Highlights

Opening of the Ministerial Sessions of COM2019 in Marrakech

25/03/2019
Opening of the Ministerial Sessions of COM2019 in Marrakech

The ministerial sessions of the 52nd Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (COM2019) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) started its work, Monday, March 25th 2019 in Marrakech, under the theme "Fiscal Policy, Trade and the Private Sector in the Digital Era: A Strategy for Africa".

The opening session of this event was attended by the Minister of Economy and Finance, Mr. Mohamed Benchaaboun, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Organization (UNO), Mrs. Amina Mohammed, the Vice-President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the UNO, Mr. Omar Hilale and the Executive Secretary of ECA, Mrs. Vera Songwe.

These two-day meetings will provide an opportunity for African ministers to review the fiscal policies for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) within the framework of the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development program and Africa's Sustainable Development, Agenda for 2063, as well as the role of the private sector in the era of the digital economy.

These sessions were preceded by the 38th meeting of the COM2019 Expert Committee, from March 20th to 22nd 2019, which covered a number of issues related to fiscal policies, intra-African trade, the private sector and the digital economy. Other side events were also programed (March 23rd and 24th), including the presentation of the Economic Report on Africa, ECA's flagship publication, whose 2019 edition will focus on tax policies for sustainable development in Africa, and the Launch of the Fintech Network or the North African Forum on the Blue Economy.

​Established in 1958, the ECA is one of the five regional commissions of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Its mandate is to support the economic and social development of its member States, promote regional integration and enhance international cooperation for Africa's development.