The Addis Abba Summit on Cross Continental Cooperation

"The Future of the Millennium Development Goals in the African Union"

(Ethiopia, Addis Ababa; January 27th - 31st, 2014 - Held Parallel to the African Union Summit)

Conference Overview

Two years away from the deadline set by the United Nations Millennium Declaration, the ICD´s Conference on the Future of the Millennium Development Goals in the African Union aims to review the progress already made across Africa in regards to meeting the Millennium Development Goals and to explore the potential the continent has for further development, so that the targets set by world leaders at the Millennium Summit in 2000 might be reached. With the deadline for these targets approaching rapidly and significant progress remaining to be made, it is essential to create a new agenda for Africa, focused on reinvigorating the existing initiatives in place to tackle the eight MDGs and propel Africa into a better economic, political and social climate.


The Millennium Development Goals

The Millennium Development Goals are eight objectives for increased international development reached unanimously by leaders of all 189 United Nations member states and affiliations, which are to be met by 2015. The MDGs target all developing countries across the world but, in 2012, 15 of the 20 countries which had made the greatest progress on the MDGs were from Africa. Many of the African nations, including Benin, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Malawi and Rwanda are continuing to make significant advances towards a number of goals and targets established within the MDGs and taking this into account, the ICD recognizes that cooperation between African nations is of the utmost importance to ensure that individual states continue to make substantial progress within a solid successor framework in order to maintain inclusive economic growth, political stability and human development.

Over the past decade, Africa has made impressive steps forward in the fight against poverty, malnutrition, conflict resolution and equality and in continuing to make significant developments within the frames of the Millennium Development Goals, the optimism for Africa's role in the global economic landscape has increased dramatically. To maintain this optimism, The ICD believes in the necessity of establishing a participatory process for the next formulation of the agenda, supported by a more diverse range of actors to ensure a more democratic framework and therefore even more successful outcomes.

The Millennium Development Goals are:
• Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger • Improving maternal health
• Achieving universal primary education • Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
• Promoting gender equality and empowering women • Ensuring environmental sustainability
• Reducing child mortality rates • Developing a global partnership for development

Congress Participants »

Participation in the Congress is open to governmental & diplomatic officials, academics, artists, journalists, civil society practitioners, private sector representatives, young professionals and students as well as other interested individuals from across the world.

If you would like to reserve a position and participate in the conference, please click on the "Apply Now" link below and fill out the online application form:

Congress Speakers

The speakers during the Conference will include heads of state and ministers, dignitaries and celebrated artists as well as leading figures and experts from international politics, the diplomatic community and civil society from across the world.

These speakers will include high number of individuals from the ICD Advisory Board; to learn more about the ICD Advisory Board please click here.

Conference Locations

Based in Addis Ababa, the conference will be hosted at AU Headquarter and at a number of important political, historic, and cultural locations across the city.

Participant Papers

The Conference Committee encourages academic research and analysis of issues related to the goals of the Conference. The Conference Committee would therefore like to welcome the participants of the conference to submit a paper they would like to be considered for presentation at the conference as well as being included in the proposal document that will be issued following the conference and will be sent to all governments and leaders of the international community worldwide.

Certificate of Attendance

All conference participants will be awarded an official certificate of attendance upon completion of the program, which will provide details of the speakers who took part and the topics discussed. Each certificate will be signed by members of the Conference Committee.

Congress Agenda

(January 27th - 31st)
The Conference will focus in particular on the following areas:
  • A Comprehensive Introduction to the MDGS in the African Context
    This section will provide an overview of the current Development Agenda and its application to the African continent.
  • Current Progress Across the African Continent
    Here, Africa´s remarkable advancement in the development process will be acknowleged and discussed.
  • Remaining Challenges in Fulfilling Existing Goals
    This section of the conference will consider the remaining difficulties in fully implementing the original MDGs.
  • Inclusive Development: Integrating Civil Society into the Decision-Making Process
    This aspect of the conference will be dedicated to the inclusion of civil society actors in the framing of the post-2015 development agenda, thus ensuring a participatory and democratic design.
  • Visions for a new Agenda- Looking to the Future
    Finally, the conference will seek to highlight the possibilities available to African countries in the extension and improvement of current development goals beyond the 2015 deadline.

Sustainable Network »

During the program participants will have a number of opportunities to network with one another, with the speakers, and with ICD Advisory Board Members and partners. Conference participants will become part of the ICD Alumni, a growing international network of people of diverse interests and backgrounds from around the world who share a commitment to intercultural exchange. Members of the ICD Alumni Group will benefit from the following opportunities: Alumni online forum, Advisory Board Networking, ICD support for individual Leadership Initiatives, free access to all ICD research, videos and photos as well as other event documentation. Participants will be able to remain in touch with each other through the ICD Networks. (more »)