March 2015: The post-2015 development agenda “provides a unique opportunity to ensure that pertinent and specific challenges and aspirations are elevated for global consideration and action,” according to a progress report released by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). ‘The Post-2015 Development Agenda, Agenda 2063, the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan and the COMESA Medium Term Strategic Plan: Assessing Convergence’ assesses the alignment of African continental, sub-regional and national priorities with the post-2015 development agenda.

African and sub-regional priorities and national aspirations “resonate with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the post-2015 development agenda,” according to the report, which emphasizes that the 17 SDGs generally reflect the Common African Position (CAP) and other priorities. The report notes, however, divergence on issues related to peace and security, sexual orientation, comprehensive sexual education, colonial domination and foreign occupation.

In the process of finalizing the SDGs, the report recommends: ensuring that climate change issues “are tackled substantively given their link with agriculture;” promoting realistic indicators applicable to all countries; and developing tracking mechanisms for the goals, including a platform for annual evaluation and sharing of experiences and lessons learned. Stressing that the “pursuit of the SDGs should permeate through all national processes and mechanisms,” the report recommends developing mechanisms to mainstream the SDGs into African, regional and national strategies.

On financing, the report recommends that the post-2015 implementation framework address financial resource constraints at the State level. It also highlights the Third International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD 3) as critical for outlining the means of implementation (MOI) for the post-2015 development agenda.

On the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063, the report says the next step should be to review sub-regional development programmes to ensure alignment with Agenda 2063 and to consider how such alignment could inform the post-2015 development agenda.

UNECA released the report (E/ECA/SA/ICE.XXI/2015/7) at the 21st Meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts of Southern African (ICE), which convened from 12-13 March 2015, in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. [Publication: E/ECA/SA/ICE.XXI/2015/7]