News

Green Belt Movement participates at the New York Forum AFRICA 2015 in Libreville, Gabon

August 27, 2015

The 4th edition of the New York Forum AFRICA (NYFA), the world's leading pan-African business summit, is taking place on August 28-30, 2015 in Libreville, Gabon under the High Patronage of His Excellency Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of the Gabonese Republic.  

More than 1,500 business and political leaders are expected to attend this year's NYFA. The theme of the Forum is Invest in the Energy Continent; it will focus on the new dynamism in the continent, from entrepreneurs and inward investment, as well as the growing energy sector. Key topics include: economic dynamism; energy sector opportunities; entrepreneurship and enterprise; job creation and economic diversification; education and innovation. The New York Forum AFRICA is the only pan-African business summit to be held in Africa in 2015.

Gabon is also the host nation for the 14th AGOA Forum (to be held at the same time as the NYFA in Libreville) – the first time the Forum will be held in Central Africa. AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) was signed into law by President Clinton to expand and deepen trade and investment relations between Sub-Saharan Africa and the United States, and to encourage economic growth and development.

Richard Attias, Founder of the New York Forum, said: "Holding the two events together is a terrific opportunity: this will really increase the scope of discussions at the NYFA, giving us access to an unprecedented level of US public sector officials and CEOs, while delivering the quality of content for which the NYFA has become known in its three editions to date."

The NYFA is composed of vibrant, action-orientated debates and panels, as well as sector-specific breakout sessions and workshops. In addition, the NYFA 2015 will again host the Marketplace, a virtual and traditional meeting-place for participants to book one-on-one meetings with Gabonese stakeholders as well as international corporations, which will increase in size for NYFA 2015.

Aisha Karanja, the Green Belt Movement’s (GBM) Executive Director, will be a panel member at the plenary stage of the Forum discussing the role of African youth in driving the continent forward to the next stage of its development.

For more information about the New York Forum AFRICA 2015 :  http://www.ny-forum-africa.com