Young people took centre stage at UN Headquarters on Friday in the lead-up to the Summit of the Future – an unprecedented opportunity for world leaders to address current and emerging global challenges, and reform outdated international institutions.
Scores of youth from across the world packed into the UN General Assembly Hall for the start of two “action days” ahead of the Summit, which begins on Sunday.
Felipe Paullier, the first-ever UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, described the Summit of the Future as a once-in-a-generation chance to reshape the multilateral system and put young people at its heart.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Felipe Paullier, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, speaks during the opening of Summit of the Future Action Days.
Preparing the landscape
“Ten years ago, a day like today would have been unimaginable: a day on the official programme of the United Nations dedicated to youth,” he said.
“A day when this house recognizes that any agenda - whether it's gender, climate, peace and security, sustainable development or human rights - has the youth agenda as a cross-cutting element of it.”
Young people have been “instrumental in shaping the landscape” in preparation for the Summit, said Terry Otieno, a social advocate from Kenya and member of the Major Group for Children and Youth at the UN.
Shaping the future
Leaders are expected to adopt a Pact for the Future that covers sustainable development and related financing; peace and security; science, technology and innovation; youth and future generations, and transformation of global governance.
They are also examining proposals to reform the international financial architecture and the UN Security Council, which were established some eight decades ago, at a time when many countries were still under colonial rule.
Young activist Areej from Yemen remarked that children born years from now will be affected by decisions made today.
“What we do now will shape their world, whether that world is defined by conflict, poverty and fear, or by hope, security and opportunity,” she said. “We must ask ourselves: are we ready to take action so that every child can flourish?”
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Secretary-General António Guterres (centre) has a dialogue with Caleb Brathwaite (left) and Daphne Frias during the opening of Summit of the Future Action Days.
Against youth ‘tokenism’
Young people believe that their participation in UN affairs is best described as “tokenism”, according to a live poll taken in the room prior to a dialogue with Secretary-General António Guterres.
Caleb Brathwaite, president of the Barbados Youth Development Council, was not surprised by the results, recalling that the Secretary-General recently said the current multilateral system “was built by our grandparents”.
He feared that the Pact for the Future will be “a mere agreement”, and appealed for action, including establishing branches of the UN Youth Office across the globe.
He also urged young people to “keep our governments’ feet to the fire” to ensure that the chapter of the Pact that covers youth and future generations is realized.
Listen to us
“The most sort of insidious thing about tokenism is that our stories get to be shared with others, but they don't actually inform action going forward,” said Daphne Frias, a youth activist and organizer.
“Our voices occupy rooms, but then they fall on silent ears.”
Daphne said it is truly time to listen to her generation. She also pointed out that not only do young people face obstacles in engaging with the UN, they also encounter barriers in seeking employment with the global body in terms of education, language and other requirements.
Committed to reform
The Secretary-General noted that currently “there is a growing interest and the creation of some mechanisms to listen to young people”, but added “there is a lot yet to be done.”
Having young people participate in decision-making processes requires implementing several reforms, which he said is “not easy” in an intergovernmental organization like the UN.
Mr. Guterres said guaranteeing that young people, civil society and others can participate in decision-making processes is a central aspect of the Summit of the Future and the proposed reforms.
“This is the task that our Office now has to engage very strongly,” he said, expressing total commitment to the days of negotiation and consensus-building ahead.
The Summit of the Future will be held from 22-23 September, just prior to the start of the annual debate in the UN General Assembly Hall.
♦ Receive daily updates directly in your inbox - Subscribe here to a topic.
♦ Download the UN News app for your iOS or Android devices.
Is there another way the world could be run? And in the face so much global turmoil, how can we make the future fairer? This September, a major event at UN Headquarters is being billed as once in a generation opportunity for the international community to grapple with these questions, and forge a new path, for the benefit of all.
(1) The UN General Assembly resolution 68/237 proclaimed 2015 - 2024 A Decade Dedicated to People of African Descent: Recognition, Justice and Development. (2) The Africa-EU Partnership is based on shared values and aims at promoting common interests and achieving shared strategic objectives. The Joint Africa-EU Strategy, which was adopted at the Lisbon Summit in 2007, constitutes the overarching long-term framework for Africa-EU relations. It is implemented through jointly identified priorities, which are of common interest to both the EU and Africa and significantly impact on the daily lives of citizens on both continents. (3) On April 22–23, 2005, Asian and African countries renewed their longstanding solidarity at the 2005 Asian African Summit in Jakarta. The 2005 Asian African Summit yielded, inter-alia, the Declaration on the New Asian African Strategic Partnership (NAASP), the Joint Ministerial Statement on the New Asian African Strategic Partnership Plan of Action, and the Joint Asian African Leaders’ Statement on Tsunami, Earthquake and other Natural Disaster. The aforementioned declaration of NAASP is a manifestation of intra-regional bridge-building forming a new strategic partnership commitment between Asia and Africa, standing on three pillars, i.e. political solidarity, economic cooperation, and socio-cultural relations, within which governments, regional/sub-regional organizations, as well as peoples of Asian and African nations interact. The 2005 Asian African Summit was attended by 106 countries, comprising 54 Asian countries and 52 African countries . The Summit concluded a follow-up mechanism for institutionalization process in the form of Summit concurrent with Business Summit every four years, Ministerial Meeting every two years, and Sectoral Ministerial as well as Technical Meeting if deemed necessary. (4) Washington, D.C., August 4-6, 2014 President Obama pledged $33 billion in U.S. private and public assistance to Africa, Obama told the leaders of 50 African nations that some of their governments must bolster the rule of law, reform government regulations and root out corruption to promote economic development. Obama discussed pledges of more than $14 billion by various American businesses for help with projects involving clean energy, aviation, banking and construction. Coca-Cola will help provide clean water, General Electric will assist with infrastructure development, and Marriott will build more hotels, Obama said. The United States is determined to be a partner in Africa's success We don't look to Africa simply for its natural resources; we recognize Africa for its greatest resource, which is its people and its talents and their potential. The president discussed a total of $33 billion in public and private commitments, including $7 billion in new financing to promote U.S. exports and investments in Africa and $12 billion in help from the president's Power Africa initiative involving private-sector partners, the World Bank and the government of Sweden. (5) The ACP-EU partnership agreement: The "Partnership Agreement between the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States of the one part and the European Community and its Member States of the other part" was signed on 23 June 2000 in Cotonou, Bénin – hence the name " ACP-EC Partnership Agreement" or "Cotonou Agreement". It was concluded for a twenty-year period from March 2000 to February 2020, and entered into force in April 2003. It was for the first time revised in June 2005, with the revision entering into force on 1 July 2008. A second revision of the Agreement was agreed on 11th March 2010. (6) German development policy is formulated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and implemented by organisations such as KfW and GIZ. Germany takes international agreements as well as the commitments it has entered into very seriously. Therefore, in consultation with its African partners and other donors, it is focusing increasingly on certain cooperation priorities.
