Raya Muttarak, as a member of the UN High-level Advisory Board, will participate in “Africa’s Development Pathways in a Fragmenting World: Youth, Regional Integration and Sustainable Growth” on 8 May 2026.
The event, organized as a UN DESA Global Policy Dialogue with the UN Economic Commission for Africa, will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and online. The discussion will focus on how Africa can strengthen economic opportunities amid geopolitical and economic uncertainty, the role of youth in driving inclusive growth, and the importance of regional integration for sustainable development.
Description
Discussion 1: Global Fragmentation and Africa's Development Pathways
Discussion 2: Africa's Youth Dividend: Pathways to Employment, Skills and Sustainable Growth for All
Discussion 3: Regional Integration, Climate Action and Africa's Role in a Changing Global Economy
Africa stands at a pivotal moment in its development trajectory. With the world's youngest and fastest-growing population, abundant natural resources and growing regional cooperation through the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area, the continent holds significant potential to drive inclusive and sustainable economic transformation. At the same time, persistent inequalities, employment challenges—particularly for young people—and the growing impacts of climate change underscore the need for new policy approaches that place social inclusion, resilience and regional integration at the center of development strategies. These challenges are unfolding in a global context marked by rising geopolitical tensions, conflicts and economic fragmentation, which are reshaping trade patterns, investment flows and development prospects worldwide.
Against this backdrop, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), will convene a hybrid Global Policy Dialogue in Addis Ababa on the margins of an upcoming meeting of the UN High-level Advisory Board on Economic and Social Affairs (HLAB). In three dynamic panel discussions, these global thought leaders will explore pathways to advance social inclusion, expand opportunities for youth employment and strengthen regional integration to support Africa's path to inclusive and sustainable growth.
This dialogue is made possible by the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund.
More information: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1a/k1a2qroig3
