Addis Ababa, January 27, 2026 (FMC) — The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Government of Morocco have signed a Host Country Agreement for the 58th session of ECA and the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (COM 2026).
The agreement was signed recently by ECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete and Morocco’s Minister of Economy and Finance, Nadia Fettah Alaoui. It outlines cooperation between Morocco and the United Nations Secretariat in the preparation and organization of the conference, which is ECA’s principal policy-making forum.
COM 2026 will be held in Tangiers, northern Morocco, from March 28 to April 3 under the theme “Growth through innovation: harnessing data and frontier technologies for the economic transformation of Africa.”
Speaking after the signing, Mr. Gatete said hosting the conference in Tangiers would help amplify Africa’s collective economic voice and strengthen the continent’s engagement in global economic governance. He added that the conference aims to move beyond political commitments toward concrete actions that support Africa’s economic and social transformation.
The annual UN conference brings together African ministers responsible for finance, planning and economic development, central bank governors, and representatives of the United Nations system to review economic and social developments across the continent.
This year’s session will place particular emphasis on how African countries can leverage innovation, data and frontier technologies — including artificial intelligence — to advance economic transformation and job creation. Discussions will also explore practical measures for strengthening digital sovereignty, including the development of digital public infrastructure and data centers.
Participants are expected to include government officials, policy experts, pan-African financial institutions, youth representatives, academic and research institutions, development partners, intergovernmental organizations, media and other stakeholders.
Mr. Gatete is currently on a working visit to North Africa. From January 21 to February 3, he is scheduled to visit Algeria, Mauritania and Morocco to meet government officials and discuss national priorities, support needs, and opportunities for deeper regional and South-South cooperation.