6th CONGRESS OF AFRICAN ECONOMISTS.

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December 06, 2023 to December 08, 2023

“Financing Africa’s Development Beyond Crisis” 6-8 December 2023

Lusaka, Zambia

The African Union Commission led by the Department for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry, and Minerals (ETTIM) organizes the Congress of African Economists (CAE) every two years. The CAE is a continental Policy Dialogue Platform, which aims to analyze emerging economic issues that are critical to Africa’s transformation with a view to design and implement optimal solutions.

The 6th edition of the Congress of African Economists will gather African Economists within the continent and the diaspora to deepen the understanding of the link between illicit financial flows, debt management, and development in Africa.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed Africa’s vulnerability to external fluctuations and emphasized the urgent need for a continental shift toward structural transformation. Low levels of economic diversification and value addition, coupled with the adverse effects of the recurrent crisis, impede Africa’s efforts to achieve inclusive growth, sustainable development, and enhanced prosperity.

The 6th edition of the AU Congress of African Economists will be centered on the theme, “Financing Africa’s Development beyond Crisis” delving into issues that are critical to the AU Member States as they strive to address their financing gap to realize the vision, aspirations and objectives of Agenda 2063.

The Congress aims to draw contributions and assessments from case studies, the best literature and analytical frameworks and empirical estimation techniques to guide policy action and concrete recommendations on the theme and sub-themes.

ABOUT THE CONGRESS OF AFRICAN ECONOMISTS

The Congress of African Economists of the AUC is a statutory economic discussion platform entrusted with the mandate of gathering African economists to share research analysis on topics pertinent to continental economic transformation. The outcomes of the Congress are used in policy formulation and decision-making processes. It is a platform that strengthens AUC authority in regional policy debates and the links and exchanges of experience among African governments, academia, and other institutions. Through the CAE, the AUC promotes research in strategic issues pertinent to Africa’s transformation to improve national policy formulation and implementation. It aims to enhance economic skills and capabilities of Africa’s workforce through links between research and the supply of skilled graduates.

To date, five editions of the Congress of African Economists have been organized. The first was held from 2 to 5 March 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya under the theme: “Towards the creation of the African single currency”. The second was held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire from 24 to 26 November 2011 under the theme: “How to realise strong and sustainable Economic Growth in Africa so as to absorb unemployment and sustain the dynamics of Regional and Continental Integration”. The third was held in Dakar, Senegal from 6 to 8 March 2013 under the theme "Industrialization and economic emergence in Africa." The fourth was held from 16 to 18 November 2015 in Accra, Ghana under the theme: “Industrial Policy and Economic Performance in Africa”. The fifth Congress of African Economists was held from 1 to 4 November 2017 in Malabo, Republic of Equatorial Guinee under the theme: “Growth, Employment, and Inequalities in Africa”.

The Theme of the sixth edition of the CAE: “Financing Africa’s Development beyond Crisis” will offer an opportunity to discuss Africa’s development perspectives following the consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Conflicts, and Climate Change. It will consider the following sub-themes:

1) Macroeconomic dynamics and implications of IFFs on Africa’s development;
2) Interlinkages between debt and IFFs on Africa’s development;
3) Causes, drivers, and estimates of Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs) in Africa;
4) International issues in fighting against Illicit Financial Flows (IFFs);
5) Risk perception and cost of capital in Africa;
6) Mobilizing Private Sector Financing for Africa’s development;
7) Innovative finance for Africa’s Development;
8) Scaling up the diaspora contribution to development;
9) Tools and policies for Debt management;
10) Macroeconomic theory and frameworks for Debt sustainability in Africa.

CALL FOR PAPERS: SUBMISSION AND DEADLINE.

Referencing the various African Union Charters, policy instruments and strategies relevant to the sector as well as other documented pronouncements and actions by the African Union, and in line with the theme of the 6th edition of the AU Congress of African Economists, “Financing Africa’s Development beyond Crisis”, interested parties are hereby called upon to submit, incisive and evidence based articles on the potential and progress made in the ten (10) sub-theme indicated above, as well as innovative recommendations that are being and/or can be undertaken at institutional, country and continental level to promote financing of Africa’s development agenda.

Applicants are invited to submit full articles of 7000 to 12000 words. All manuscripts will be reviewed and evaluated by a Scientific Committee of the African Integration and Development Review based on the clarity of the methodology applied, content, and recommendations/concrete proposals for action.

The full paper must include an abstract of no more than 250 words and must be received by the Commission by 15 November 2023. The papers should be sent to the African Union Commission through Dr. Patrick Ndzana Olomo, E-mail: Olomop@africa- union.org copying Ms. Rumbidzai Manhando, E-mail: ManhandoR@africa- union.org.

Full paper must be written using Times New Roman (normal style and font size 12) and in MS-Word. Page size should be A4, single column with 2.5 cm margin on both sides with single line spacing. All pages of the manuscript (including Tables and Figures) should be numbered. The cover page should include: Title, Author/s of the article: name, function, and Country to which the author belongs.

Authors are requested to specify the sub-theme that best fits their paper at the time of

submission. Application is open to all researchers, academics, practitioners, consultants, scholars, policy makers and university students at the Master’s degree or doctoral studies levels. Young researchers across the continent and from the diaspora are particularly encouraged to apply.

Among the scientific articles received and evaluated, three (3) best articles will be awarded during the Congress of Economist scheduled from 6 to 8 December 2023 in Lusaka, Zambia. The three articles will be published by the African Union Commission in the African Integration and Development Review. Other top pertinent articles retained will be published in the Acts of the Congress.

The costs related to the participation of the three successful authors of the selected papers in the Congress will be covered by the African Union Commission. If an article is authored by a group of people, then the AU Commission will consider the possibility to cover the participation of one author.

For more details, please contact:

Dr. Patrick Ndzana Olomo | Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals | Department African Union Commission | E-mail: Olomop@africa-union.org

Ms. Rumbidzai Manhando | Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals | Department African Union Commission | E-mail: | ManhandoR@africa-union.org