Ten African heads of state have confirmed their attendance at The New York Forum AFRICA, to be held in Libreville, Gabon from June 14-16. The leaders, including heads of state from all six of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central African States (CEMAC), will join more than 1,000 business and political leaders.

The New York Forum AFRICA is the largest pan-African business summit in the world; this year it plays host to the Summit of the Heads of CEMAC, whose members are Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo.

The six CEMAC heads of state joined other political leaders and more than 1,000 business leaders from the region and further afield, to discuss issues as diverse as national and economic security, infrastructure, foreign direct investment, with a special focus on SMEs and entrepreneurs.

A communiqué, including policy initiatives from the CEMAC meeting and discussions from the opening day of the NYFA, will be presented at the G8 pre-summit event on Africa. The communiqué will be presented by H.E. Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and the Francophonie for the Republic of Gabon.

A final communiqué from the CEMAC leaders will be delivered upon the conclusion of the NYFA to the G8.

Now in its second year, the New York Forum AFRICA is organized by Richard Attias & Associates under the patronage of the Office of President Ali Bongo Ondimba and in collaboration with the Government of Gabon.

The high-profile forum will host economic leaders, business executives, young entrepreneurs, investment funds, policy makers, and international media for intense discussions and working sessions. They will discuss how to accelerate economic development across the African continent through increased trade transparency, governance, safety, entrepreneurship, and support for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which accounts for 90 per cent of the private sector on the continent.

"Sustainable, long-term growth in Africa will not be possible without two things: the partnership of African governments and the mobilization of Africa’s young workforce. We will have a very strong level of attendees from both of these communities at this year’s New York Forum AFRICA,” said Richard Attias, Founder of the New York Form. “No other event gathers such a combination of African leadership and private sector innovators,” he added.

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