ABIDJAN, Côte d’Ivoire (CAJ News) — Three days of intensive discussion at the 2026 African Economic Conference wrapped up on 12 July at the African Development Bank Group headquarters in Abidjan, producing a concrete policy agenda and a newly launched coordination platform for the continent’s senior economic policymakers.
The conference, which ran from 10 to 12 July, was jointly organized by the African Development Bank Group, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Its practical focus: equipping African economies to manage international uncertainty within an increasingly multipolar global order. Economists, researchers, policymakers and development experts assembled to examine specific approaches for reinforcing Africa’s economic independence and trade stability.
Additional reference context is available at https://cajnewsafrica.com/2026/07/13/africa-pledges-resilience/.
Raymond Gilpin, Chief Economist and Head of Strategy, Analysis and Research at UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa, acknowledged that African institutions face ongoing pressure from global economic headwinds. He argued, however, that such challenges do not diminish the continent’s fundamental human capacity, and he emphasized the necessity of strengthened partnerships and coordinated action to build the resilient Africa that both its citizens and the broader world require.
The operational complexity of that task was spelled out by Ida McDonnell, Senior Policy Advisor on Development Policy, Finance and Performance at the OECD. Her core point was direct: trade, debt, investment, climate action and development finance now operate as interconnected systems, not separate concerns. Decisions in one domain directly affect outcomes in others, making coordinated rather than siloed policymaking a practical necessity, not a preference.
Meanwhile, African Development Bank Group Senior Vice President Marie-Laure Akin Olugbade confirmed that discussions had produced substantive policy insights, including specific analysis of the policies needed to improve Africa’s economic standing and fortify trade resilience across the continent.
UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa Director Ahunna Eziakonwa outlined what forward momentum looks like in practice. She called for removal of trade barriers, increased investment in innovation, strengthening of regional value chains and empowerment of young people as key operational priorities. Her broader argument was pointed: Africa’s position in a multipolar world will ultimately rest on building its own economic strength rather than depending on external partnerships or alliances.
The conference also hosted the Global Network of Chief Economists of Development and Financing Institutions meeting. Its most tangible institutional output was the launch of the African Chief Economists Network (ACE Network), a new platform designed to sustain coordination among Africa’s senior economic policymakers beyond the conference itself.
Whether that network translates the Abidjan discussions into durable policy action across member states remains the test ahead.