Conference, January 27-30,2014:

As part of the ‘Africa Horizon 2060’ initiative launched by the Alliance for Rebuilding Governance in Africa (ARGA), the second edition of the Annual African Governance Days (AAGD), on the theme of ‘Africa reinvents its economy’, was held in Rabat (Kingdom of Morocco) from 27-30 January 2014, under the high patronage of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI and in partnership with the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government responsible for General affairs and governance of the Kingdom of Morocco. The first AAGD, on the theme of ‘Africa reinvents its governance’ was organised in Praia (Republic of Cabo Verde) from 9-12 July 2012. The goal of the ‘Africa Horizon 2060’ initiative is to carry out forward-looking prospection to contribute to Africa’s taking control of its future on the symbolic horizon of 2060, the 100th anniversary of the first waves of independence.

To boost systemic, sustainable changes that can engender and consolidate peace, stability and development on the African continent, the Alliance for Rebuilding Governance in Africa (ARGA) instituted the Annual African Governance Days (AAGD). AAGD’s goal is to set up, for all of Africa, a multi-actor space for dialogue and the sharing of experiences and initiatives in the field of governance, in order to concretely and collectively take on the immense challenges faced by African countries.

The first AAGD served as a framework for the construction of the ‘Africa Horizon 2060 Initiative: Africa Regains Control of its Destiny’. This in-depth, forward-looking initiative, which hopes to be one of Africa’s strategic flagship projects for the next fifty years, is based on a series of four conferences to be organised between 2012 and 2015. The goal of these conferences is to develop concrete proposals and initiatives on the fundamental themes of governance, the economy and globalisation.

The Rabat conference, placed under the high patronage of His Majesty the King Mohammed VI and organised in partnership with the Minister Delegate to the Head of Government responsible for General affairs and governance of the Kingdom of Morocco, brought together participants with diverse social and professional backgrounds from all regions of Africa and the African diaspora, as well as friends of Africa.

The Rabat conference was able to build a strong consensus on what African thought and strategy should be with regard to reinventing economies by 2060, a strategy based not only on current dynamics and the continent’s innumerable strong points, but also on expected changes in worldwide relations in the coming decades.

An overall vision of all the issues and paths for change was forged by closely examining and combining reflections on the proposals submitted to the five theme-based workshops. This approach not only made it possible to enrich the themes discussed, but also allowed the conference to arrive at six strategic directions that will allow Africa to lift itself out of poverty and settle into a sustainable development dynamic that provides for the well-being of all populations—without exception—while also keeping a watchful eye on environmental conservation.

List of participants in the conference workshops.