07.06.2017

European Development Days: Investing in Development

This international forum in Brussels is all about good ideas for sustainable development and engaging the private sector as a partner.

Debating, identifying solutions and sharing successful ideas – these are the three cornerstones of the European Development Days (EDD 2017). This is the eleventh time the EDD has provided a platform for an exchange on international cooperation for sustainable development. Under the heading 'Investing in Development' the focus of EDD 2017 in Brussels on 7 and 8 June will essentially be cooperation with the private sector.

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has been part of the EDD from the very start. One of the things the federal enterprise will be doing this year is organising a debate on the potential of African youth. Here experts will discuss how Africa's growing young population can access opportunities and so help build their continent's prosperity. Other topics include investments in renewable energies and sustainable urban development.

Participants can also visit GIZ’s information stand to find out more about sustainable value chains – in other words the entire series of activities and raw materials that go into making a product – and how they are able to improve people's lives. Focusing on the further processing of cocoa and cashew nuts, GIZ will showcase their capacity for reducing poverty and ensuring food security. For example, the production, processing and marketing of cashew nuts in Africa has resulted in the creation of more than 4440,000 jobs.

The organisers from the European Commission are expecting around 6,000 participants from 140 countries and representatives of 1,200 organisations, including practitioners and experts from international cooperation, business and civil society. Government institutions will be in attendance as will non-governmental organisations. The speakers include the Director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde; the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Commissioner, Federica Mogherini; and Nobel Peace Price Laureate, Muhammad Yunus.

Additional information