The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) will on November 20 host the first ever Africa Day in Washington DC, according to a press release issued by the Bank on Friday. The event will be co-hosted with the World Bank Group during the Law, Justice and Development Week 2013, an annual forum for legal and development practitioners, scholars, governments and civil society to discuss the critical role law and judicial mechanisms can play in furthering development. “The aim of Africa Day is to bolster knowledge on key and emerging legal issues on the African continent. Participants of Africa Day will explore how law and justice can help translate voice, social contract, and accountability into development impacts in Africa,” the press release by the AfDB said. The day’s broad theme will be on Economic opportunities in extractive industries—oil and gas; emerging issues relating to illicit financial flows and the recent constitutional developments in a number of countries as well as issues about the Africa 50 Fund which seeks to unlock private financing sources and to accelerate the speed of infrastructure delivery in Africa. AfDB President, Dr Donald Kaberuka will set the tone of the discussion with opening remarks on critical legal issues in Africa’s development process. “For decades, a number of African countries have grappled with developing and implementing effective legal regimes so as to promote sustainable economic development. The results have been mixed. Because law is an essential tool for promoting economic growth and development, the Bank’s legal experts will be joining a panel of fellow specialists, judicial officers, and senior government officials in key relevant ministries, local and international institutions, to offer a global perspective on Africa and the key development and legal challenges it faces,” the statement added.
