Inequalities are a recurrent theme in the debate on development. The Millennium Declaration recognized the concern over inequalities- although within the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets and MDGs implementation, the issue only received scant attention. The discourse around a post-2015 development framework is cognizant of the need to sufficiently address social and economic inequalities, given the evidence that inter and intra-country inequalities have largely worsened over the 15-year MDGs implementation period. For Africa, the question of inequalities is critical, especially in light of the conversations about structural economic transformation and the optimistic outlook about the continent’s prospects. Against this background and in the context of both the African Union’s Agenda 2063 visioning and the United Nations-led post-2015 development agenda process, there is need to create a constructive space where key African constituencies which are concerned with different domains of the inequality question and/or are engaged in conceptualizing and shaping possible trajectories for African transformation can coalesce to share their visions and aspirations and explore possible common paths to social change. The planned pan-African Conference on “Tackling Inequalities and Promoting Structural Transformation in Africa” scheduled for April 28-30, 2014 in Accra is a first step in this regard. The Conference responds to the call by the African Union (AU) Chairperson for everyone from every sector of society to have a say in defining “the African agenda for 2063”.

It aims at forging linkages between the ongoing African developmental debates and the discussions on a post-MDGs development framework. The Conference will lead to a statement on “The Africa We Want” as an input to the global deliberations on “the World We Want”. Its primary intention is to craft an African agenda on inequalities, especially in the context of the pan-African process aimed at shaping an African vision for the next 50 years – i.e. the Africa 2063 agenda. It also draws from and feeds into the post-2015 development agenda discourses. The Conference and broader movement that may be generated through its preparatory and follow-up processes should catalyse a new coalition of African individuals and institutions that can foster a vibrant agenda for equitable African transformation.