26 September 2015: At a high-level event on the sidelines of the UN Sustainable Development Summit, participants expressed support for the industrialization of Africa as a way to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event, titled ‘Operationalization of the 2030 Agenda for Africa’s Industrialization,’ resulted in a joint communiqué stating that Africa, in order to fully benefit from its rich natural resources and “reap the benefits of its demographic dividend,” must industrialize in an inclusive and sustainable manner.

The event took place on 26 September 2015, in New York, US, organized by the African Union Commission (AUC), the Office of the Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on Africa (OSAA), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

The joint communiqué urges investing in training and educating women and youth, and embarking on a “skills revolution,” particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. African leaders also: call on the international community to raise its financial support in line with SDG 9 (Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation); advocate support for industrial and infrastructure projects; call on the private sector to recognize Africa’s export and domestic market potential; invite foreign investors to “substantively increase” their commitments to the continent; and call on international organizations to provide industrial policy advice and technical cooperation programmes to enable African countries to implement their strategies. They also emphasize the promotion of structural transformation, technological change and innovation, intra-African trade, and South-South and triangular cooperation.

The statement also identifies UNIDO’s new Programmes for Country Partnership, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the African Mining Vision and the Action Plan for the Accelerated Industrial Development of Africa as possible mechanisms for mobilizing multi-stakeholder coalitions to promote industrialization. The signatories further urge the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to pass, in 2016, a resolution for a ‘Decade of African Industrialization 2016-2025.’ [UNIDO Press Release] [Event Website]