theme "Towards an Agenda for Inclusive Growth in Africa," will review the Bank's 2010 operations and its 2012 development funding portfolio, as well as challenges facing the African region in key areas such as climate change, infrastructure, private sector and governance.
The AfDB is Africa's premier development finance institution established in 1964 to mobilise resources for the economic and social development of its 53 regional member countries by focusing on reducing poverty and inequality, and promoting sustainable growth. It approved 3,526 loans and grants totaling U.S.$ 84 billion from 1967-2010 to these regional member countries.
Delegates representing other multilateral finance institutions, development agencies, private sector chief executives, non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations and the media will also attend the meetings. The event marks the 46th and 37th meetings of AfDB and African Development Fund (ADF), Board of Governors, respectively. Key decisions about the Bank Group are made at these meetings.
From 6 June, there will be a series of high-level seminars and other side events on the continent's economic, social and political concerns, all of which highlight the importance of shared growth in development.
These seminars include the following:
- Financial presentation on AfDB operations and Africa's economic performance.
- High level seminars on;
- Youth, Employment Creation and Shared Growth
- Financing Energy and Green Growth
- Private Sector Domestic Resource Development
- Africa as an Innovation Hub for Growth
- High Level Panel Discussion on Women in Business and Finance, to be chaired by former South Africa First Lady, Graca Machel.
- High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness
- CEOs Dialogue on African Entrepreneurs Leading Shared Growth and prosperity.
- The African Development Bank in North Africa 2011
- Private sector forums on bridging the missing middle gap in Africa, African financial markets initiative workshop, and exotic capital markets.
- Seminars and meetings on Africa's health sector; integrated regional infrastructure; capacity building in science, technology and innovation; Inga power project; African governance outlook; African development finance institutions; and a round table on Sudan, among others.
- Launch of African Economic Outlook 2011, which focuses on Africa's growing integration in the world economy and its diversifying partnerships revealing unprecedented economic opportunities. The African Economic Outlook is published in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
- Making Finance Work for Africa Book pre-launch: "Financing Africa: Through the Crisis and beyond".
- Launch of "The African Unlisted Stock Index".
- Launch of Africa Financing Partnership (AFC) Website
- Other side events at the 2011 Annual Meetings include an African business leadership award, thematic expositions and civil society meetings.
