BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:unctad.org BEGIN:VEVENT UID:6a4d8d79266c8 DTSTART:20260716T113000Z SEQUENCE:0 TRANSP:OPAQUE DTEND:20260716T130000Z LOCATION:\, Ethiopia SUMMARY:Africa Launch of the World Investment Report 2026 CLASS:PUBLIC DESCRIPTION:UNCTAD'\;s World Investment Report 2026: International Inve stment in a Turbulent Era analyses how rising geopolitical tensions\, trad e policy uncertainty\, economic security concerns and technological compet ition are reshaping global foreign direct investment (FDI). The report hig hlights a growing concentration of international investment across countri es\, sectors and projects\, with strategic industries—including artifici al intelligence (AI) infrastructure\, semiconductors\, critical minerals\, energy transition technologies and advanced manufacturing—attracting an increasing share of global investment\, while many developing countries r isk being left behind unless they can position themselves within evolving global value chains.Africa illustrates both the opportunities and the chal lenges emerging from this changing investment landscape. According to the World Investment Report 2026\, the continent attracted about US$70 billion in FDI in 2025. Although this represented a decline from the exceptional level recorded in 2024\, when a small number of large transactions boosted regional inflows\, it remained the third-highest level since 1990 and rou ghly one-third above the continent'\;s long-term average.Headline FDI figures\, however\, tell only part of the story. While the value of announ ced greenfield projects fell by almost one third\, the number of projects increased\, suggesting broader investor engagement through smaller investm ents despite an increasingly selective global investment environment. This indicates that international investors continue to identify long-term opp ortunities across the continent.Africa continues to attract growing invest or interest in sectors that are becoming increasingly important to the glo bal economy. Energy infrastructure\, critical minerals\, logistics\, renew able energy and selected manufacturing activities are attracting investmen t from both traditional partners and an expanding group of investors from the Gulf and other Asian economies. At the same time\, African Least Devel oped Countries received approximately US$33 billion in FDI\, although inve stment remained concentrated in a relatively small number of economies lin ked to natural resources\, infrastructure\, energy and manufacturing.The c ontinent'\;s abundant reserves of copper\, cobalt\, lithium\, manganes e\, graphite\, platinum group metals and rare earth minerals position Afri ca at the centre of the global energy transition and the reconfiguration o f international supply chains. As demand for these strategic resources con tinues to grow\, Africa has a unique opportunity not only to attract inves tment but also to capture greater value through local processing\, manufac turing\, supplier development and stronger regional value chains.The centr al policy challenge is therefore no longer simply attracting foreign inves tment. Rather\, it is ensuring that investment contributes to economic div ersification\, technological upgrading\, employment creation and sustainab le development. Achieving this will require stronger investment facilitati on\, reliable infrastructure\, industrial capabilities\, skilled labour\, supplier development and regional cooperation\, including through the Afri can Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).ObjectiveThe objective of the web inar is to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss the l atest global and regional investment trends\, with a particular focus on t he key findings of the World Investment Report 2026 and their implications for Africa. The session will also explore opportunities and policy recomm endations to leverage international investment in strategic sectors—incl uding energy\, critical minerals\, infrastructure and manufacturing—to p romote industrialization\, economic diversification and sustainable develo pment across the continent.ParticipationThe webinar will bring together di fferent stakeholders from across the continent and beyond with an interest in investment in Africa. Target participants include investment promotion agencies\, financial institutions\, policymakers and government officials \, private sector representatives\, international organizations and develo pment partners\, and civil society and academia\, among others. <\;p> \;UNCTAD'\;s World Investment Report 2026: International Investment in a Turbulent Era analyses how rising geopolitical tensions\, trade policy uncertainty\, economic security concerns and technological competition are reshaping global foreign direct investment (FDI). The report highlights a growing concentration of international investment across countries\, sect ors and projects\, with strategic industries—including artificial intell igence (AI) infrastructure\, semiconductors\, critical minerals\, energy t ransition technologies and advanced manufacturing—attracting an increasi ng share of global investment\, while many developing countries risk being left behind unless they can position themselves within evolving global va lue chains.<\;/p>\;<\;p>\;Africa illustrates both the opportunitie s and the challenges emerging from this changing investment landscape. Acc ording to the World Investment Report 2026\, the continent attracted about US$70 billion in FDI in 2025. Although this represented a decline from th e exceptional level recorded in 2024\, when a small number of large transa ctions boosted regional inflows\, it remained the third-highest level sinc e 1990 and roughly one-third above the continent'\;s long-term average .<\;/p>\;<\;p>\;Headline FDI figures\, however\, tell only part of the story. While the value of announced greenfield projects fell by almos t one third\, the number of projects increased\, suggesting broader invest or engagement through smaller investments despite an increasingly selectiv e global investment environment. This indicates that international investo rs continue to identify long-term opportunities across the continent.<\; /p>\;<\;p>\;Africa continues to attract growing investor interest in sectors that are becoming increasingly important to the global economy. E nergy infrastructure\, critical minerals\, logistics\, renewable energy an d selected manufacturing activities are attracting investment from both tr aditional partners and an expanding group of investors from the Gulf and o ther Asian economies. At the same time\, African Least Developed Countries received approximately US$33 billion in FDI\, although investment remaine d concentrated in a relatively small number of economies linked to natural resources\, infrastructure\, energy and manufacturing.<\;/p>\;<\;p& gt\;The continent'\;s abundant reserves of copper\, cobalt\, lithium\, manganese\, graphite\, platinum group metals and rare earth minerals posi tion Africa at the centre of the global energy transition and the reconfig uration of international supply chains. As demand for these strategic reso urces continues to grow\, Africa has a unique opportunity not only to attr act investment but also to capture greater value through local processing\ , manufacturing\, supplier development and stronger regional value chains. <\;/p>\;<\;p>\;The central policy challenge is therefore no longer simply attracting foreign investment. Rather\, it is ensuring that invest ment contributes to economic diversification\, technological upgrading\, e mployment creation and sustainable development. Achieving this will requir e stronger investment facilitation\, reliable infrastructure\, industrial capabilities\, skilled labour\, supplier development and regional cooperat ion\, including through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).& lt\;/p>\;<\;h4>\;Objective<\;/h4>\;<\;p>\;The objective of t he webinar is to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss the latest global and regional investment trends\, with a particular focu s on the key findings of the World Investment Report 2026 and their implic ations for Africa. The session will also explore opportunities and policy recommendations to leverage international investment in strategic sectors —including energy\, critical minerals\, infrastructure and manufacturing —to promote industrialization\, economic diversification and sustainable development across the continent.<\;/p>\;<\;h4>\;Participation< \;/h4>\;<\;p>\;The webinar will bring together different stakeholder s from across the continent and beyond with an interest in investment in A frica. Target participants include investment promotion agencies\, financi al institutions\, policymakers and government officials\, private sector r epresentatives\, international organizations and development partners\, an d civil society and academia\, among others.&\;nbsp\;<\;/p>\;\n\nVi ew meeting on unctad.org\nhttps://unctad.org/meeting/africa-launch-world-i nvestment-report-2026 DTSTAMP:20260707T233625Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR