Opening statement by Dr. Louis Kasekende Chief Economist African Development Bank Group Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 15-17 November 2007

Abstract

Opening Statement by Dr. Louis Kasekende Chief Economist African Development Bank Group at the Second African Economic Conference (AEC) in Addis Ababa. Dr. Kasekende, on his remarks highlighted that, The AfDB is organizing this AEC jointly with the UNECA to reaffirm the conviction that our two institutions can and indeed, should lead the way in providing a platform for dialogue on key Africa development issues and, in so doing, shape the strategies for supporting Africa's development. The AfDB and UNECA have come to the conclusion that knowledge is critical to dynamic and sustained growth, which is a necessary condition for poverty reduction. The new focus on knowledge management in these institutions has also led to increased and renewed emphasis on technical assistance and capacity building, especially on economic research as an aid to policy formulation and implementation.