31 March 2015: The Eighth Joint Annual Meetings of the African Union (AU) Specialised Technical Committee of Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration, and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development agreed on a ministerial statement that addresses progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and support for the post-2015 development agenda, financing for development (FfD), the data revolution and climate change, among other issues. The meeting convened under the theme, ‘Implementing Agenda 2063: Planning, Mobilizing and Financing for Development.’
According to the statement, “much remains to be done to achieve inclusive and equitable development in Africa.” It emphasizes Africa’s commitment to tackling poverty and inequality, providing employment and decent jobs, including for youth, and empowering women. The statement expresses support for a post-2015 development agenda that takes into account “the key goals set out in the common African position on the post-2015 development agenda and Agenda 2063.”
On FfD, the statement urges African negotiators to ensure that Africa’s interests are reflected in the final outcome of the Third International Conference on FfD (FfD 3) by speaking with one voice. It endorses the ‘FfD: Africa’s perspectives’ document. The statement calls for, inter alia: adequate, predictable financing and attention to domestic resource mobilization; international resources for development; international trade; and international financial and technical cooperation. Ministers recognized official development assistance (ODA) as “helpful” but a “fragile platform on which to base a structural transformation agenda.” They recommended domestic resource mobilization through taxes, pension funds, diaspora bonds and remittances and highlighted the role of central banks in boosting financing. AU Chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma explained that Agenda 2063 places more reliance on regional and domestic mobilization than previous strategies, which placed more emphasis on external support.
“Africa should generate its own data” to monitor and track its economic and social progress, including under Agenda 2063, according to the statement. It recommends a data revolution based on national statistics systems and the principle of openness across the data value chain to complement national statistics, and calls for strengthening pan-African statistical institutions and embracing a wide range of data sources and tools to produce disaggregated data for citizen engagement, decision-making and service delivery. Participants also discussed a proposed Africa Data Consensus to support evidence-based inclusive development policies, and supported the development of civil registration systems and creation of a road map for inclusive data generation and use.
Ministers endorsed the final report of the High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows in Africa, underscoring the impact of illicit financial flows on the region’s available resources, governance and efforts to add value to its natural resources. Ministers called on the international community to support efforts to track, stop and repatriate illicit financial flows.
On climate change, Ministers advocate for a “progressive and ambitious stance in the climate change negotiations” at the Paris Climate Change Conference, with the aim of securing a binding agreement based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR). The statement highlights the green economy and blue economy as potential low-carbon development pathways.
The statement also addresses: the role of industrialization in structural transformation; sequencing of trade policy; uneven progress made by the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and the importance of implementing the Programme of Action for the LDCs and the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs).
Over 200 participants attended the conference, which convened from 25-31 March 2015, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. [UNECA Press Release 31 March] [UNECA Press Release 30 March] [UNECA Press Release on Data Revolution] [Ministerial Statement] [Conference Website] [OHRLLS Press Release]