Program & Agenda
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How the programme is structured
EACON 2026 runs over two days at Amara Hotel, Mogadishu, in a hybrid format with simultaneous English and Somali interpretation. Each morning is a single plenary in the Main Hall — keynotes, ministerial remarks and the Presidential opening on day one; investment, connectivity and workforce panels on day two — with Research Dialogues clustering the accepted papers by theme, and a plenary synthesis feeding the EACON 2026 Declaration.
How the conference works
Nine engagement formats, each designed to move beyond dialogue and support practical implementation.
Signature feature
Fireside Chats
Candid, moderated conversations with distinguished leaders, investors and innovators — on integration, leadership, digital transformation, AI, energy transition, climate resilience and the future of work. Live audience questions replace the lectern.
3–4 conversations across the two days, moderated by respected regional journalists and policy experts.
Official Opening Ceremony
Senior government officials, the EAC Secretariat, development partners and private-sector leaders set the strategic vision.
Keynote Addresses
Eminent regional and international leaders on integration, competitiveness, AI, energy transition and infrastructure.
Ministerial & High-Level Policy Dialogues
Ministers and heads of regional institutions on implementation progress, reforms and regulatory harmonisation.
High-Level Panel Discussions
Policymakers, executives, investors and academics on cross-cutting issues from trade to the blue economy.
Research & Policy Dialogues
Accepted papers grouped into thematic sessions where researchers engage directly with policymakers — not traditional paper presentations.
Executive Roundtables
Closed-door, solution-oriented sessions per pillar showcasing bankable projects, with B2B, B2G and G2G engagement.
Strategic Networking Sessions
Structured platforms for partnerships among policymakers, investors, academia, civil society and business.
Rapporteur & Synthesis Sessions
Professional rapporteurs document every session; the closing synthesis feeds the Declaration, Communiqué and Proceedings.
Closed Ministerial Dialogue — Advancing Somalia’s EAC Integration through Treaty Domestication, Strategic Investment and Human Capital Development
Registration & networking coffee
Quran recitation
Video screening
Welcome remarks
Opening remarks
Sponsorship remarks
Hormuud · Dahabshiil · Premier Bank
Keynote Address — Bridging Global Standards and Regional Integration: Institutional Readiness in Modern Acceding States
Keynote Address — From Accession to Market Integration: Building Competitive Firms and Institutions for Regional Trade
Keynote Address VI — Building competitive trade in Africa through value chain development
EACON: From an Idea to a Regional Platform
Diplomatic remarks
High-level Ministerial Panel Discussion 1 — Advancing Somalia’s EAC Integration through Treaty Domestication, Strategic Investment and Human Capital Development
Remarks by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Official opening
New initiative launch — EAC Executive Course
Lunch and prayers
Executive Fireside Chat — From Accession to Implementation: Somalia’s Legal and Institutional Integration into the EAC
Panel Discussion 2 — Building Competitive Markets Without Borders: Removing Trade Barriers, Harmonising Standards and Scaling Enterprises Across the EAC
Paper Presentation I — Domesticating EAC Protocols
Panel Discussion 3 — Building an East African Workforce through Skills Development, Recognition of Qualifications, and Labour Mobility for Regional Competitiveness
Recap of the day
CEO Competitiveness Roundtable — From Market Access to Regional Scale: Advancing Somalia’s Private Sector Competitiveness in the EAC
Parallel roundtable discussions · By invitation only · Two halls in parallel: the CEO Competitiveness Roundtable and the Education Roundtable each have their own hall.
Education Roundtable — From Learning to Regional Competitiveness
Parallel roundtable discussions · By invitation only · Two halls in parallel: the CEO Competitiveness Roundtable and the Education Roundtable each have their own hall.
Executive Networking Dinner
By invitation only · Networking dinner & closing.
Morning networking coffee
Quran recitation
Keynote Address
National Investment Address: Somalia’s Investment Agenda in the EAC — From National Priorities to Regional Opportunities · Advancing Somalia’s EAC Integration: Diplomacy, Institutional Engagement and Regional Cooperation · Harnessing Somalia’s Demographic Dividend for EAC Integration: Youth, Skills, Gender Equality and the Future of Work
Keynote Presentation — Universities as Engines of Regional Integration: Building Knowledge, Skills and Research Partnerships for Africa’s Future
Fireside Chat — Connecting Local Ambition with Global Opportunity: Trade, Investment and Economic Transformation
Panel Discussion 4 — Financing Somalia’s Regional Transformation: From Risk Perception to Bankable Investment
Paper Presentation II — Competitive Markets and Regional Trade Integration
Lunch and prayers
Panel Discussion 5 — Connecting Somalia to East Africa: Harnessing Corridors, Ports and the Blue Economy for Regional Trade and Connectivity
Paper Presentation III — Human Capital and the Future Workforce
Matchmaking Session — From Investment Potential to Bankable Projects: Unlocking Somalia’s EAC Investment Advantage
B2B business meetings
EACON 2026 Declaration
