1. The African Economic Conference (AEC) is the leading pan-African forum for discussing emerging economic challenges and opportunities.
2. The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) first organized the African Economic Conference in 2006 to enhance the development effectiveness of its operations and was duly joined by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in 2007 and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2010.
3. The AEC is currently jointly organized by the AfDB, ECA and UNDP.
4. Past AECs have underlined the importance of adapting international policies, instruments and agreements and building local capacity of African States to address Africa's needs better.
5. AEC 2023 will carry the theme: “The Imperative for sustainable Industrial Development in Africa”. This edition will be an opportunity for participants to think creatively to reflect on Africa’s experience with industrialization, the political will variously expressed at national, regional, and global levels, as well as the evidence of where it has been successful globally, but particularly on the African continent, to help accelerate towards the achievement of the SDGs and aspirations of the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
6. The AEC 2023 conference will provide a platform for established academics and young researchers to present their solution-oriented research to decision-makers on strengthening Africa’s response to climate change and its ripple effects.
