PRESS RELEASE
New York Forum Africa Will Feature Special Taskforce on Chinese Investment in Africa
Taskforce announced at Boao Forum by chairman Richard Attias; Forum will take place the June 8-10, 2012 in Libreville, Gabon and will host a major Chinese delegation
Building on the momentum of the New York Forum, launched in June 2010 by former Davos producer and Clinton Global Initiative and Nobel Laureates Conference co-founder Richard Attias, the first "New York Forum AFRICA" will take place in Libreville, the capital of Gabon, from June 8-10, 2012. The New York Forum AFRICA is being hosted by President of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba.
This Forum aims to become the largest conference for economic leaders, young entrepreneurs, sovereign and investment funds, political and media leaders, experts and economists who are looking for new business and investment opportunities in Africa.
A corner stone to the NYF AFRICA will be a special taskforce centered on Chinese investment in Africa and a plenary on fostering valuable business and investment partnerships for the future. Key to this will be a delegation of high-ranking government representatives and Chinese business leaders headed by Mr. Chonghui Yang, Vice Chairman of the China Economic and Social Council and Mr. Jianguo Wei, Secretary-General of the China Center for International Economic Exchange and former Vice Minister of Commerce.
In line with its origins and DNA, the New York Forum AFRICA aspires to provide a basis for the development of substantial solutions and propositions in order to propel Africa up to the ranks of the fastest-developing emerging nations.
Taskforces will be created, with an eye towards the establishment of clear development road maps, on a wide array of topics including job creation, education, natural resources, energy, health care, women empowerment, entrepreneurship, promotion of African youth and brains, co-operation with Asia, the US, Europe, the Gulf region, Latin America, sports and the like.
Gabon was retained as the host of the NYF AFRICA in light of its geographic situation at the heart of the continent, its sturdy political stability, and the quality of its infrastructures, as the country will soon be hosting one of the world's most important sport events: the African Cup of Nations (ACN).
"Gabon is honored to host this prestigious international gathering of financial and economic decision-makers," said Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of Gabon, "Africa has demonstrated steady growth in the past several years and will be the source of much future global prosperity, so it is important that international business leaders begin to pay close attention to it."
The NYF AFRICA will partner with the NYF Institute and the Omar Bongo Foundation and China Alliance Communications, whose mission echoes the continent's determination to spur wide ranging initiatives favoring a modem Africa, and a serene, fulfilled and hopeful African youth.
NYF founder Richard Attias has commented: "In 2012, at a moment when multiple nations, such as the US and European countries are trying to re-ignite their economies, prior to multiple presidential elections, and at the dawn of an Arab Spring that radically transformed the northern part of the African continent, revealing the disarray of millions of young Africans, it appeared to us that is was essential to shed as much light as possible on Africa." Attias added, "Africa is a continent comprised of over a billion individuals, and which through a renewed vitality and an expected growth of about 5% which attracts the focus of an increasing number of investors, has the potential to become the solution to the world's economic woes, from being a mere additional problem."
The NYF Africa will intertwine the IT innovations and interactive potential that have rendered the now widely known NYF so unique to its participants.
The findings of the NYF Africa will be presented to the G20 in Los Cabos, Mexico on June 20, 2012.
