Opening Session
“Forty-third meeting of the Committee of Experts and fifty-seventh session of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development: “Advancing the implementation of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area: proposing transformative strategic actions”
12- 18 March 2025
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Opening Remarks by Outgoing Chair of the Bureau [12 March Expert segment]
Excellencies Honourable Ministers
Deputy Executive Secretaries of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Ms. Hanan Morsy and Mr Antonio Pedro Distinguished Delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good morning to you all.
It is my pleasure to welcome you all to the magnificent city of Addis Ababa for the 43rd meeting of the Committee of Experts and the 57th session of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.
On behalf of the outgoing bureau, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Government and people of Ethiopia for their warm hospitality since our arrival in this beautiful diplomatic capital of Africa.
Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Guests,
This year’s conference theme, “Advancing the Implementation of the Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area: Proposing Transformative Strategic Actions,” could not be more timely or relevant.
The AfCFTA presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine Africa's economic future. It serves as a vital tool for enhancing intra-African trade, diversifying our economies, and climbing global value chains. The AfCFTA has the potential to transform Africa from a continent predominantly exporting raw materials into one that excels in value-added manufacturing, digital trade, and sustainable industrialization.
To fully harness the transformative power of the AfCFTA, we must adopt a strategic and coordinated approach that strengthens regional value chains, ensuring that the continent optimally benefits from its abundant resources. This requires targeted investments in infrastructure and logistics to facilitate the seamless movement of goods across borders while reducing transaction costs. Additionally, fostering innovation and digital trade is crucial for unlocking new market opportunities, integrating African businesses into global value chains and positioning our continent as a leader in the digital economy.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Last year’s conference on “Financing the Transition to Inclusive Green Economies in Africa” highlighted the pressing need for innovative financial solutions to drive Africa's structural transformation. Green and sustainable finance, climate-aligned investment strategies, and strengthened economic governance are essential for ensuring that AfCFTA-driven growth is not only economically robust but also environmentally sustainable and socially
inclusive. Our challenge now is to bridge these two agendas, ensuring that Africa's trade expansion is supported by resilient financial systems, climate-smart investments, and sustainable industrialization policies that deliver long-term prosperity.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
As outgoing Chair, I would like to highlight some progress made over the past year. With the support of the ECA Secretariat and our partners, we have achieved significant strides in key areas:
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Macroeconomic Stability & Financial Governance: The ECA has focused on improving economic governance, supporting debt management, and fostering financial stability across the region as well as amplifying Africa’s voice at the global level on the need for reform of global financial architecture.
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Strengthening Development Planning & Monitoring: Efforts have been made to enhance frameworks for planning, monitoring, and reporting to accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063.
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Advancing AfCFTA & Industrialization: Concrete steps have been taken to advance engagement on developing regional value chains, particularly in agro-processing and manufacturing, enabling African industries to climb the value ladder and supporting some member states to add green supplements to their national AFCFTA strategies.
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Infrastructure Development & Energy Security: Recognizing the need for sustainable energy solutions, we have supported initiatives that enhance energy security and connectivity.
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Strengthening Climate Action & Resilience: Given the increasing risks posed by climate change, the ECA has intensified its efforts in mobilizing climate finance, developing adaptation strategies, and building resilience.
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Leveraging Technology & Innovation: There has been a strong push towards modernizing Africa’s statistical systems, improving digital governance, and promoting innovation to drive economic growth.
As chair of the Bureau, Zimbabwe has actively worked with the secretariate to amplify the continents voice in key global forums such as the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, the United Nations General Assembly, the High- level Working Group on the Global Financial Architecture, FfD4 and COP29, to name a few.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
As we move forward, it is crucial to build upon these achievements. Our continent must continue to advocate for a fair and equitable global financial system, ensure that Africa’s trade policies align with global developments, and implement strategies that foster economic transformation through the AfCFTA.
Finally, I extend my deepest gratitude to the Bureau members and the ECA Secretariat for their unwavering support. It has been an honour to serve in this capacity, and I look forward to the continued leadership of the new Bureau as we advance our shared vision.
I look forward to the outcomes of the Committee and I wish you all a successful conference.
Thank you