African Youth at the forefront of the 2nd edition of the New York Forum Africa

African Youth at the forefront of the 2nd edition of the New York Forum Africa

Over 10 Heads of State and 1,500 participants are meeting since Friday for the second edition of the New York Forum AFRICA

LIBREVILLE, Gabon, June 15, 2013/ -- Over 1,500 participants (economic decision-makers, politicians, and international investors) and 10 Heads of State are meeting since Friday for the second edition of the New York Forum AFRICA (http://www.ny-forum-africa.com) which will continue until 16 June 2013 in Libreville, Gabon. This forum aims at promoting inclusive economic development which, first and foremost, benefits young African people.

 

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/nyfa-1.jpg

 

Photo 1: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=517 (H.E. Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of the Gabonese Republic, at the opening of the New York Forum AFRICA)

 

Photo 2: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=516 (H.E. Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of the Gabonese Republic, at the opening of the New York Forum AFRICA)

 

Photo 3: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=515 (H.E. Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of the Gabonese Republic, at the opening of the New York Forum AFRICA)

 

The second edition of the New York Forum Africa was inaugurated on Friday in Libreville by Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of the Republic of Gabon, and by Richard Attias, organiser and founder of the New York Forum. Integration of African youth and economic growth of the continent were defined as the top priorities.

 

"The fact that we are instilling so much passion and energy into this Forum is for a single reason: for young Africans, of any sex", stated Richard Attias at the opening of the Forum. "Economic decision-makers and politicians should ensure that African youth is made a top priority". To underline the urgent need for integration of youth into the African growth strategy, it is reiterated that some 150 million young people were unemployed across the entire continent.

 

A time for Africa to shine

 

"The priority of our continent is our youth. Economic growth is meaningless if young Africans cannot benefit from it. Growth should be inclusive and people-oriented", underlined President Ali Bongo Ondimba. In the presence of Heads of State from the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), who were meeting in an Extraordinary Session on the fringe of the Forum, Ali Bongo issued words of encouragement to his African counterparts so as to "collectively rise to the challenge of transforming the continent, to break free from the spiral of under-development and poverty by relying on our own resources. We are resolute towards making a break. We, the African people, must no longer be mere spectators, but rather stakeholders in our own development".

 

Whilst many experts consider African development to be the most promising in the 21st century, Larry Summers, Professor and former Advisor to President Clinton and President Obama, asked to take the floor following inauguration, underlined that "in a world where lending countries talk and borrowing countries listen, it is about time that Africa found its voice and the world listened. Senegal has a lower borrowing rate that Greece, and Ghana has a lower rate than Ireland, whilst Gabon has a lower borrowing rate than Belgium and Chile".

 

The New York Forum Africa centres on several major themes focusing on economic and commercial issues for Africa today, amongst which figure trade, transparency, confidence, investment, infrastructure, and growth.

 

Amongst the main participants present were the following:

 

F.W. DE KLERK, President, Republic of South Africa (1989 – 1994) and Nobel peace Prize Winner (1993)

OLUSEGUN OBASANJO, President of Nigeria (1999 – 2007) and Founder, Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation

FATOU BENSOUDA, General Prosecutor, International Criminal Court, Republic of Gambia

ISABEL DOS SANTOS, PDG Unitel, Angola

THIERRY TANOH, CEO, Ecobank, Togo 

BERTIN NAHUM, President and Founder, Medtech, France

MATTHIEU PIGASSE, Managing Director, Lazard France, France

LIONEL ZINSOU, CEO, Pai Partners, France

HUBERT VEDRINE, President, François Mitterrand Institute and former Minister for Foreign Affairs, France

NOURIEL ROUBINI, Co-Founder and President, Roubini Global Economics, USA

 

Founded & Produced by RICHARD ATTIAS & ASSOCIATES

Under the High Patronage of H.E. ALI BONGO ONDIMBA

In collaboration with THE GOVERNMENT OF GABON

 

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of Richard Attias & Associates.

 

 

Consult the schedule and list of speakers at: http://www.ny-forum-africa.com/ 



 

Find out more information about NYFA on your smartphone – Download the app: http://www.ny-forum-africa.com/fr/mobile

 

About New York Forum

The New York Forum® was set up with the conviction that business has arrived at a crossroads. It is crucial to send a strong optimistic message about the world economy's future, to work towards redefining corporate governance, to create long-term value, and to re-invent business models through bringing together all the economic players. Our goal focuses on consolidating the link between economic growth and job creation, on the importance of cities as key drivers of dynamism and innovation, on the challenges that are business leaders have to meet within a climate of volatility and uncertainty, and on the special opportunities created by the growth of emerging economies. http://www.ny-forum.com

 

 

About Richard Attias & Associates

Richard Attias & Associates is a strategic communications firm that provides private consultancy, idea initiatives and live experiences. Our mission is to help leaders, corporations and nations build their global influence, catalyze innovation and lead the global exchange of ideas.

Richard Attias is the world's top community builder for the "thinking elite". He has been the executive producer of World Economic Forum summits, and notably Davos Forum, for 15 years. He is also the co-founder of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and the Conference of Nobel Prize Winners.

Wit hits registered office in New York and with offices in Paris, Dubai, Casablanca and Beijing, Richard Attias & Associates has the primary goal of encouraging political and economic decision-makers to take action. In this perspective, we develop international initiatives through the New York Forum Institute, a not-for-profit association, so as to encourage investment and have a positive impact on economic growth and job creation.

Richard Attias & Associates has recently developed many initiatives, amongst which the New York Forum, the New York Forum AFRICA, Doha GOALS, the Global Food Security Forum, the New York Times conferences "Schools for Tomorrow", "Energy for Tomorrow" and "DealBook" as well as the General Meetings of the African Development Bank in Marrakech. Richard Attias & Associates will additionally organise the forthcoming African Games in Brazzaville in 2015.

 

 

Press contact:

 

Catherine Meddahi

c.meddahi@agence-influences.fr

+33 1 44 82 67 07

 

SOURCE 

Richard Attias & Associates

 

Safe Sender Instructions

 

UNSUBSCRIBE