22 June 2015: UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark called for UNDP to be “proactive, responsive and entrepreneurial” in meeting the needs of African countries, in her remarks to the 2015 UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa Cluster Meeting. Clark discussed progress and challenges in achieving the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063, and outlined five priorities for achieving “African emergence” and the post-2015 development agenda.
The meeting focused on how the UN development system can contribute to Africa’s progress. It included participants from the AU, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and government officials from Madagascar and Mauritius. Clark recognized Agenda 2063 and the Common African Position on the Post-2015 Agenda as key documents that provide “clear guidance on the future Africa wants.”
To achieve African emergence and the proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Clark recommended special focus on: addressing inequalities, including gender inequality; harnessing the potential of youth; improving jobs and livelihoods through inclusive, sustainable growth; maintaining ecosystem integrity and preserving the global commons; and addressing the drivers of conflict and stability, including by establishing the rule of law, making governance more effective and inclusive and strengthening social cohesion.
“The outlook for Africa is very different from when the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were launched at the beginning of this century,” Clark observed, noting that many countries have a solid track record of progress and momentum on which to build. She called for: finishing the “significant unfinished business” of the MDGs; prioritizing support to Africa’s aim of inclusive, sustainable and resilient development; pursuing “whole of government” approaches across the three strands of sustainable development; and promoting structural transformation. Clark said many UN Country Offices and Teams in Africa are already laying the ground for the implementation of the SDGs by preparing national plans and incorporating the SDGs into national development agendas.
The Government of Madagascar hosted the meeting. While in Africa, Clark also visited Malawi and launched the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report, and attended the Commonwealth Local Government Forum in Botswana, where she highlighted the opportunities and challenges posed by Botswana’s status as a middle-income country (MIC).
In her address to the 2015 Commonwealth Local Government Conference, Clark highlighted the potential of the post-2015 development agenda to be transformative for both national and local governments. She described ways in which UNDP is working to empower and strengthen local governments, such as through the development of a toolkit on localizing the implementation of the SDGs and working with local governments to build local resilience to disasters. [UNDP Administrator Regional Bureau Statement] [UNDP Press Release on Malawi visit] [UNDP Press Release on Botswana visit] [IISD RS Story on Malawi PDNA] [UNDP Administrator Commonwealth Address]