Mauritius is hosting the 2022 African economic conference (AEC).
The conference is a forum for discussing emerging challenges of the continent and opportunities. It is jointly hosted by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
The event, themed ‘supporting climate-smart development in Africa’, is scheduled to hold in a hybrid format, with in-person delegates gathering in the city of Balaclava, northwest of Mauritius, from December 9 to December 11, 2022.
On Monday, according to a statement issued by the organizers, the country’s minister of finance, Renganaden Padayachy, announced the event at a press conference last week.
Padayachy, addressing the theme of AEC 2022, referenced the 2021 World Risk Report, which described that Africa is a very vulnerable continent to climate disasters and Mauritius is highly exposed to the impacts.
Padayachy said the government is highly committed to accelerating the country’s green transformation process and aiming to generate about 60% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030.
He said, “Sustainable growth and inclusive development do involve a cleaner, greener, and more climate resilient economy.”
In his remarks, deputy director-general for southern Africa, Kennedy Mbekeani, commended the Mauritius government for agreeing to host the 2022 African economic conference.
Mbekeani said food production and water supplies might be hampered by changing weather patterns. Africa’s most vulnerable regions are among its most fragile due to their dependence on unimproved commodities and lack of economic variety.
According to Mbekeani, creating climate-smart policies could drive development across Africa, and investments in building resilience to climate change could have wider social and economic benefits.
Meanwhile, attendees at the press conference were Eric Ogunleye, the advisor to African Development Bank’s chief economist and vice-president; Adeleke Salami, the bank’s AEC task manager; Tony Muhumuza, UNDP’s senior economist for Mauritius and Seychelles; and other senior government officials, including Vish Soondram, deputy financial secretary at the ministry of finance, economic planning and development.
