AfDB's 2012 Annual Meetings takes theme of Africa's role in emerging global landscape

TUNIS, Tunisia, March 13, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) (http://www.afdb.org) will hold its Annual Meetings this year in Arusha, Tanzania, from 28 May to 1 June.

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The theme of the 2012 meetings will be 'Africa and the emerging global landscape: challenges and opportunities'. As always, the meetings will be a gathering of numerous high-level participants from the AfDB's member countries.

Participants will come from both the AfDB's African regional member countries and its non-regional member countries outside Africa, representing the worlds of finance, banking, government, economics, donors, the media, civil society, development and academia.

This year's theme gives the opportunity for delegates to debate Africa's changing role in the world as its economies continue to grow at faster rates than the rest of the world, and the AfDB's role in promoting this growth and development through its projects, operations and investments around the continent.

Delegates will take part in a wide-ranging series of discussions, high-level seminars and workshops on the future of Africa.

Also, the AfDB will be welcoming contributions towards the formulation of its new ten-year Long Term Strategy for 2013 to 2022 (http://www.afdb.org/en/consultations/afdb-groups-long-term-strategy). The AfDB has already begun consultations both internally and externally on the creation of this Long Term Strategy, which will replace the current five-year Medium Term Strategy for 2008 to 2012 (http://www.afdb.org/en/about-us/afdb-medium-term-strategy).

The AfDB is Africa's premier development finance institution, established in 1964 to mobilise resources to the economic and social development of its regional countries by promoting sustainable and inclusive growth as well as poverty reduction.

The AfDB pursues its goals of growth and cutting poverty through a strategy of concentrating its operational investments in the areas of infrastructure, the private sector, governance and education.

The 2012 meetings will mark the 47th meeting of the African Development Bank, and the 38th meeting of the African Development Fund, the Group's concessional or 'soft loan' arm.

Distributed by the African Press Organization for the African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Media contacts:

Penelope Pontet de Fouquieres, t : +216 71 10 12 50 - mail : [email protected]

For more information, please visit our media center : http://www.afdb.org/en/resources-for/media/