What: Launch of the Joint Policy Paper on the Impacts of the Middle East Conflict on African Economies
Who: African Development Bank Group, African Union Commission, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and United Nations Development Programme-Regional Bureau for Africa
When: 15 April 2026; 14.00 – 15.30 GMT
Where: African Union Mission to the United States, Washington, DC.
On the margins of the 2026 World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings, the African Development Bank Group and its partners — the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s Regional Bureau for Africa — will jointly launch a policy paper on the impacts of the ongoing Middle East conflict on African economies. The launch will take place on 15 April at the African Union Mission in Washington, DC.
The event will present initial findings of the joint policy paper, foster dialogue among African leaders and key stakeholders attending the Spring Meetings, and explore the policy responses and practical interventions required to address the adverse effects of the current crisis and reduce the continent’s vulnerability to future shocks.
The joint policy paper highlights that shocks triggered by the Middle East conflict are spreading faster and through more concentrated channels than past global disruptions, leaving African economies with little time to respond. It calls for coordinated action across three horizons: immediate crisis response measures by African governments, supported by development partners and the private sector to stabilise fuel, food, and fertilizer supply to cushion households against rising commodities prices; medium-term reforms to strengthen energy security, expand targeted social protection, and promote regional trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA); and long-term structural reforms to bolster domestic resource mobilisation and establish African financial safety nets, including through accelerated implementation of the African Financing Stability Mechanism.
The launch will feature opening remarks by H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission; Dr Sidi Ould Tah, President of the African Development Bank Group; Ambassador Claver Gatete, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa; and Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Secretary General and Director of Regional Bureau for Africa at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Prof. Kevin Chika Urama, Chief Economist and Vice President for Economic Governance and Knowledge Management at the African Development Bank Group, will present the policy paper’s key findings. This will be followed by a panel discussion with representatives of African governments, the African Union Commission, and the chief economists of partner institutions.
The event is open to development partners, civil society organisations, researchers and media, and will provide an opportunity to engage with all four organising partner institutions on pragmatic policy actions to shield Africa from the ongoing conflict’s economic consequences.
Media contact: Communication and External Relations Department, African Development Bank Group | [email protected]