Conference for African Ministers of Finance and Education on "Sustaining the Education and Economic Momentum in Africa amidst the Current Global Financial Crisis" (Tunis, Tunisia, July 15-17, 2009)

The Conference brought together forty-four African Ministers of Finance and of Education from twenty-eight countries to consider a topic of major concern: how to maintain, against the backdrop of the global economic recession, the progress achieved in the education sector over the past decade while at the same time ensure that investments in education help sustain and accelerate economic growth and social development in Africa? Noting the remarkable progress achieved over the last decade in education at all levels of the system the ministers expressed their concern at the global economic downturn that is currently jeopardizing these major achievements. They emphasized their will to protect, and even increase budgets for education and hoped that the dialogue initiated by the Conference would be the starting point for closer collaboration between themselves and between them and their external partners.

This Conference was jointly Organized by the Association for the Development of Education in Africa (ADEA), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank (WB), with the support of the donor partners of the Education for All Fast Track Initiative (EFA FTI)

---

Press Releases

• Final Press Release, Tunis,18/07/2009, PDF
  
  
• First Press Release, Tunis, 13/07/2009, PDF
  
  Conference Documents
  

• Programme, PDF
  
  
• Concept Note, PDF
  
  Keynote address
  
  
• Keynote address by Mr. Donald KABERUKA, President, AfDB on "Human Capital for Africa's Long-Term Development: Sustaining Progress in Challenging Times", PDF
  
  Goodwill remarks
  
  
• Remarks by Jacques Malpel, European Commission, PDF (in French only)
  
  
• Remarks by Linda English Deputy Head, Fast Track Initiative Secretariat, FTI/ EFA, PDF
  
  
• Remarks by H. E. Prof. Jean Pierre Ezin, Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology, PDF
  
  
• Remarks by Ms Maria-Luisa Fornara (UNICEF Tunisia Representative) on behalf of Mr. Saad Houry (UNICEF Deputy Executive Director), PDF

Policy Briefs prepared by ADEA:

• Why African Governments must continue to prioritize education in their financial budgetary allocations in the current global recession (Moses Oketch), PDF
  
  
• Combining literacy and numeracy in training and educating adults and youth: How to reap substantial social and private rates of return on investment (John Oxenham), PDF
  
  
• The role and importance of technical education and vocational training (TVT) in connection with employment and the world of work (Richard Walther), PDF
  
  
• How to address the issue of dwindling financial resources to education especially in the context of the current financial and economic crisis: A plea for mobilizing latent resources (ADEA Working Group on Education Management and Policy Support), PDF
  
  
• Sustaining Investments in Girls' Education through Gender-Responsive Budgeting. (FAWE), PDF
  
  Other Documents:
  
  
• Improving Aid Effectiveness: the Need to use Aid where it has the greatest Impact (Birger Fredriksen), PDF
  
  
• Making Higher-Education the driving force for the Development of Sub-Saharan Africa -Executive Summary (AFTHD-World Bank/DECRG-World Bank), PDF
  
  
• At the Crossroads: Choices for Secondary Education in Sub-Saharan Africa, Executive summary (Adriaan M Verspoor with SEIA Team)
  Published by the WB and IBRD. (ISBN : 978-O-8213-71 13-8), PDF
  
  PowerPoint Presentations

• Political leadership for better alignment between education development and economic growth:
  Distinguished Guest Speaker H.E. Mr. Tharman SHANMUGARATNAM, Singapore Minister for Finance on Investing in a Knowledge-Based Society: East Asia's Experience, PDF
  
  
• African Ministers of Finance on "Country perspectives on leveraging education for growth and national development":
  
  1. H.E. Ephraim KAMUNTU, Uganda Minister of State for Finance, Planning and Economic Development, PDF
  
  2. H.E. Abdoulaye DIOP, Senegal Minister of State for the Economy and Finance, PDF (in French only)
  
  
• Mutual accountability of ministers of finance and of education for educational progress in Africa:
  
  1. H.E. Athanase MATENDA KYELU, DRC Minister of Finance, PDF (in French only)
  
  2. H.E. Marie-Odile BONKOUNGOU, Burkina Faso Minister of Education, PDF (in French only)
  
  
• Education priorities in a challenging environment: Progress and Challenges in Meeting the EFA 2015 Goals in a Changing Environment, PDF
  
  
• Education priorities in a challenging environment: Skills development for economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, PDF
  
  
• The potential for and challenges of strategic partnerships, PDF
  
  
• Pan-African Cooperation in Education and Training: What is the scope and what are the barriers? PDF
  
  
• Pressing on amidst the Global Crisis: next steps to sustain Africa's education and economic momentum, PDF