Morocco, 'key centre' for Africa's economic development: UNECA

"Morocco is a key centre for business development in Africa and the Moroccan private sector has been expanding its operation throughout the sub-region", said in a statement UNECA Executive Secretary Carlos Lopes, expressing the Commission's delight of holding the 9th African Development Forum in Marrakech (October 12-16 October) on the theme "Innovative financing for Africa's transformation". 

 

UN official said the Forum, which is the UNECA flagship event, will be held for the first time outside Addis Ababa (ECA's headquarters), thanks to Morocco's stable political environment, favourable geographic position, operational legal framework and sufficient development infrastructure of services.

 

The ECA is Africa's leading think tank and the Forum is known to bring together the experts from Africa and internationally to discuss and thrash out some of the most pressing issues relating to Africa. 

 

There is expected to be strong private sector participation and it will provide a unique platform for business and political leaders to come up with some concrete solutions to some critical issues, he added.

 

The Forum seeks to enhance Africa's capacity to explore innovative financing mechanisms as real alternatives for financing transformative development in Africa, Lopez noted. 

 

The theme - Innovative financing for Africa's transformation - stems from the recognition of the role of finance in attaining the structural transformation agenda premised on African-owned and African-driven developmental initiatives, UNECA Executive Secretary concluded.