ADB and ECA to synchronize meetings, hold joint symposium

Abstract

Two of Africa's major development institutions have announced that for the first time they will synchronize their annual legislative meetings in a bid to foster greater coherence, strengthen partnership and provide a unique forum for African policymakers to forge common positions on how to address key challenges facing the continent. The Annual Meeting of the African Development Bank (ADB), initially scheduled to take place at its headquarters in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, will now take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 3 - 5 June 2003, at the invitation of the Ethiopian Government. The Annual Conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) will be held on Sunday 1 June 2003, preceded by a meeting of the Committee of Experts from 29 - 30 May. As part of the new arrangement, the two institutions will jointly sponsor the Annual Meetings Symposium, to be held on 2 June and previously a hallmark of the ADB Annual Meetings. The theme of this year's Symposium is "Poverty Reduction, Social Development, and the Millennium Development Goals in Africa: Are We Making Progress on the Ground?".