Accra, Nov. 9, GNA - The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) are organizing the Second African Economic Conference from November 15-17 at the UN Conference Centre in Addis Ababa.

The conference is being convened under the theme: "Opportunities and Challenges of Development for Africa in the Global Arena." A statement by AfDB received in Accra on Friday said it would provide an opportunity for African academics and policymakers to exchange views on economic development problems and challenges facing Africa.

Speakers at the three plenary sessions would include economists Prof. Ernest Aryeetey, Prof. Paul Collier and Prof. Robert Wade. The President of the AfDB, Donald Kaberuka and the Executive Secretary of ECA, Abdoulie Janneh, would also address the conference. About 400 participants are expected to attend and 65 papers will be presented at the parallel sessions.

In 2006, AfDB and ECA agreed to organize annual conferences of African and development economists to provide a forum for exchange of ideas among African economists and policymakers with a view to improving access to information and research on economic issues and improving the quality of economic policy-making in the region. It is expected that the annual conference will give participants a welcome opportunity to present their work, interact with other professionals in the field and learn about the most recent developments in economic techniques, policies and analyses. 9 Nov. 07