Niamey, 13 March 2023 (TDI): The UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) emphasized a paradigm shift to deliver new sustainable development by making a fresh commitment and increasing investment to achieve the SDGs in the Regional Forum on sustainable development (RFSD) held on 3rd March.
In the forum, the delegates adopted the ‘Niamey Declaration’ on accelerating the inclusive and green recovery from multiple crises and the integrated and full implementation of sustainable development of agenda 2030.
In the session, the Forum focused on the five SDGs including 6 (clean water and sanitation), 7 (affordable and clean energy), 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), 11 (sustainable cities and communities), and 17 (partnerships for the Goals) and the corresponding goals of Agenda 2063 underwent in-depth review.
The Declaration which has made during the forum will be presented at the July 2023 meeting of the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) and the SDG summit in September.
In the Forum, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed also highlighted the contemporary issue that Africa is facing, which includes climate crises, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and food supply chain, and the socioeconomic fallouts of Covid-19.
Amina also called the world leaders to support the “solutions from a rising Africa, such as the African Union’s (AU) action plan on sustainable industrialization and economic diversification & the development of a sustainable value chain for electric vehicle battery minerals by UNECA and partners.”
Further, she emphasized that the SDG Summit in September must deliver in three areas: re-energizing national SDG promises; making tangible progress on SDG financing; and reinvigorating the concept of genuine partnership.
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During the closing of the Forum, the UNECA Deputy Executive Secretary, Hanan Morsy highlighted, “for a renewed sense of solidarity and an understanding that we will have a faster global recovery if we are willing to invest in those regions where the most potential gains can be made.”
She also called for crowding in the private sector, ensuring access to more blended finance tools, and enhancing African countries’ domestic resource mobilization.
