BY NEW BUSINESS ETHIOPIA REPORTER
The first New York Forum AFRICA is to be held in two weeks time, from 8 to 10 June 2012, in Libreville in Gabon gathering participants from Rabat to Johannesburg via Lagos, an entire continent and prestigious personalities from around the world.
Led by Richard Attias & Associates, under the patronage of President Ali Bongo Ondimba and in collaboration with the Gabonese government, more than 600 international opinion leaders, business leaders, economists and politicians will come together in pursuit of a common goal: strengthening the continent's role and presence in the global economy.
While growth in the United States and Europe seems to be slowing, Africa is proving surprising. As Andrew Burns, World Bank manager of the Development Prospects Group, announced: "Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the global growth drivers, even if it is a limited driver for the time being. But that was also the case of China 20 years ago. Let's hope that Africa will provide us with a similar story ".
Africa, a continent brimming with promise, has still to overcome several challenges in terms of infrastructure, training, food security, health and stability. The New York Forum AFRICA is dual-facetted: reveal, to the various actors in the world economy, the potential and opportunities of an entire continent, while developing specific solutions that meet Africa's key development needs.
The New York Forum AFRICA will bring together economic policy makers and opinion leaders from around the world, on the African continent, in the presence of key stakeholders in the African economy. On June 11 2011, as part of this event, a special day will be devoted to women's problems in Africa through Dialogue for Action AFRICA, organized by the Cecilia Attias Foundation for Women.
Richard Attias, President of Richard Attias & Associates, stated: "Like many others who are very familiar with this continent where I was born, I have always been convinced that Africa's development is essential for the world to function properly. This is why I have organized major international events across the continent, in Morocco of course, but also in South Africa, Namibia, Mauritius or Senegal. The New York Forum AFRICA aims to firmly establish itself in Africa, bringing together the energy and drive of an entire continent every year".
