African ministers to meet on trade issues later this month at UN forum

Government ministers from around Africa will meet later this month to discuss how to topple the obstacles to the continent's participation in global trade and use trade to increase national economic growth, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) said today.

The subject of the 21 and 22 May meeting in Uganda is "Mainstreaming trade policy in national development strategies" and it will spotlight a high-level panel of experts chaired by the Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Kipkorir Aly Azad Rana. Speakers at the opening session will include President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, ECA Executive Secretary K.Y. Amoako and South African Minister of Finance Trevor Manuel.

Some 400 finance, planning and economic development ministers, central bank governors, leading academics, research economists and representatives of related international organizations are expected to attend and the ministers will issue a statement for action at the end of the meeting.

The ECA and the African Development Bank will host a joint symposium on the gender gap on 24 May, then the ADB will hold its annual meetings on 25 and 26 May.