Tunis, Tunisia — The Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A) held its 2011 Partnership Forum from the 15th to the 16th of September in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The 2011 MFW4A Partnership Forum was hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and organized with the support of the African Union (AU).
The MFW4A Partnership Forum was the second conference of high-level financial sector development professionals, stakeholders and development partners since the one held in Ghana in 2008. The 2011 Partnership Forum's discussions revolved around expanding and safeguarding financial systems and lengthening financial contracts.
Additionally, it provided an arena for more than 300 top financial sector development practitioners to share ideas, hold dialogues and build networks. Specifically, the gathering provided experts from African and international financial institutions, government policy makers, central bankers and academics with opportunities to debate topics related to the continent's financial systems, and showcased financial sector success stories within a marketplace of ideas.
One of the highlights of the 2011 MFW4A Partnership Forum was the launch of its new flagship publication, "Financing Africa: Through the Crisis and Beyond", a fruitful collaboration between the African Development Bank (AfDB), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and the World Bank. The publication, which takes a fresh look at Africa's financial systems, was authored by Thorsten Beck, Professor of Economics at Tilburg University, Samuel Maimbo, Lead Financial Sector Specialist for Africa at the World Bank and AfDB Principle Economists Thouraya Triki and Issa Faye.
The MFW4A Secretariat, hosted by the AfDB, is an initiative to support the development of African financial sectors. The MFW4A Partnership was created to support the efforts of African countries to accelerate economic growth and reduce poverty by facilitating financial sector development. The Partnership serves as a platform for joint action amongst local stakeholders, development partners, private sector actors and civil society organizations.