Policy approaches to increase external investment by US pension funds in African countries
Author
Daniel Preston
Limited external investment has dampened the prospect for a prosperous African continent that capitalises on economic integration and its demographic dividend. This article explores US pension funds as a candidate for increased investment by framing it through an institutional lens and the scholarly understanding of the risk–return dynamics in private capital allocation.
The original research is centered on interviews of senior-level professionals who work in the US pension fund investment ecosystem as well as experts at multilateral organisations. It identifies the primary investment impediments articulated in interviews and offers approaches policymakers in OECD member countries could undertake to increase the scale of US pension fund investment in African countries.
These include: (1) Transform guarantee programs in size, scope, and risk tolerance; (2) Establish large pass-through investment vehicles; (3) Focus resources to improve capital markets in African countries; and (4) Mandate development organisations to coordinate and proactively collaborate with firms in the US investment ecosystem.
Remarks by Cristina Duarte Under Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa
High-Level Conference on Counter Terrorism 28 June 2021
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, All protocols observed.
Let me first thank the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism for inviting me to speak to you today and the opportunity to participate in this important conference.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Advances in information and communications technology have seen the world connected like never before, with information and ideas travelling faster and farther than ever. This impact has been seen the world over, including in Africa where it has been a key enabler of socio-economic development.
The benefits of ICT development in Africa have been incredible. It has completely transformed not only communication on the continent but a wide range of sectors., including health, finance and banking, and even agriculture.
And yet, while the continent pushes for digital transformation and strengthened connectivity, there has been growing concern about the dangers of this technology.
We’ve seen social media and other digital platforms become low-cost tools used by extremist groups to heighten grievances, spread hate, spur civil unrest, spread propaganda and misinformation, and even to recruit followers.
While its social, economic and even political benefits are clear, we have seen its potential dark sides as well. ...
More and more extremist groups such as Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, ISWAP and ISIL, are using technological advances and expanded Internet access in parts of Africa to finance, train and communicate with potential and current followers.
Africa is no exception to what we are increasingly seeing worldwide, where governments, concerned by the wide reach and blinding speed of these technologies, have taken restrictive measures in order to control potential threats. This year alone has seen social media shutdowns in four African countries.
Shutdowns are usually justified with laudable aims: combatting the spread of hate speech and disinformation; suppressing violence; preventing riots and other forms of civil unrest.
But unbalanced restrictive measures often hurt more than help.
The challenge, unfortunately, is that we fail to understand the nature of social media and other digital technologies. It is often overlooked, for example, that a ban on social media can easily be overcome using cheap and affordable VPN (Virtual Private Network) services that enable users to circumvent government blocks.
In addition, the potential costs of these bans, their potential impact on development, is most of the times disregarded. Negative effects on education, domestic commerce, and entertainment costing millions of dollars and impacting millions of citizens. And that limited understanding also applies to how public
institutions can benefit from using these technologies to communicate their own messages and increase their legitimacy toward the population.
As a result, rather than lessening tensions, shutdowns have the tendency to increase anger, heighten mistrust in government, and give credibility to the very narratives these governments are fighting against.
It is a bit like driving on ice in the winter. When your car starts to skid, the impulse is often to slam on the brakes or to steer harshly in the opposite direction. But, if you do this, your car will invariably spin out of control and crash. Instead, the guidance is to slowly steer into the skid and eventually, you will be able to right the car and regain control.
In this instance, steering into the skid means resisting the impulse to shut down access. Instead, a measured approach that addresses the actual problem while also uses technology to convey a different message and achieve positive aims is usually more effective.
Therefore, it is important to realize that technology is not the problem.
Growing technological advances and digitalization spurring terrorism and criminality is not the whole puzzle. Instead, it is a piece that fits in a much intricate and much larger puzzle that terrorists and extremist groups use to foment division and conflict.
In a short intervention like this, it will not be possible to delve into the multiple and complex issues behind the factors that make up this puzzle. However, a few key underlying factors can be highlighted, including lack of economic opportunities and service delivery for Africa’s predominantly young population, political and social exclusion and marginalization.
Terrorist groups are thriving by amplifying and using these often-genuine grievances, often through social media and digital means, to spread misinformation and recruit members and adherents from among disaffected populations.
For example, is true that extremist groups are using social media to spread propaganda and recruit new members. The stark reality, however, is that much of their messaging is rooted in valid grievances of the people, particularly the failure to provide basic services such as food, energy, education, healthcare, housing, water and sanitation.
In many instances, these failures are more strongly borne by marginalized groups, worsening inequalities along distinctions that have long driven underlying tensions, such as ethnicity, geographic location, and others.
When you look at where violent extremist groups are experiencing the greatest success and growth in Africa, it is not in major cities. Instead, it is in remote areas, often in border areas between two or more states. Why there? Because these are the areas that, due to circumstantial, geographical, demographic or other complexities, are usually the most neglected, politically, economically and socially.
This can be seen in Northern Mali, north-eastern Nigeria, the Kenyan coastal region, and many other areas. Neglected areas suffer disproportionately from insecurity and underdevelopment, which are ultimately exploited by extremist groups through compelling narratives that speak to the grievances of the communities.
It is precisely in these areas where violent extremism is increasingly taking root.
More and more, we are seeing extremist groups exploiting fragility and long- simmering grievances to further their political goals, frequently providing “security”, “justice” and social services such as healthcare, electricity, water and
sanitation, education and infrastructure in the territories under their control in order to gain legitimacy, build credibility and recruit members.
In the Lake Chad Basin, for example, extremist groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) have used lack of public service delivery to help their recruitment and growth, filling gaps in governance by digging wells and providing basic health care and Islamic education.
In Somalia, Al-Shabaab, ISIL and other groups have been able to strengthen their influence and credibility by exploiting local clan grievances, filling governance gaps, and taking advantage of authorities’ inability to provide basic services and rule of law in areas under their control.
