The President of African Renaissance and Diaspora Network (ARDN), Dr Djibril Diallo, has announced that the 2022 Africa Open for Business Summit will be held at the United Nations Headquarters, New York on Thursday, 29 September 2022, at 3:00pm Eastern Time, on the occasion of the Seventy-Seventh Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The theme for the summit, "Economic Empowerment of Women through African Continental Free Trade Area," falls within the framework of ARDN's Red Card Campaign to put an end to all forms of gender-based discrimination and violence.
Speaking during a press conference held to unveil the programme theme, Dr. Diallo noted that the Summit seeks to inspire and empower women leadership in the private sector and across sectors, highlight and normalize Sustainable Development Goal 5 (Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women), and emphasize the importance of ensuring that business and trade on the continent is conducted in a sustainable and responsible manner.
"Africa is a continent of enormous hope and promise; and the AfCFTA, and its innovation, is reflective of this hope and promise," said Dr. Diallo. "However, it must be reiterated that unless women are able to share, on an equitable basis, in its fruits and benefits, AfCFTA will be a moral failure and never achieve its true potential."
"This year's Summit seeks to ensure that women's choices, voices and leadership are, and remain, front and centre in discussions about, and in the implementation of, AfCFTA," Dr. Diallo said.
Adding his voice, Akeju, ARDN Red Card Goodwill Ambassador, media director, and executive producer for the campaign theme song noted that the influence of entertainment, particularly music has helped spotlight the growth of Africa while calling for cross-border partnership for sustainable business and development of the African continent.
Organized in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Senegal, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) amongst others, the Summit will create and formulate solutions, initiative and opportunities for achieving a better, more equitable world, through and with the support of business.
Further information about the Summit is available on the Summit Website at https://www.ardn.ngo/events/aob2022