The African Development Bank (AfDB) will undertake the regional launch in Tunis of the 2012 edition of the African Economic Outlook (AEO) report on 16 July, under the high patronage of the Tunisian Head of Government.

The launch will also feature a conference organized in collaboration with OECD Development Centre.

The conference theme will be "Promoting Youth Employment in the North Africa Region" and will take place at the Ministry of Human Rights and Transitional Justice.

The conference will focus on the findings and recommendations of the 2012 AEO for North Africa and will feature a debate on their policy implications for post-revolution period in the region.

The conference is an opportunity to set the stage for accelerated progress on human development in North Africa. It will focus on learning through South-South exchanges, and showcasing innovations from North Africa, Latin America and Asia.

The main topics will include macroeconomic prospects in North Africa, economic diversification and youth employment, bridging the skills gaps, and international cooperation.

The AEO is published annually by the AfDB, the OECD Development Centre, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

The theme for this year's AEO is Promoting Youth Employment. The report paints a comprehensive picture of youth in African labour markets. In particular, it focuses on the growing problem of youth unemployment on the continent, due in part to the fact that Africa has the youngest population in the world with more than 200 million young people aged between 15 and 24 years.