INVITATION TO REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA

What: 7th Africa Private Sector Forum.

When: 3rd – 5th December 2014

Where: Panari Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya

Time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Who: African Union Commission

Objective:
Declaration of the 7th Africa Private Sector Forum; Enhanced understanding of the role of the private sector on inclusive, sustainable growth and the implementation of the Continental Free Trade Area; and Concrete measures for the enlargement of new innovative financial opportunities for SME/SMI in Africa.

Participants:
Over 300 participants are expected to attend the 2014 edition of the African Private Sector Forum. Participants to the Forum will include African Trade and Industry Ministers, representatives of the African Private Sector, RECs, United Nations agencies, Pan-African financial institutions, African academics and research institutions, development partners and other intergovernmental organizations.

Background:
Considering the critical role that the private sector is expected to play in the inclusiveness of growth and integration of the African continent, in particular its contribution to poverty reduction through investment and employment creation, the AU Commission organizes an annual African Private Sector Forum. This initiative is in line with the AU Executive Council Abuja Decision Number EX/CL/Dec.183 (VI), which institutionalized the African Union Private Sector Forum. The Forum is a key instrument of interface and partnership between the African Union policy makers and the private sector. The Forum also acts a vehicle for empowering the African Private Sector through advocacy, sharing business and market information and skills. In light of the foregoing, the African Union Commission plans to organize the 7th Africa Private Sector under the Theme: “Promoting Africa’s Private Sector for inclusive growth: Exploring innovative mechanism of funding”.

Among the key features of the Forum are high-level policy dialogues, plenary sessions and parallel sessions. In order to focus the Forum and its recommendations, Parallel sessions will be set up according to specific interest and emerging issues of the African private sector. The plenary sessions will allow influential business leaders to debate general issues of critical importance for private sector sound development in Africa. Speakers will share their experience and views and debate what efforts should be made to unlock opportunities and achieve success. The topics of the sessions are:

• Role of the private sector in catalyzing the inclusive growth and development
• Expanding long-term finance for private sector development in Africa: The role of Commercial and Development Banks
• Innovative sources of funding for private sector development: Capital market, Private equity and Blending
• Innovative sources of funding for private sector development: Capital market, Private equity and Blending
• Impact Investment in Africa – Challenges, Success Stories, Lessons Learnt and Opportunities for Growth
• Doing Business in Africa: From perception to reality
• Sustainable Energy Impact Investment
• Africa’s future: Creating an engine for inclusive growth by enlarging business opportunities for youth and women
• Technical and Vocational Training for private sector innovation and competitiveness
• Follow-up of the 5th EU-Africa Business Forum (EABF)
• Building inclusive financial systems in Africa: The role of Microfinance and mobile banking in private sector development
• African Union Private Sector Development strategy: the private sector facing the challenges of competitiveness and structural transformation in Africa

Media representatives in Nairobi are invited to take part and cover the meeting.