The Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI) will hold its 2011 Annual Forum for CEOs in African Development Banking and Finance Institutions at the Grand Hotel Kinshasa, Kinshasa-Democratic Republic of Congo from November 7-9, 2011. The Forum is being organized in association with the African Development Bank (AfDB) as co-initiator of the DFIs Prudential Standards, Guidelines and Rating System (PSGRS) Project. It is a bilingual program in English and French on the theme: “Strengthening African DFIs with Appropriate Standards and Guidelines: 2nd Peer Review & Rating of AADFI Member-Institutions”. The host institution is Fonds de Promotion de l’Industrie (FPI).

The Official Opening Ceremony of this Forum will take place on Tuesday 8 November, 2011 at 9 am under the Distinguished Patronage of His Excellency the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo and will be presided over by the Honourable Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Ministers responsible for DFIs Supervision of some African countries, the President of the African Development Bank, Central Banks Governors will also address the participants on the theme.

The objective of the 2011 Forum is to provide opportunity to CEOs of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) to review with all stakeholders, namely Director Generals in the DFIs supervisory Ministries, Governors and Heads of relevant Departments in the Central Banks, the implementation and application of the PSGRS Mechanism in DFIs after the 1st Peer Review of member-institutions with the AADFI PSGRS conducted in November 2009. The Forum will also examine member-institutions’ PSGRS Summary Ratings Score Sheets and Self-Assessment Results and will enable participants to address any institutional weaknesses identified from the completed assessment forms and find ways and means for implementing proposed reforms in their respective DFIs. Furthermore, it will enable participants to build and strengthen the application of the PSGRS, evolve strategy to sustain Stakeholders’ commitments on the PSGRS Mechanism, evaluate current procedure for conducting the Peer Review with a view to recommending areas of adjustments and improvements and review the effectiveness of implementation of the PSGRS in member-institutions and share success stories. Finally, the Forum will serve as a platform to share experiences of regulatory authorities in supervising DFIs with the PSGRS, network among CEOs and Stakeholders in development financing, and to discuss the way forward after the 2nd Peer Review.

About 100 participants from Africa and throughout the world are expected at this Forum. In addition to CEOs, their Deputies and Senior Management Staff in National and Sub-regional DFIs, the target participants are the Director Generals in the DFIs supervisory Ministries, Governors and Heads of relevant Departments in the Central Banks, e.g. Departments responsible for supervising DFIs and/or NBFIs as well as Chairmen of Boards of DFIs, Representatives of Multilateral Banks/Organisations including the World Bank, the UN, the AU, ECOWAS, CenSad, SADC and bilateral donor agencies. The Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI) is a continental organisation established under the auspices of the African Development Bank in 1975. The AADFI has its Headquarters in Abidjan, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. It has about 80 members made up of national and multinational institutions engaged in finance and development activities in Africa. It has also the status of Observer at the World Bank and is a member of the World Federation of Development Finance Institutions (WFDFI).

Local member-institution of the Association in the Democratic Republic of Congo is Fonds de Promotion de l’Industrie (FPI) whose Managing Director Mr. Constantin Mbengele Kwete Thamuk is the AADFI Alternate Representative for Central Africa.

The current Chairman of the Association is Mr. Peter M. Noni, Managing Director of Tanzania Investment Bank (TIB).

National and international media organisations and agencies are invited to cover the 2009 Annual AADFI Forum for CEOs