Duration of the Africa Region Conferences The issue of the duration of the Africa Region Conferences was raised as an area of concern. The conferences were generally taking place over a period of two weeks, which was considered to be too long. The length of the conference had substantial financial implications for the host branch as well as for the participating branches. Furthermore many of the conference participants could not attend for the full duration of a two-week conference because of commitments within their respective countries. There was general consensus that with proper planning the duration of the conference could be reduced to a week. The matter would receive further attention by the Executive Committee and Regional Office -Bearers.