COM 2026: Stakeholders and Partners Join ECA at High Level Side Events on Innovation, Inclusion and Fiscal Transformation ahead of Ministerial Conference

Tangier, Morocco, 28 March 2026 - On the margins of the fifty-eighth session of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, six high-level side events will showcase concrete pathways to harness data, technology and innovation for Africa's structural transformation.

On 31 March, a Continental Youth Symposium on "African Youth at the Frontier of Technologies, Innovation, Sovereignty and Jobs in the Digital Age" will bring young innovators together with policymakers to shape a youth-driven agenda for Africa's digital future. Two additional events will focus on "Enhancing Africa's trade flows through improved port infrastructure and operations" and on "Leveraging Data and Technology to Strengthen Domestic Resource Mobilization and Debt Governance in Africa", highlighting how smarter infrastructure and digital tools can boost trade competitiveness, widen the tax base and strengthen debt management.

On 1 April, a Ministerial Policy Dialogue on "Women's Financial and Economic Inclusion for Sustainable Development in Africa: Harnessing Data and Innovation" will elevate women's economic empowerment as a core macroeconomic priority. A high-level event on "Health as Sovereign Investment: Fiscal Strategy, Innovative Finance and Regional Transformation in Africa" will promote health spending as a strategic investment as part of the launch of several related initiatives, while a side event on "Financing for Innovation: The Role of African Multilateral Financial Institutions in Accelerating Africa's Technological and Economic Transformation" will spotlight new financing models to scale home-grown innovation.

In addition to the side events, a vibrant Knowledge Fair, showcasing member states innovations and use of frontier technologies are on display. The Knowledge Fair is a key element of the Conference, aimed at encouraging peer learning among policy makers and other stakeholders. Outcomes from the six side events will feed into the deliberations of Ministers, enriching decisions under the Conference theme, "Growth through innovation: harnessing data and frontier technologies for the economic transformation of Africa."

Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Tel: +251 11 551 5826
E-mail: [email protected]

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