The 2018 World Investment Report identifies the challenges that developing countries will be facing to attract international investment for inclusive and sustainable industrial development. These challenges – as the report underscores- are particularly pronounced in Africa, where the level of economic transformation remains low despite a period of strong economic growth and abundant opportunities. The share of manufacturing in GDP of African countries is still small, and it has further declined or stagnated to 10% over the past decade.
Against this background, and with a view to advancing towards the objectives of the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (IDDA III), proclaimed by the UNGA in 2016, this session, co-organized by the African Union (AU), the United Nations Development Organization (UNIDO) and UNCTAD, will bring together global thought leaders in the investment and finance domain, to discuss new approaches towards mobilizing investment for Africa’s manufacturing sector to strengthen productive capacity development. The roles of industrial policy, industrial parks and the recently established African Continental Free Trade Area will be at the center of the discussion. The outcome of the discussion will be key for policy makers and entities involved in policy analysis, technical assistance and resource mobilization. They will also be taken on board in the implementation of the IDDA III road map.
Issues for debate
- Which new approaches are warranted to channel (international) investment to manufacturing and related sectors- and what is the role of modern industrial policy in this regard?
- How do we de–risk investment in Africa?
- What prospects does the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) hold for attracting (intra-African) investment into manufacturing?
- What is the role of development partners – and how can they best support the process?
Speaker(s)