These are the realities around which extremist groups build their messaging, which they then spread using social media and other digital technologies. The narratives they spread amplify grievances, while highlighting gaps in governance, lack of opportunities and fundamental needs that have been left unmet for far too long.
Digital technologies provide the means of spreading these communications, but more important than the means of communicating is the power of the narrative being communicated. Extremist narratives, grounded in some elements of truth, have been fundamental to their efforts to foment violence, radicalize and recruit, particularly towards the youths who are most often the users of these platforms.
Fighting back should be centered not on fighting the technology, but on fighting against the narrative.
Ladies and gentlemen,
This requires two critical actions. First, of course, is making the narrative untrue. Naturally, if extremist groups are using technology to amplify grievances and spread propaganda regarding government failures and their comparative
successes, one of the most important things government can do is to make this not true.
The paradox facing governments throughout the developing world, including in Africa, is that failure to sufficiently invest in inclusive development historically has led to increased costs related to counterterrorism and security investments today.
Governments need to strengthen equality between groups so that grievances are reduced. Deliver services so that confidence and trust in government is restored. Create an environment of inclusive development that offers opportunities for all, including jobs, so that extremist groups’ recruitment calls lose their appeal.
The second action is to understand the technology and use it as a tool to fight back. The internet, including social media, can be a game changer for governments, including rapid and wide-spread crisis communications, strengthened citizen engagement, building public trust, and countering disinformation.
But this requires adapting to rapidly advancing technology and seizing this opportunity to take advantage of new forms of communication.
Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen,
Even with the growing intersection between digital security and national security, many African countries are not prepared to counter misuse of technology and many lack comprehensive policies and strategies. Joint legislation, increased capacity, political will as well as investments in the infrastructure to share data and intelligence are going to be critical for Africa to deter and counter terrorism activities facilitated by technology.
This effort can however be jeopardized by the deficit of cybersecurity professionals and lack of infrastructure to police the cyber space and to protect critical infrastructure such as telecommunication, banking and utilities. Further complications arise also with introduction of crypto currencies and difficulty in
tracing electronic payment systems, limiting government’s ability to trace illegal financial flows that can finance terrorist activities.
Recognizing this threat, The African Union, through Agenda 2063, has identified cybersecurity as a key priority to ensure that emerging technologies are used for the benefit of Africans. The guiding continental framework to this end is the African Union’s Cybersecurity Convention (AUCC), adopted in 2014 to legislate important elements of electronic transactions and protection of personal data. However, the convention will only come into force when ratified by 15 member states. So far, it has been ratified by 8 countries.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I want to conclude by emphasizing that Africa’s ability to counter-terrorism in all its forms is not just an “African issue”. Misuse of technology by terrorist and criminal groups enables them to have uncontrolled access to arms, covert funding, recruits and training materials. It can also facilitate transnational organized crime, including human trafficking and exploitation.
Africa is unfortunately a growing global transit hub for the trafficking of drugs and a range of illicit commodities, with narcotics, pharmaceuticals, stolen motor vehicles and other goods sold and bought online on the surface, deep and dark web.
Cyber-attacks on African Banks, which are increasingly becoming potential targets, can have wider impacts on connected international banking networks, exposing them to
Therefore, global leadership is critical, and it needs to be preventive not responsive. Because left unchecked, such expansions of technological misuse in Africa will have wider international ramifications.
billions of dollars in losses due to theft. Service disruptions in critical
sectors including African ports and disrupted shipping can create significant delays
in the movement of goods, affecting economies beyond African ones.
Africa should not be left alone or behind in countering these threats but needs
global partnerships and investments to build its capacities and protect its citizens.
The Academic Conference on Africa 2024 will take place at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 3 to 5 December 2024, with the theme "Power, Justice, and the People: Human Rights and the Rule of Law for Africa’s Transformation."
The annual conference aims to boost African representation in global development scholarship, ensuring African voices are heard on the New York stage on critical international exchanges that could shape Africa's future, emphasizing the nexus between development, peace and security, humanitarian work and human rights.
The United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) organizes the event, in collaboration with the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) and financial support from the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund. It brings together African scholars, policymakers and practitioners from multiple sectors and disciplines to exchange on critical issues impacting Africa's development.
WHEN and WHERE
From Tuesday, 3 December to Thursday, 5 December 2024 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. New York local time at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in Conference Room 2.
Remote participants can watch online with live interpretations on UN WebTV and contribute in real-time via chat through OSAA's YouTube live stream using the links provided below for each session.
WHO
Renowned Kenyan Author and Novelist Prof. Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o will deliver the keynote remarks, while academics, policymakers and development practitioners from across Africa and the diaspora will share insights and perspectives from their work. Other African officials, thought leaders and policymakers will also participate, including:
Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkornoo, The Honourable Lady Chief Justice, Judicial Service of Ghana;
Hon. Mr. Justice (Prof) Joel Mwaura Ngugi, Judge, Court of Appeal, Kenya;
Hon. Ronald Reagan Okumu, Former Member of Parliament (1996-2021), Uganda;
H.E. Ashraf Swelam, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for African Organizations and Communities;
and Chief Mary Larteh, Paramount Chief of Jorquelleh, Liberia.
Cristina Duarte, the Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser of the United Nations Secretary-General on Africa, will deliver remarks.
Media representatives applying independently must submit an application form, including a letter of assignment from a bona fide media organization, samples of their work and a government-issued ID. Instructions are available on the website of the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit.
Requests for delegation media, including journalists, official photographers and videographers, should be submitted by Missions and Organizations enrolled in the e-Registration system, which is available through the e-deleGATE portal (instructions).
Note that ALL media representatives must apply for accreditation in advance, as there will not be on-site accreditation.
For more information, visit the UN Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit’s website or contact them at malu@un.orgor +1 212-963-6934.
Africa’s Youth Voices Network fosters young people’s role in leadership, ensuring young Africans have a voice in informing policymaking.
New York, 25 April 2024 - The United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) convened the launch event of the Africa's Youth Voices Network (AYV) on 15 April 2024. Anchored in the theme "Building Tomorrow's Leaders Today: Fostering Youth's Ownership for Africa's Future-Ready Leadership," this occasion signaled a pivotal stride in integrating the voices and aspirations of African youth into OSAA's strategic frameworks.
In a landscape marked by dynamic socio-economic shifts, fostering youth leadership emerges as a paramount imperative. Under-Secretary-General and United Nations Special Adviser on Africa, Ms. Cristina Duarte, articulated this imperative, stating, "Africa's burgeoning youth population embodies the continent's reservoir of untapped potential. Their ownership of Africa's future leadership is not merely aspirational but essential for sustainable development."
