OREANDA-NEWS. August 21, 2015.  The inaugural Meles Zenawi Foundation (MZF) symposium on development will take place in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, on August 21, 2015. The symposium is a partnership between the MZF, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Rwandan Government.

The forum seeks to explore ways in which the continent can achieve economic growth as well as social development. The theme will be “The African Democratic Developmental State.”

The AfDB will be represented by President Donald Kaberuka and four Vice-Presidents including Acting Chief Economist Steve Kayizzi-Mugerwa, and the Special Envoy on Gender, Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi. Both Kayizzi-Mugerwa and Fraser-Moleketi are scheduled to speak on a panel “The Developmental State in a Globalized World”.

Other topics of discussion include: “The State and Africa’s Transformation”, and “Development, Participation and Institutional Design”.

The symposium was inspired by the late Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, who spoke widely on the crucial role of the state in building institutions that facilitate sustainable development. The goal is to serve as a platform for rigorous intellectual deliberations and analyses on development-related issues.

Heads of States and high-level government representatives of African nations are expected to attend. Development institutions, multilateral agencies, regional trade bodies, and civil society organisations, among others, will also participate. A total of 200 participants are to attend the symposium.