1-4 March 2021 Brazzaville, Congo
Seventh Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development

The seventh session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development will be convened under the theme “Building forward better: towards a resilient and green Africa to achieve the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.” The Forum aims to, among other things, advance transformative solutions and actions to accelerate implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and aspirations, goals and targets of Agenda 2063.

The theme of the Regional Forum is aligned with that of the 2021 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). In the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the economic and social devastation it has wrought, both themes acknowledge the importance of reconstructing countries' socioeconomic systems by leveraging opportunities presented by green and low carbon development trajectories with a view to building a resilient, inclusive and sustainable Africa.

The Forum will consider the nine SDGs to be considered by the HLPF, as follows: SDG 1 (no poverty); SDG 2 (zero hunger); SDG 3 (good health and well-being); SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth); SDG 10 (reduced inequalities); SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production); SDG 13 (climate action); SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions): and SDG 17 (partnerships for the goal).

In the context of the COVID-19 crisis and with a particular focus on the above nine SDGs and the corresponding goals of the First Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063, the specific objectives of the Regional Forum are to:

  • undertake a regional review of, and follow up to, implementation of the two Agendas;
  • provide a platform for peer learning and for sharing experiences, approaches, good practices and lessons learned with a view to accelerating implementation of the two Agendas;
  • identify and assess gaps, challenges and opportunities associated with implementation of the two Agendas;
  • identify and articulate transformative actions, commitments, levers, partnerships and measures that countries should adopt in order to build forward better in a post-COVID-19 world and accelerate implementation of the two Agendas within the decade 2021–2030; and
  • deliberate and agree on the priorities and recommendations of Africa in the form of key messages to accelerate implementation at different levels, and as the region’s collective input to inform the 2021 HLPF and to inform implementation policies and programmes at various levels.

The Forum will be preceded by meetings that aim to bring together and synthesize diverse stakeholder perspectives and exchange cutting-edge ideas, tools, experiences, good practices and lessons learned in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063. The outcomes of those meetings will inform the deliberations of the Regional Forum.

The Regional Forum is an intergovernmental platform convened annually by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and the UN system.

This seventh session will be held in a hybrid format that will provide for both in-person and virtual participation.

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dates: 1-4 March 2021
location: Brazzaville, Congo
additional: Event will include both in-person and virtual participation
www: https://uneca.org/arfsd2021