Since 2001, The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) has been involved in planning the private sector session at annual AGOA Forums that takes place on the margins of the AGOA ministerial meetings. In 2011 CCA was again designated by the U.S. and Zambian governments as the U.S. coordinator for the private sector session and the International Trade Exhibition, which took place at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, Zambia, June 7-10, 2011.  The Zambia Association of Manufacturers served as lead for Zambian private sector mobilization for the forum, and a range of civil society organizations were convened by the Lusaka-based Centre for Trade Policy and Development to organize the Civil Society session. 
 
For the first time, the private sector and civil society sessions were combined in 2011, which gave participants a wider range of topics to explore with business and civil society leaders from the U.S. and across Africa. The private sector/civil society session consisted of opening and closing plenary sessions, luncheon, and no fewer than 12 breakouts.  There was also be an opening presidential reception on the evening of June 7.
 
The four day conference addressed the theme “Enhanced Trade through Increased Competitiveness, Value Addition and Deeper Regional Integration”, and consisted of a private sector and civil society session  June 7-8; ministerial meetings June 9-10; and an international trade exhibition June 7-10.
 
The events attracted ministers and delegations from 37 AGOA-eligible African countries, as well as a large U.S. government delegation led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Trade Representative Ronald Kirk. 

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