Here we are. In just a few hours, the fourth edition of the Africa Economic Symposium (AES) will officially open its doors. Over the next two days, Rabat will become a meeting point for some of the continent's leading economists, policymakers, academics and practitioners, joined by international voices committed to Africa's future.
Whether you are with us at the Policy Center for the New South or following the discussions remotely, get ready for two days of evidence-based debate, fresh ideas and forward-looking conversations. The challenge is clear: turning transitions into growth. Let the discussions begin.
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DEBATES NOT TO BE MISSED TODAY
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Turning Transitions into Growth
This year's theme reflects one of the defining questions facing Africa today. As the continent navigates profound demographic, technological and climate transitions, the central challenge is no longer whether change is coming, but how to transform these shifts into engines of productivity, resilience and inclusive development. Throughout the Symposium, speakers will explore the policies capable of connecting short-term macroeconomic stability with long-term structural transformation.
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Launch of the PCNS Annual Report on the African Economy
The Symposium opens with one of its flagship moments: the presentation of the 7th edition of the PCNS Annual Report on the African Economy. Produced by more than thirty African and international experts, the report examines the political economy of Africa's natural resources in a rapidly changing global environment. The findings will serve as the starting point for many of the discussions taking place over the next two days.
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High-Level Perspectives
The afternoon will continue with keynote addresses from Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Kingdom of Morocco, and Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Their interventions will set the stage for discussions on Africa's economic outlook and the role of regional integration in driving sustainable growth.
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Managing Macroeconomic Challenges
The first plenary session will examine one of the continent's most pressing policy questions: how can African economies manage inflation, exchange rate volatility and interest rate spillovers while maintaining growth and resilience? Bringing together leading economists from across Africa and beyond, the discussion will explore the policy trade-offs shaping today's macroeconomic landscape.
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Parallel Sessions: Resources, Debt and Fiscal Sustainability
The day concludes with two parallel sessions focusing on key policy priorities. One will explore how fiscal frameworks can better manage Africa's natural resources for long-term development, while the other will address sovereign debt composition, domestic capital markets and fiscal sustainability, issues that remain central to Africa's economic resilience.
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AES is more than a conference programme.
Throughout the venue, participants will have opportunities to continue conversations during networking breaks, meet fellow researchers and policymakers, discover the latest publications from the Policy Center for the New South, and exchange ideas with experts from across the continent.
Coffee breaks throughout the afternoon have been designed as moments for discussion, collaboration and new partnerships, because some of the Symposium's most valuable conversations happen outside the conference room.
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Today's discussions lay the foundations for tomorrow's conversations on structural transformation.
On Day Two, participants will explore how Africa can leverage technology for productivity gains, navigate the climate and energy transition, rethink social policies for inclusive growth, mobilize financing for structural transformation, and examine the economics of major sporting events through a special session dedicated to the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
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Need the full programme? Looking for speaker biographies or session details? Everything you need is available through the AES mobile application and on the Symposium website.
If you haven't already done so, be sure to register your participation and stay connected throughout the event to make the most of every session.
We wish you an inspiring first day at the 4th Africa Economic Symposium
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Policy Center for the New South
Rabat Campus of Mohammed VI Polytechnic University Rocade Rabat Salé 11103, Morocco
www.policycenter.ma | contact@policycenter.ma
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Ce traitement a été notifié et autorisé par la CNDP au titre du récépissé N° D-NL-718/2020
This processing has been notified and authorized by the CNDP under receipt N ° D-NL-718/2020
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