The event convened a diverse array of stakeholders, including esteemed ministers and youth representatives, amplifying the discourse on youth-centric development paradigms. Ministerial insights underscored the imperatives of inclusive governance structures, responsive policymaking, and robust investment frameworks tailored to harness the demographic dividend.
Drawing from his personal experiences, H.E Max Andonirina Fontaine, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Madagascar, advocated for youth inclusivity in environmental stewardship, citing youth-led initiatives as catalysts for sustainable development.
H.E Emma Theofelus, Minister of Information, Communication, and Technology of Namibia, advocated for proactive measures to bridge the representation gap, urging equitable access to decision-making platforms for young leaders. She emphasized the need for representative voices and leadership opportunities for young people: "Young people like me are ready to lead. Africa is not treated equally in continental representation; we need representative voices."
H.E Devika Vidot, Minister of Investment, Entrepreneurship, and Industry of the Seychelles, highlighted the resilience and creativity of African entrepreneurs: "Entrepreneurship is about finding innovative solutions to challenges and overcoming hurdles. As proud Africans, we are born survivors." She extolled the entrepreneurial spirit of African youth, urging holistic support mechanisms to incubate and scale youth-led enterprises. She reinforced the centrality of leadership and entrepreneurship in fostering Africa's socio-economic resilience amidst evolving global dynamics.
The event also included a panel discussion, featuring dynamic exchanges between youth representatives and policymakers. Mr. Wiisichong Ahmed, Pan-African Youth Union Secretary General underscored the imperative for equitable financial architectures, advocating for systemic reforms to redress Africa's access to global capital markets. Ahmed elucidated, highlighting the current financial system's bias against Africa: “The continent that processes the most natural resources enters the global financial market but cannot borrow." He emphasized the urgency for a fairer global financial system and advocated for the United Nations' pivotal role in addressing issues of inequality and exclusion within it.
Ms. Rakiya Abby-Farrah, advocated for integrated innovation curricula to empower youth with the requisite skills for social impact, pathways for nurturing youth innovation ecosystems, mainstreaming entrepreneurship education, and bolstering digital infrastructure to catalyze youth-led solutions for sustainable development. Rakiya called for sustained investments in human capital development, “and health is a great way to start in Africa” she said.
For his part, Mr. Kenneth Kungania championed the amplification of youth voices through network-based empowerment strategies. Kungania emphasized the importance of amplifying youth voices and utilizing networks to empower young entrepreneurs. He asserted, "The best way right now is to amplify all voices, including those in the diaspora.” He said it's imperative that young people in the diaspora and on the continent collaborate and create pathways for development for themselves.
On harnessing the transformative potential of digital platforms, Ms. Yasmina Benslimane underscored the role of technology in galvanizing youth mobilization for social change, accentuating the power of digital connectivity in fostering inclusive development pathways. She also emphasized the importance of ensuring gender-responsive policies. Representatives from Morocco and Sierra Leone echoed calls for sustained investments in human capital development, underpinned by gender-responsive frameworks.
Assistant Secretary General on Youth, Felipe Paullier reiterated the imperative of sustained collaboration and youth-centered approaches in navigating the complexities of the 21st-century development landscape. As the custodians of tomorrow's prosperity, African youth stand poised to chart a course towards inclusive, resilient, and sustainable futures. Felipe Paullier, concluding the event, emphasized the importance of continued collaboration and placing young people at the center of discussions: "We live in a more global world than ever with the largest young generation ever. Put young people at the center of the discussion."
Looking ahead, the UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, along with UN partners, will be collaborating with the youth network to ensure inclusion of African Youth Voices in the multilateral system agenda, and governance mechanisms for policymaking.
Background:
Recognizing the crucial role of African youth in driving sustainable development, the Africa’s Youth Voices Network aims to amplify young Africans' voices in global policymaking, aligning with the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063. Through AYV, young professionals, academics, creatives, and civil society members will collaborate on issues vital to Africa's development. The network will lead analysis, advocacy, and advisory efforts on peace, security, development, and human rights, focusing on youth perspectives. By uniting diverse voices, AYV seeks to reshape Africa's development narrative and give youth a voice to influence policymaking at regional and global levels.
Special Adviser on Africa in Algeria to boost strategic partnership
Cristina Duarte, Under-Secretary-General and United Nations Special Adviser on Africa meets with senior government officials during her mission to Algeria. From left to right, she is pictured with their excellencies Mr. Laaziz Fayed, Minister of Finance, Ms. Kaouter Krikou, Minister of National solidarity, the Family and the Status of Women and Mr. Sidi Mohammed Bouchenak Khelladi, President of the National Economic, Social and Environmental Council
Media Advisory
Algiers, 12 December 2023 – From 11 to 12 December, the Under-Secretary-General (USG) and Special Adviser on Africa to the United Nations Secretary-General, Cristina Duarte, was on a mission to Algeria. Highlighting a long-standing partnership focused on boosting Africa’s development, Duarte's visit centred on Algeria's contribution to accelerating the development of Africa's finance, energy, and technology sectors.
Transforming Financial Systems During a meeting with Algeria's Finance Minister Laaziz Fayed and echoing the call of United Nations Secretary-General António GuterresOpens a new window, USG Duarte highlighted the imperative to transform the development financing model globally and in Africa. The two leaders discussed boosting socio-economic funding through the primacy of domestic resource mobilization, strengthening institutional trust, refining public financial management, and advancing administrative digitization. Duarte recognized Africa's recent progress, underscoring the continent's potential and the impact of Africa-led initiatives. She highlighted the results of Algeria's approach, inviting broader recognition for the nation's progress. For his part, Minister Fayed outlined Algeria's commitment to social welfare and the well-being of the people, including the 40 per cent state budget dedicated to people-centred programmes and activities. He also mentioned reforms in public finance aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability in public spending.
Energizing Sustainable Growth USG Duarte's meeting with Mohamed Arkab, Minister of Energy and Mines, focused on energy cooperation. Minister Arkab conveyed Algeria's readiness to contribute to boosting energy access across Africa, drawing on national expertise to enhance infrastructure across the continent. The theme of energy access continued during a meeting between USG Duarte and Sidi Mohammed Bouchenak Khelladi, President of the National Economic, Social and Environmental Council. Duarte spoke about the Triple Paradoxes of financing, energy and food systems hampering Africa's development, highlighting Algeria's emergence as a regional energy power. She also discussed the interlinkages between Africa's access to financing and its development through the lenses of implementing people-centred policies in education, health and social protection during a meeting with Kaouter Krikou, Minister of National Solidarity, the Family and the Status of Women. Minister Krikou outlined the effectiveness of Algeria's approach.
