20 April 2016: Participants at a high-level forum discussed the implementation of Africa’s long-term global strategy, Agenda 2063, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, outlining synergies and complementarities between the two agendas, as well as challenges in their implementation. Conclusions from the forum on ‘The Africa We Want in 2030, 2063 and Beyond’ are expected to feed into the High-Level Thematic Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN General Assembly, taking place on 21 April 2016.
The Forum was organized by the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), the Government of Sweden and the African Union Commission (AUC), and took place on 20 April 2016, at UN Headquarters in New York, US.
Jan Eliasson, UN Deputy Secretary-General, said the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 both: focus on “people and their well-being on a healthier planet;” include pledges on justice; are rooted in respect for human rights; call for gender equality; aim at structural transformation and a more equitable sharing of income and wealth; and stress inclusive growth, sustainable development and the urgency of ending conflict. Ruhakana Rugunda, Prime Minister of Uganda, said priorities contained in the Agenda 2063 are also integrated in the 2030 Agenda, such as peace and security and addressing the effects of climate change. He said these areas of convergence will help build coherent and integrated implementation.
Anthony Mothae Maruping, AUC, reported that a number of African countries are already integrating the 2030 and the 2063 Agendas into strategic frameworks and action plans. Agenda 2063, which was adopted by Heads of State and Government in January 2015, includes a vision, seven aspirations and 20 goals, and its preparation was based on extensive stakeholders consultations, he recalled. Maruping added that there will be a single periodic monitoring and evaluation report for the 2030 Agenda and the 2063 Agenda.
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Namibia, on behalf of Hage Geingob, President of Namibia, said the Agenda 2063 seeks to “silence the guns by 2020.” She added that Namibia has developed a targeted plan, Harambee, that is in line with the two Agendas and includes priority areas to achieve prosperity.
On transforming economic growth and regional integration in Africa, Erastus Mwencha, AUC, said Africa’s growth should not come at the expense of natural resources, and several governments in the region are formulating green economy strategies. Åsa Romson, Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden, said: transformative economic growth should be driven by Africans; urbanization, which is addressed in both Agendas, is closely linked to economic growth; and a circular economy is important.
Mahmoud Mohieldin, World Bank Group, called for “serious investments” in human capital and infrastructure, effective regulation, good leadership and capacity. He reported that the World Bank is developing new financial instruments to support countries at the sub-national level in terms of infrastructure, and is supporting the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, among other initiatives. Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), called to build productive capacity and invest in structural transformation that brings added value to Africa. He highlighted broadband inclusion as part of infrastructure, and noted that regional integration could benefit from cross-borders payment systems.
On empowering African women, Ségolène Royal, Minister for Environment, Energy and Sea, in charge of international relations on climate, France, said 70% of the world’s poor are women, and providing access to education and financing can help eradicate poverty while also supporting climate change adaptation and mitigation. Neven Mimica, European Commission, announced that the EU has adopted a framework that places gender equality and women’s empowerment at the center of its external relations, and stressed the importance of fighting harmful practices against women. Maria-Helena Semedo, FAO, said up to 70% of women in rural areas are engaged in agriculture, when taking the entire value chain into consideration, and highlighted the need for sex-disaggregated information and accurate data. Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, Oxfam International, said regressive taxation and consumption taxes place an unfair burden on women, and lamented that some countries still have practices and laws that restrict women’s economic opportunity.
On consolidating peace and security in Africa, Samura Kamara, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sierra Leone, noted the successful contribution of peace and security to the achievement of economic growth at the national level. Erastus Mwencha remarked that peace and security is a precondition for development, while development is the most effective way to ensure lasting peace and security. Bineta Diop, AUC, noted the importance of accountability through monitoring, evaluation and reporting of actions. She added that countries cannot claim to be peaceful and secure if the rights of women and girls are not guaranteed.
During the interactive discussions, several participants cited the need for work on capacity building, data, indicators and monitoring, to carry out the 2030 Agenda and the Agenda 2063. Many also underlined the importance of: regional integration and cooperation; structural transformation; financial and non-financial resources; industrialization; empowering the informal sector; tackling debt issues; better infrastructure; and ensuring youth involvement in implementation.
Japan said the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) goes hand-in-hand with the 2030 Agenda, and announced that TICAD-VI will take place from 27-28 August 2016, in Nairobi, Kenya. He also announced that Japan will organize an open debate on security in Africa during its UN Security Council Presidency. [Meeting Website] [IISD RS Sources] [UN Deputy Secretary-General Statement] [UN Press Release] [IISD RS Coverage of UNGA High Level Thematic Debate on Achieving the SDGs]