The new institutes include the Policy Studies Institute (Ethiopia), Nkafu Policy Institute (Cameroon), IPAR Senegal, the Zambian Institute for Policy Analysis and Research, the Economic Research Forum (Egypt) and Institut Arabe des Chefs d'Entreprises (Tunisia).

The Amplifying Africa’s Voice initiative is implemented jointly by the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET) and the Finance for Development Lab (FDL). It supports a process of engagement, knowledge sharing, research, and advocacy with a select group of African economic policy institutes and thought leaders. This process will lead to a better understanding of, and appreciation for, global financial architecture challenges such as development finance, debt, climate finance, and reforms of international financial institutions. It will also lead to African-led analysis, research, and perspectives that will be translated into policy briefs for African leaders and advocacy content. Likewise, such engagement will provide opportunities for global experts and African experts to share ideas, comment on research, and identify solutions.

Each month, policy institutes address a technical issue. In January, the focus was on the reforms of the multilateral development banks (MDBs). The outcome of this discussion was a policy brief for African Heads of State, presented at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, held from February 15-19. The policy brief recommended positions on the capital adequacy of the MDBs, African-informed definitions for climate loss and damage, and the need for a new debt restructuring mechanism.

The Amplifying Africa’s Voice initiative ultimately seeks to ensure that African perspectives and positions influence decision-making on the global stage that has a direct impact at the country level.

 
·     19 African economic policy institutes join forces to amplify Africa's voice on global financial architecture.

·     Focus on critical challenges, including development finance, debt, and climate finance.

·     Monthly meetings result in concrete policy recommendations for African leaders.

·     Latest policy brief for the AU Summit in Addis Ababa (February 15-19) urged African-informed definitions for climate loss and damage, new debt restructuring mechanism, and capital adequacy of multilateral development banks.