OREANDA-NEWS. During perhaps the most ambitious year for making plans to ramp up green and inclusive growth on the continent, the African Development Bank’s Annual Civil Society (CSO) Forum takes place May 26-27, 2016 during the AfDB’s Annual Meetings in Lusaka, Zambia. What is becoming increasingly clear is that closer interworkings between organizations such as the AfDB and civil society are necessary to kick development into higher year, and kick the habit of rising emissions.

“The aim of this year’s Forum is to meet these ambitious development plans, by finding a new way to work and coordinate with civil society,” said AfDB President Akinwumi Adesina. “This is also essential to step up implementation of the AfDB’s High 5s.” 

The high-level dialogue at the CSO Forum between AfDB senior management and CSOs will key in on energy, agriculture and youth, reflecting the Bank’s priority areas, the High 5s. The Forum will identify new tools for engagement and a plan of actions in sync with the High 5s. Emerging from the Forum will be a set of identified general themes and points of agreement on areas of collaboration between the Bank and CSOs.

The Bank also aims at the Forum to strengthen and multiply its partnerships with CSOs across Africa, through dialogue and exchanging information, and cooperating more closely, with member countries included in the mix.

Invited to the Forum is a wide cross-section of about 60 CSOs. The Bank chose those CSOs that offer either a comparative advantage or a focus on a High 5. A large contingent of CSOs in Zambia is expected to attend.

AfDB has a range of experiences that clearly show it can lifting the development outcomes of its investments by working with civil society, also benefiting from the technical expertise and institutional support of CSOs. This cooperation has been crucial for the Bank in humanitarian relief, social development, and good governance.