Africa’s economic recovery in focus

The 5th African Economic Conference (AEC) was recently held in Tunis on the theme “Setting the Agenda for Africa’s Economic Recovery and Long Term Growth.” The conference is jointly organised by the AfDB and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (SABC). The developing world continues to feel the effects of the crisis more than elsewhere. In Africa, the effects of the crisis on capital flows, export volumes and prices, remittances and tourism are far reaching. The crisis threatens to reverse trends in private investment and jeopardises the gains from the good economic performance made since 2000. Important subject areas included China-Africa trade, the role of the private sector and the promotion of savings and investment in Africa.