2010 is an important year for Africa and development; the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be reviewed in September; for many African countries it is the 50th year of independence; and it is five years after the Commission for Africa and commitments made at the Gleneagles Summit. There was a general consensus that there has been progress in many areas since 2005; these improvements should be celebrated much more than they in fact are. The background paper for this conference covered many of the challenges that the African continent has faced as well as the impact of the economic crisis.
This conference discussed the following points:
- How has Africa developed in the past five years?
- What challenges remain?
- African prospects; ‘what’s changed, what’s new?’
