The Joint Annual Meetings of the ECA Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development and AU Conference of Ministers of Economy and Finance have
repeatedly underscored the importance of the demographic dividend in the development planning processes of African countries. It also called for the development of a continental demographic dividend initiative in 2013 (AUC/ECA Joint Conference of Ministers Ministerial Statement) aimed at accelerating economic development on the continent. The African Population Commission, (now known as the African Population Experts Committee) also highlighted the importance of the demographic dividend in the 6th Ordinary session in 2007. It devoted the 2012 State of Africa Population Report to “Harnessing the demographic dividend for the socioeconomic development of Africa”. The Comission also co-convened with the African Union Commission (AUC), the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Africa Regional Conference on Population and Development in 2013 again with harnessing the demographic dividend as the main theme. Subsequently, in January 2014, the Executive Council decision EX.CL/ Dec. 742 (XXII) called for the recognition of the demographic dividend in the continent’s development efforts.