The 2nd Africa Rural Development Forum will be held under the theme “Transforming Africa’s Rural Space through Youth Empowerment, Job Creation and Skills Development.” The Conference will provide a platform for exchange and peer learning on experiences and insights in catalyzing and fostering job creation and skills development in rural based agri and non-agri-systems as key components to advance rural development.

Objectives

1. To raise awareness of the magnitude of the challenges that Africa is facing in coming decades; as well as the need for transformational development strategies based on multi-sectoral, place-based and participatory approaches, for job creation.
2. To review and share lessons on available tools and methodologies for designing and implementing multi-sectoral, place-based, and participatory strategies and projects for youth employment.
3. To support the potential creation of added value and decent jobs for young people in the informal economy, and to propose relevant measures and public policies to achieve the ambitions structural transformation of Africa economies on the basis of sectors and niches, and their training and skills needs and inclusive financing for youth and entrepreneurs.
4. To support member states in aligning employment policies with their growth and development agenda