As a follow-up to the decision of African leaders to boost intra-African trade, UNCTAD, jointly with the African Union, will organize a special African Trade Ministers meeting during UNCTAD XIII. In January 2012, the Summit of African leaders held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, agreed on an Action Plan for Boosting Intra-Africa Trade. The agreed Plan aims at deepening Africa's market integration and significantly increasing the volume of trade among African countries. It also includes proposals for accelerating the attainment of a Pan-African Free Trade Area (PAFTA) and for a mechanism to monitor and evaluate Africa's progress in market integration. As a follow-up to the decision of African leaders to boost intra-African trade, UNCTAD, jointly with the African Union, will organize a special African Trade Ministers meeting during the UNCTAD XIII quadrennial ministerial conference, to be held in Doha, Qatar from 21 to 26 April 2012. The special event, which will take place on 20 April 2012, from 9.00-18.00, will discuss how UNCTAD and other UN agencies could assist African countries in the implementation of the agreed Action Plan.UNCTAD XIII will take place at the "Qatar National Convention Centre", Doha and will be held for the first time in the Arab region. It will provide an opportunity for wide-ranging debate and reflection on the state of the global economy and the major economic challenges facing developing countries, particularly in light of recent economic and social crises. The conference will be preceded by a series of events, among which are the third World Investment Forum (20-22 April), which will be attended by political decision makers and by high-level officials of global corporations, including Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman of the Board of Nestlé. The Civil Society Forum (17-25 April) will gather some 400 representatives of non-governmental organizations from around the world. And the first Global Services Forum (19 April) will unite actors in this economic sector
