One of the lessons learnt after the celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of the OAU/AU was that Africa has to take charge of its development if it is to meet the expectation of ever becoming “An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.”

The continent needs to set its agenda and take responsibility for its development, to find African solutions to our challenges and mobilise domestic and other resources for its needs, based on a set of ideals and priorities that reflect the values and aspirations of Africans.

The African Economic Platform (AEP) will institutionalise a new annual platform for African leaders and create an avenue for dialogue amongst a range of sectors, including the African political leadership, business leaders in the private sector, universities and intellectuals. These sectors are critical to the economic transformation agenda:

• The private sector because of its role in investment, industrialisation and intra-African trade;

• The higher education sector for its role in skills development, research and innovation; and

• Governments to ensure the implementation of fiscal and macro-economic policies and other environments for economic transformation.

The AEP is an initiative driven by Africans to provide the policy space for Africans across sectors, to set their own agenda and explore realistic continental and global opportunities and options for implementing this agenda. It will operate within the framework of the implementation of the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 and other progressive decisions and programs designed to promote African integration and development. Each Forum will set measurable short to medium term milestones and establish a clear road map for achieving them.

The forum will also act as a lobby and advocacy platform to influence the agenda of the AU summit and other world summits for the fast tracking of African integration and development.

The Inaugural African Economic Platform will be launched from 20-22 March, 2017 in Mauritius as per Decision EX.CL/Dec.924 (XXIX) adopted during the 29th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council, in Kigali, Rwanda, in July 2016. The outcomes of the AEP shall be endorsed through an AU Summit decision.

The Objectives of the Platform

1. Undertake constructive multi stakeholder dialogues around common themes for Africa, led by Africans and to influence continental policy by engaging directly with African leaders on matters of mutual interest.

2. Establish multi-country multi-sector priorities and plans for common action with clear mechanisms for follow up.

3. Work with African leaders to remove policy obstacles for doing business in Africa, increasing the investment attractiveness of the continent, the implementation of strategies for economic diversification and industrialization, and domestic and other resource mobilization.

4. To advocate for the removal of barriers that hamper communication and the flow of goods, people and services across the continent, create common platforms for articulating common African positions on global affairs and increase global awareness of Africa’s emerging role in world affairs.

5. Leverage the potential of the African Diaspora to participate and advocate for Africa’s integration and development.

6. Drive efforts to mobilize domestic resources by the African Union to support the priority actions as defined by the AEP under the auspices of Agenda 2063.

7. Drive the implementation of policies for inclusive growth.

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