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VERSION:2.0
PRODID:unctad.org
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:6adbf0a88ff27
DTSTART:20250821T080000Z
SEQUENCE:0
TRANSP:OPAQUE
DTEND:20250821T093000Z
LOCATION:Online\, 
SUMMARY:Africa launch of the World Investment Report 2025
CLASS:PUBLIC
DESCRIPTION:UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2025 analyzes how the contin
 uing global and regional crises\, escalating trade tensions\, geopolitical
  fragmentation\, shifting industrial policies\, and economic volatility ha
 ve shaped foreign direct investment (FDI) flows in 2024. The report highli
 ghts the continued sectoral and geographical fragmentation of FDI flows to
  developing countries\, with flows remaining concentrated in a few large\,
  middle-income countries and international investment in sectors critical 
 to Sustainable Development Goals showcasing sharp decline largely due to a
  downturn in international project finance. Notably\, at the sectoral leve
 l\, investment in the digital economy and technology continues to serve as
  a growth engine\, with digital infrastructure registering a 4 percent inc
 rease and overall digital sectors witnessing doubling in terms of project 
 values.Against this backdrop\, this year’s thematic chapter focuses on i
 nternational investment in the digital economy\, mapping investment trends
 \, identifying key international investors\, priority investment destinati
 ons\, and emerging frontiers. FDI in the digital economy holds transformat
 ive potential for host countries\, as they can facilitate the transfer of 
 capital and technology\, enhance productivity\, create jobs\, and support 
 rapid expansion of digital infrastructure. Furthermore\, it also contribut
 es to workforce and human resource development\, expands market access\, a
 nd supports digital transformation of the host economy. However\, despite 
 positive FDI trends in the digital economy\, least-developed countries\, i
 ncluding many in Sub-Saharan Africa\, remain critically underserved due to
  major barriers\, including high investment risks and high costs of capita
 l. Furthermore\, many developing countries still struggle with persistent 
 gaps in key regulatory areas\, weak alignment between digital strategies a
 nd broader development goals\, limited role of investment promotion agenci
 es\, and the limited presence of development-focused provisions in interna
 tional agreements.In the African context\, although energy\, construction\
 , and extractives continue to dominate greenfield project activity in the 
 continent\, the digital economy has emerged as one of the fastest-growing 
 sectors. FDI in the digital economy has expanded by three quarters in proj
 ect values and by nearly one third in project numbers over the past five y
 ears\, signifying the catalytic role that the sector can play in fostering
  economic growth in Africa. Positive advancements in regional digital stra
 tegies have taken place\, including the Smart Africa Alliance\, which prom
 otes public-private partnerships in digital innovation\; the AfCFTA Protoc
 ol on Digital Trade\, which establishes a regulatory framework for cross-b
 order e-commerce and digital services\, as well as other regional communit
 ies’ strategies. Furthermore\, various countries have implemented initia
 tives and incentives for investment facilitation and promotion\, including
  Kenya\, Nigeria\, South Africa\, and Rwanda. However\, the continent cont
 inues to face persistent challenges and plays a marginal role in internati
 onal investment in the digital economy. For instance\, in 2024\, Sub-Sahar
 an Africa attracted only $0.7 billion in greenfield projects\, covering on
 ly 5 percent of its $14.1 billion annual investment required to bridge the
  connectivity divide. Such limitations significantly hamper the region’s
  ability to bridge the digital divide and advance progress toward the Sust
 ainable Development Goals.ObjectiveThe objective of the webinar is to brin
 g together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss the latest global an
 d regional investment trends\, with a particular focus on investment in th
 e digital economy and its implications for Africa. The session will also e
 xplore opportunities and policy recommendations to leverage the internatio
 nal investment in Africa’s digital economy to contribute to inclusive an
 d sustainable development across the continent.ParticipationThe webinar wi
 ll bring together different stakeholders from across the continent and bey
 ond with an interest in investment in Africa. Target participants include 
 investment promotion agencies\, financial institutions\, policymakers and 
 government officials\, private sector representatives\, international orga
 nizations and development partners\, and civil society and academia\, amon
 g others. https://unctad.org/publication/world-investment-report-2025\n\n
 View meeting on unctad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/meeting/africa-launch-world
 -investment-report-2025
DTSTAMP:20261023T234128Z
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