The African Development Bank (AfDB), UN Development Programme (UNDP) and Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have jointly committed themselves to helping build a resilient and prosperous Africa. The commitment was made at the end of the three-day 2026 African Economic Conference, which was jointly organised by these three agencies and attended by policymakers, economists, researchers and other experts. It was held in Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire.

“Global economic storms will continue to test African institutions, but they can never erode the fundamental wealth and resilience of Africa’s people,” highlighted UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa Strategy, Analysis and Research team head Raymond Gilpin. “With the strong partnership among our institutions, let us continue to combine our efforts and move forward together with urgency, clarity and determination to build the resilient and prosperous Africa we deserve – because that is the Africa the world needs.”

Held from July 10 to 12, the conference saw frank discussions and exchanges in perspectives. Practical recommendations for Africa’s future were drawn up.

“I am confident that policymakers and development partners will draw on these discussions to guide their future actions,” affirmed AfDB senior VP Marie-Laure Akin Olugbade. “The exchanges we have had provide an essential foundation for the policies and partnerships needed to strengthen Africa’s geopolitical agency and enhance its trade resilience.”

“Our analytical frameworks must now adapt to the reality and uncertainty in which we live,” observed OECD Development Policy, Finance and Performance senior policy adviser Ida McDonnell. “Trade, debt, investment, fiscal policy, climate action and development finance are becoming increasingly interconnected. Yet we often continue to analyse them separately. The complexity of today’s policy challenges calls for more integrated analysis that reflects the real choices policymakers face. Data matters – and we can all agree on that. It matters even more when it is shared to support better decision-making.”

The conference also hosted the yearly gathering of the Global Network of Chief Economists of Development and Financing Institutions. The conference further saw the launch of the African Chief Economists Network.

“The lasting impact of these past days will be determined by what we do next: remove barriers to trade, invest in African enterprise and innovation, strengthen regional value chains, and equip our young people to compete in a changing global economy,” pointed out UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa director Ahunna Eziakonwa. “In a multipolar world, Africa’s greatest leverage will not come from choosing sides, but from building its own economic strength.”