Convened under the theme "Fostering development in an era of financial crisis," the forum will among other issues discuss the improvement of access to information and research on economic issues and the quality of economic policymaking in Africa.

Among the key figures expected to attend are Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, Prudential chief executive of Tidjane Thiam, director of the Centre for the Study of African Economies at Oxford University Paul Collier and several central bank governors and ministers of finance from Africa.

"This event is jointly organised by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa to foster the exchange of ideas between economists and policymakers in order to improve the quality of economic policies designed within the region as well as the dynamic and sustained growth necessary to reduce poverty through knowledge-sharing," AfDB senior information officer Chawki Chahed said. 

The Addis Ababa conference takes place against the backdrop of the global financial and economic crisis that has affected many African countries.

AfDB chief economist Louis Kasekende says the African Economic Conference has been useful in helping the continent improve the quality and flow of information which have continued shaping policy. 

Following the outbreak of the global economic crisis last year, the AfDB and ECA have put in place mechanisms to monitor the impact of the crisis on African countries.

Mr Kasekende says the conference will create a platform for an economic discussion and debate on the crisis among researchers, development practitioners and policy-makers. 

"From the conference, we expect the public to understand how AfDB, together with other regional and international organisations, have responded to the crisis so far, the issues and perspectives of African countries with regard to the crises and the role that knowledge and technical assistance have played in shaping the effective and timely African response to the crises," he said. (allafrica.com)