Moving Forward Together Duarte’s mission provided an opportunity to reaffirm the strength of the partnership between Algeria and the United Nations, leveraging the support of the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA). Algeria could highlight its contribution to accelerating Africa’s rise, harnessing national capacities to support continental initiatives across several sectors, from energy access to digitization of public services. The commitment to boosting Africa’s role and position on the global stage, underpinned by a transformation of the global financial infrastructure, was evident, throughout these senior-level engagements. At the end of her trip, Duarte reiterated OSAA’s continued readiness to support this vital partnership to build “The Africa We Want. The Africa the World Needs.”
With the world off track to achieving the SDGs, action is needed. Drawing on the latest data and scientific insights, the Global Sustainable Development Report 2023, entitled “Times of crisis, times of change: Science for accelerating transformations to sustainable development,” offers practical solutions to accelerate SDG implementation.
“The 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report helps to shine new light on transformative processes and practices that can help move the world from commitment to action, and from declaration to delivery,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
At this critical juncture, midway to 2030, the evidence makes clear that incremental and fragmented change is insufficient to achieve all 17 SDGs in the remaining seven years, or even by 2050. Instead, strategic, whole-of-society transformations are needed. And this must be achieved globally – leaving no country, society or person behind.
Science must play major role in advancing sustainable development
Science must play a major role in advancing sustainable development providing evidence to support the emergence of innovations and dismantle negative pathways or paradigms. The report calls on universities, policymakers and research funders to increase support to research guided by the 2030 Agenda, especially in the Global South. To be meaningful, science needs to be transparent, inclusive, and transdisciplinary – produced in diverse contexts by heterogeneous and multidisciplinary groups engaging all possible actors, including youth.
GSDR Co-chair Imme Scholz, Co-president of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, says: “Science is essential, but not sufficient in itself. Good policymaking combines scientific insight with social norms and with what people need, want, and are prepared to give. This includes spelling out the costs and benefits of transformation and defining a just transition.”
An interconnected and systemic approach will be key
The report shows new evidence that understanding the interconnections between individual goals will be essential. Decision-makers must devise policies that manage difficult trade-offs and avoid international spillovers—for example, rising carbon emissions in one country due to the production of goods consumed in another.
The scientists have found that there are more synergies than trade-offs between the SDGs, especially when investments are made in poverty reduction, health, education, gender equality, water and sanitation, clean energy and partnerships. For example, there is evidence that investments in photovoltaics not only directly support access to affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), they also indirectly support progress on education (SDG 4) by enabling students to spend more time on their studies with access to better quality light while reducing indoor air pollution.
The ways synergies and trade-offs materialise in practice can vary across contexts, so the report calls for researchers and policymakers to analyse these locally and develop policies that fit specific needs and address specific trade-offs.
Promising interventions for transformations need to be accelerated and stabilized
The report provides detailed guidance on how different societal actors can shape transformations for sustainable development and actively accelerate progress, noting that interventions in certain areas – such as sustainable food systems, human well-being or energy decarbonisation with universal access – can have systemic effects. The scientists advise policymakers to target such entry points, applying levers like governance, science and technology, business and finance, individual and collective action, and capacity-building toward transformation.
Capacity-building in all countries is also highlighted as a cornerstone of transformations, and this includes everyone—scientists, policymakers, public administration at all levels, the private sector and civil society. This requires boosting scientific literacy, restoring trust in scientific data and evidence, and increasing investment in the areas of strategic direction and foresight.
The report also shows how interventions need to change across stages of transformation. For example, the emergence of a new technology or practice, such as the valuation of women’s care work, requires incentives from government or the private sector that change behaviour and scale up innovations. Conditions that trigger experimentation, innovation and learning can help.
Acceleration requires support to these products and practices, for example tax incentives for electric vehicle use or tighter regulations on acceptable emissions standards from road vehicles, so they gain momentum and reach tipping points beyond which they are widely shared and adopted. Stabilisation requires resilient infrastructure, regulations, user habits and standards that ensure technologies and practices become the new normal. The report emphasises that this may also require addressing unintended consequences such as job losses or the decline in regional industries and economies with a just transition.
To effectively leverage these shifts, the report calls for the establishment of an SDG Transformation Framework for Accelerated Action by 2024 that brings together local action with international cooperation reflecting contexts, needs, aspirations and capabilities. The scientists urge countries to develop national plans for coordinated SDG action with local governments, businesses and industry associations, and institutional investors developing similar plans. Partnerships between all parts of society are needed to achieve the goals.
About the Global Sustainable Development Report
The quadrennial Global Sustainable Development Report was mandated by the United Nations General Assembly, to inform the SDG Summit. It has been drafted by an independent group of 15 scientists appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General. The scientists represent diverse disciplines in the natural and social sciences and hail from both developed and developing countries.
The report shows that Africa’s development is financed through domestic resources, defying the notion that the continent relies heavily on external support. This funding, however, is inadequate to close a widening financing gap, which the sluggish recovery from COVID-19 and the impact of the war in Ukraine have exacerbated.
To bridge this gap, African countries need to boost domestic resource mobilization (DRM) by increasing revenue, improving public spending efficiency, leveraging large pension fund markets and sovereign wealth funds, curbing illicit financial flows out of the continent, and harnessing partnerships.
The publication also calls for putting the continent in the driver’s seat when it comes to its development, subsequently strengthening its resilience against future shocks. When it comes to external sources of financing, Official Development Assistance (ODA) and Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) play a key, albeit complementary, role in financing Africa’s development.
In a panel discussion that followed the launch event, senior UN and Member State officials joined subject matter experts to share knowledge about the role of domestic resource mobilization in Africa and propose solutions to the challenges it is facing.
Ambassador Claver Gatete, Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the UN, highlighted his country’s approach, which focused on streamlining tax administration and bringing the informal sector into the tax system, while Paul Akiwumi, Director of the Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes at the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said that to boost DRM, African countries should provide the same tax incentives to foreign and domestic companies.
For his part, Fodé Ndiaye, former UN Resident Coordinator in Rwanda, echoed the report’s messages that African countries need to invest pension funds domestically to boost revenues, while Irene Ovonji-Odida, member of the UN High-Level Panel on International Financial Accountability, Transparency and Integrity for Achieving the 2030 Agenda, focused on tackling illicit financial flows (IFFs) enabled by international systems that are often unfair to Africa. The panelist raised the alarm that these IFFs are depriving the continent of key financing.
Meeting with the Chairperson of the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States
MEETING READOUT
[Scroll Down for French]
New York, 21 September 2020 – United Nations Special Adviser on Africa, Cristina Duarte, met with H.E. Mr. Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo, Chairperson of the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) on the sidelines of the high-level segment of the United Nations General Assembly. The two senior officials discussed their shared strategic vision of an Africa that continues to rise above on-going challenges towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2063 Agenda of the African Union, activating closer collaboration between the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) and ECCAS, including on the development and peace nexus.
Emphasizing the work of her office in supporting innovation and growth across Africa, the Special Adviser welcomed the commitment of ECCAS in fostering an environment of stability that could catalyze Africa’s tremendous potential in the region. She also highlighted the opportunity to take the partnership between OSAA and ECCAS to new heights for the people and continent of Africa, particularly on the eve of the next decade of Agenda 2063. For his part, the ECCAS Chief acknowledged the importance of collaboration with the United Nations, while underscoring Africa’s resilience in tackling recent socio-economic shocks and challenges. He also emphasized democracy and international cooperation as key drivers to accelerating progress towards the development of Central African States and beyond across the continent.
The two senior officials agreed on continuing to nurture partnerships through African thought-leadership and working closely together in building upon the foundation laid during these first 10 years of Agenda 2063, scaling up action towards an equitable, secure and prosperous Africa.
Version Française
Rencontre avec le Président de la Commission de la Communauté économique des États de l'Afrique centrale
New York, le 21 septembre 2020 – La Conseillère spéciale des Nations Unies pour l'Afrique, Cristina Duarte, a rencontré S.E. M. Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo, Président de la Commission de la Communauté économique des États de l'Afrique centrale (CEEAC) en marge du segment de haut niveau de l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies. Les deux hauts fonctionnaires ont discuté de leur vision stratégique commune d'une Afrique qui continue de surmonter les défis actuels pour atteindre les Objectifs de développement durable et l'Agenda 2063 de l'Union africaine, mettant en exergue une collaboration étroite entre le Bureau du Conseiller spécial des Nations Unies pour l'Afrique (OSAA) et la CEEAC, y compris sur le lien entre développement et paix.
Soulignant le travail de son bureau pour soutenir l'innovation et la croissance à travers l'Afrique, la Conseillère spéciale a salué l'engagement de la CEEAC à favoriser un environnement de stabilité qui pourrait catalyser l'énorme potentiel de l'Afrique dans la région. Elle a également souligné l'opportunité de porter encore plus haut le partenariat entre l'OSAA et la CEEAC afin de servir les peuples et le continent africain, surtout à l’aube de la prochaine décennie de l'Agenda 2063. Pour sa part, le chef de la CEEAC a reconnu l'importance de la collaboration avec le Nations Unies, tout en soulignant la résilience de l'Afrique face aux récents chocs et défis socio-économiques. Il a également mis l'accent sur la démocratie et la coopération internationale en tant que moteurs clés pour accélérer les progrès vers le développement des États d'Afrique centrale ainsi qu’à travers le continent.
Les deux hauts responsables ont convenu de continuer à renforcer leur partenariat, ancré sur le leadership africain et en étroite collaboration, tout en s'appuyant sur la fondation établie au cours de cette première décennie de l'Agenda 2063 afin d’accélérer l’engagement pour une Afrique équitable, en sécurité et prospère.
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL -- MESSAGE ON AFRICA DAY 25 May 2021
This year’s Africa Day highlights arts, culture and heritage as levers for building the Africa we want. Africa’s rich and diverse cultural and natural heritage is important for sustainable development, poverty reduction, and building and maintaining peace. It can provide a strong foundation for inclusive economic progress as the continent strives to meet the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 has triggered a global recession that has exposed deep-seated inequalities and vulnerabilities. It is endangering hard-won development gains throughout Africa and beyond. The pandemic has also heightened the drivers of conflict by increasing inequalities and revealing the fragility of governance in many nations, particularly in the delivery of basic services such as healthcare, education, electricity, water and sanitation. The impact of the pandemic has also been exacerbated by the climate crisis, which disproportionately affects developing nations.
To end the pandemic, support economic recovery and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we need to ensure equitable and universal access to COVID-19 vaccines. Currently, there is a profound imbalance in vaccine distribution among countries. The latest figures show that to date, African countries have received just two per cent of vaccines.
On this Africa Day, I renew my call to developed nations to stand in solidarity with Africa.
With the world off track to achieving the SDGs, action is needed. Drawing on the latest data and scientific insights, the Global Sustainable Development Report 2023, entitled “Times of crisis, times of change: Science for accelerating transformations to sustainable development,” offers practical solutions to accelerate SDG implementation.
“The 2023 Global Sustainable Development Report helps to shine new light on transformative processes and practices that can help move the world from commitment to action, and from declaration to delivery,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
At this critical juncture, midway to 2030, the evidence makes clear that incremental and fragmented change is insufficient to achieve all 17 SDGs in the remaining seven years, or even by 2050. Instead, strategic, whole-of-society transformations are needed. And this must be achieved globally – leaving no country, society or person behind.
Science must play major role in advancing sustainable development
Science must play a major role in advancing sustainable development providing evidence to support the emergence of innovations and dismantle negative pathways or paradigms. The report calls on universities, policymakers and research funders to increase support to research guided by the 2030 Agenda, especially in the Global South. To be meaningful, science needs to be transparent, inclusive, and transdisciplinary – produced in diverse contexts by heterogeneous and multidisciplinary groups engaging all possible actors, including youth.
GSDR Co-chair Imme Scholz, Co-president of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, says: “Science is essential, but not sufficient in itself. Good policymaking combines scientific insight with social norms and with what people need, want, and are prepared to give. This includes spelling out the costs and benefits of transformation and defining a just transition.”
An interconnected and systemic approach will be key
The report shows new evidence that understanding the interconnections between individual goals will be essential. Decision-makers must devise policies that manage difficult trade-offs and avoid international spillovers—for example, rising carbon emissions in one country due to the production of goods consumed in another.
The scientists have found that there are more synergies than trade-offs between the SDGs, especially when investments are made in poverty reduction, health, education, gender equality, water and sanitation, clean energy and partnerships. For example, there is evidence that investments in photovoltaics not only directly support access to affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), they also indirectly support progress on education (SDG 4) by enabling students to spend more time on their studies with access to better quality light while reducing indoor air pollution.
The ways synergies and trade-offs materialise in practice can vary across contexts, so the report calls for researchers and policymakers to analyse these locally and develop policies that fit specific needs and address specific trade-offs.
Promising interventions for transformations need to be accelerated and stabilized
The report provides detailed guidance on how different societal actors can shape transformations for sustainable development and actively accelerate progress, noting that interventions in certain areas – such as sustainable food systems, human well-being or energy decarbonisation with universal access – can have systemic effects. The scientists advise policymakers to target such entry points, applying levers like governance, science and technology, business and finance, individual and collective action, and capacity-building toward transformation.
Capacity-building in all countries is also highlighted as a cornerstone of transformations, and this includes everyone—scientists, policymakers, public administration at all levels, the private sector and civil society. This requires boosting scientific literacy, restoring trust in scientific data and evidence, and increasing investment in the areas of strategic direction and foresight.
The report also shows how interventions need to change across stages of transformation. For example, the emergence of a new technology or practice, such as the valuation of women’s care work, requires incentives from government or the private sector that change behaviour and scale up innovations. Conditions that trigger experimentation, innovation and learning can help.
Acceleration requires support to these products and practices, for example tax incentives for electric vehicle use or tighter regulations on acceptable emissions standards from road vehicles, so they gain momentum and reach tipping points beyond which they are widely shared and adopted. Stabilisation requires resilient infrastructure, regulations, user habits and standards that ensure technologies and practices become the new normal. The report emphasises that this may also require addressing unintended consequences such as job losses or the decline in regional industries and economies with a just transition.
To effectively leverage these shifts, the report calls for the establishment of an SDG Transformation Framework for Accelerated Action by 2024 that brings together local action with international cooperation reflecting contexts, needs, aspirations and capabilities. The scientists urge countries to develop national plans for coordinated SDG action with local governments, businesses and industry associations, and institutional investors developing similar plans. Partnerships between all parts of society are needed to achieve the goals.
About the Global Sustainable Development Report
The quadrennial Global Sustainable Development Report was mandated by the United Nations General Assembly, to inform the SDG Summit. It has been drafted by an independent group of 15 scientists appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General. The scientists represent diverse disciplines in the natural and social sciences and hail from both developed and developing countries.
The Summit of the Future is a high-level event, bringing world leaders together at UN Headquarters in New York, to forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future.
This once-in-a-generation opportunity serves as a moment to mend eroded trust and demonstrate that international cooperation can effectively tackle current challenges as well as those that have emerged in recent years or may yet be over the horizon.
The aim of the Summit is twofold: accelerate efforts to meet our existing international commitments and take concrete steps to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities.
The President of the UN General Assembly urged all nations to sustain their momentum toward decisive action and to advance the outcomes of the Summit of the Future as it concluded on Monday.
World leaders on Sunday adopted the Pact for the Future, a landmark declaration pledging concrete actions towards a safer, more peaceful, sustainable and inclusive world for tomorrow’s generations.
World leaders are at UN Headquarters in New York this Sunday where they adopted the potentially game-changing Pact for the Future by consensus, with a small group of just seven countries holding out, having failed to pass a last-minute amendment. The centrepiece of the Summit of the Future is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the multilateral system and steer humanity on a new course to meet existing commitments and solve long-term challenges. UN Newsapp users can view the blog here.
Hundreds of youth, celebrities and world leaders converged at UN Headquarters in New York on Saturday for the second of two “action days” on the eve of the landmark Summit of the Future.
Young people took centre stage at UN Headquarters on Friday in the lead-up to the Summit of the Future – an unprecedented opportunity for world leaders to address current and emerging global challenges, and reform outdated international institutions.
Some of the world’s poorest countries spend more on debt repayments than on health, education and infrastructure combined, severely hampering their chances of developing their economies. At the Summit of the Future, reducing inequality and improving people’s lives by reforming the international financial system will be high on the agenda.
Countries must use a once-in-a-generation UN summit to address current and emerging global challenges and reform outdated international institutions, Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday in New York.
Ensuring that world leaders consider the impact their actions will have on the billions yet to be born this century, whilst addressing the inclusion of young people in important national and global decision-making, are central to the UN’s landmark Summit of the Future.
A surge in the development of powerful artificial intelligence (AI) tools is already improving lives but is also bringing fresh urgency to calls for regulation, as more and more governments wake up to the risks. Effective global regulation to ensure that AI is developed safely for the benefit of all is urgently needed.
The UN and other bodies set up in the wake of World War Two, are struggling to cope effectively with today’s global threats and challenges. At a landmark event in New York this September, world leaders will consider far-reaching plans to shake up international institutions and bring about major reforms for a safer, fairer future for all.
Is there a better way to shape our world? And how can we achieve a fairer future, in the face of so much global upheaval and conflict? The Summit of the Future stands as a once in a lifetime opportunity for the international community to forge a new path, for the benefit of all.
_________________ What is the Summit of the Future? The Summit is a high-level event, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future.
Effective global cooperation is increasingly critical to our survival but difficult to achieve in an atmosphere of mistrust, using outdated structures that no longer reflect today’s political and economic realities. This once-in-a-generation opportunity serves as a moment to mend eroded trust and demonstrate that international cooperation can effectively achieve agreed goals and tackle emerging threats and opportunities.
In September, world leaders will convene at the United Nations to adopt the Pact for the Future, which will include a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations as annexes.
World leaders are at UN Headquarters in New York this Sunday where they adopted the potentially game-changing Pact for the Future by consensus, with a small group of just seven countries holding out, having failed to pass a last-minute amendment. The centrepiece of the Summit of the Future is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine the multilateral system and steer humanity on a new course to meet existing commitments and solve long-term challenges. UN News app users can view the blog here.
♦ Receive daily updates directly in your inbox - Subscribe here to a topic.
♦ Download the UN News app for your iOS or Android devices.
Ensuring that world leaders consider the impact their actions will have on the billions yet to be born this century, whilst addressing the inclusion of young people in important national and global decision-making, are central to the UN’s landmark Summit of the Future.
Countries must use a once-in-a-generation UN summit to address current and emerging global challenges and reform outdated international institutions, Secretary-General António Guterres said on Wednesday in New York.
Remarks by Ms. Cristina Duarte, USG and Special Adviser on Africa
Role of the private sector in supporting the achievement of the SDGs in Africa: the importance of multi-stakeholder approach
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to start by congratulating the UN Global Compact for the launch of their Africa Strategy, which will be a fundamental tool to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals during this decade of action.
The SDG conceptual framework is a break from traditional development thinking. It not only puts together economic, social and environmental goals; it is structured to promote collaboration between involved stakeholders, not competition.
In fact, SDG 17 calls for strengthening the means of implementation of Agenda 2030 and revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development, through [...], multi-stakeholder partnerships, public-private partnerships, civil society partnerships, etc.
By talking about “partnerships”, the 2030 Agenda is asking us to approach the private sector as something more than a mere provider of financing. And allow me to underscore this point, because we cannot move from a situation in which African countries are dependent on ODA to another in which they are dependent on private funding.
In fact, the mobilization of private sector investment is not happening at the required scale. For example,
in 2018, the private sector financial commitment to Africa’s infrastructure was only 11% out of all the commitments made. 1 Private investments in the infrastructure of developing countries were lower than they were in 2012. Instead of decreasing, the financing gap continues to increase.
How should we engage the private sector then? Through two principles: (1) first, by acknowledging that there is a set of intangible assets that belong to the private sector’s DNA and are strategic to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals: efficiency, productivity, global reach and technological innovations.
And (2) second, by embracing the idea of “conscious capitalism”; a notion that turns away from the neoliberal conception that the primary obligations of firms is to create profit for their shareholders and upholds instead that companies have a broader responsibility to all their stakeholders including local communities, employees and others.
The private sector has started to realize that business cannot succeed and thrive in a failing world.
And this new approach represents a huge opportunity for Africa, because African countries, as suppliers of raw materials and consumers of manufactured goods, are one of the main stakeholders of big corporations.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
The 2030 and the 2063 Agendas are frameworks that aim to solve the world and Africa’s problems. In the private sector language, problems are opportunities for business. Therefore, under this new approach of conscious capitalism, the SDGs and the AU Aspirations should be considered as a framework of investment prospects with an added value, since they seek to address all the needs of businesses’ stakeholders.
However, these business opportunities have different levels of risk attached to them. Hence,
De-risking involves much more than buying insurance. It requires a fairer and better participation of African countries in Global Value Chains, as well as in terms of Africa’s marginalization from international finance markets.
It also calls for African countries to create a conducive business and investment climate through (a) supportive governance structures; (b) transparency and accountability; (c) competition policy; (d) hard and soft infrastructure; and (e) instruments that foster healthy, commercially sustainable markets.
De-risking needs a commitment by the private sector to uphold and demand these good governance measures; to push for the adoption of transparency pacts between Governments and the private sector, for fighting illicit financial flows; promoting the creation of decent jobs; investing in science, research and innovation; integrating sustainable, inclusive and integrated approaches into their business models.
And it finally requires, from an African domestic perspective, the adoption of integrated national financing frameworks linked to Planning-Programming-Budgeting-Evaluation systems that approach the private sector as an SDG stakeholder.
Let us take the opportunity of the turning point that the Agenda 2030 and the new notion of conscious capitalism represent to think “outside the box” and to understand that the private sector and African governments have a common interest: the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in order to leave no-one behind.
Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
An African proverb reminds us “If you want to go fast go alone; If you want to go far, go together”.
Regarding SDGs implementation, my own alteration to this proverb would be to say: If you want to go wide, work with the Governments; if you want to go deep; work with Non-governmental organizations and
“de-risking”
is the magic word; and defining a strategy to achieve “de-risking” in Africa become becomes a key step.
civil society; if you want go fast, work with the private sector; but if you want to go far and you want it to last, work with all of them together.
I am confident that the new Africa Strategy of the UN Global Compact will help us advance in this direction. I thank you.
REMARKS AT HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON “AU SILENCING THE GUNS INITIATIVE - THE ROLE OF ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS IN FUELING INSTABILITY IN AFRICA”
10 December 2020
Excellencies, Distinguished delegates,
It is my pleasure to join you to discuss the need to silence the guns and stem illicit financial flows for the achievement of peace and stability in Africa.
I take the opportunity to celebrate the partnership between the UN and the African Union, which represents an exemplary model of cooperation.
The two organizations continue to strengthen their partnership in all areas of peace, security and development, including through advancing the implementation of the Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security and the Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda.
The 2030 Agenda included a commitment to significantly reduce illicit financial and arms flows, strengthen the recovery and return of stolen assets and combat all forms of organized crime.
Similarly, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda underscored the importance of taking measures of combating corruption
curbing illicit financial flows, eliminating safe havens and strengthening international cooperation and national institutions to tackle money-laundering and the financing of terrorism.
It is critical to recognize the links among these threats.
Illicit financial flows and criminal activities feed off each other, further fueling conflict and instability.
Illicit financial flows facilitate illicit flows of arms, particularly small arms and light weapons to non-state actors, such as rebel armed groups, terrorists and criminals.
Curbing illicit financial flows will make it more difficult to illicitly acquire small weapons, thus contributing to silencing the guns.
Illicit financial flows are also draining the resources urgently needed to respond and recover better from the pandemic.
The Initiative on Financing for Development in the era of COVID-19 and beyond, convened by the Secretary-General
and the Prime Ministers of Canada and Jamaica has been putting this challenge front and center.
At a time when Africa is mobilizing efforts and resources to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and make progress across the economic, social and environmental pillars of sustainable development, it is imperative that the continent be allowed to tap into all its capacities and maximize its domestic resources.
At a time when Africa is trying to maximize domestic resource mobilization, it is losing $50 billion a year to illicit flows.
These staggering losses would be enough to fill 75 per cent of the continent’s health financing gap.
They are more than what would be needed to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 on inclusive education. And they are one-third of what Africa needs annually to fund infrastructure projects.
These flows pose a threat to stability and security in African countries, undermine institutions and democracy, and jeopardize sustainable development and the rule of law.
Women and girls are particularly exposed to criminal activities and conflicts driven by IFFs as they are subject to trafficking and sexual violence which are used as weapons of war.
African countries have made important efforts to establish dedicated institutional frameworks for combatting illegal financial flows in the main channels of trade, investment, financial systems and corruption.
Yet, trade mis-invoicing, tax fraud, criminal activities and money laundering continue to thrive.
Political will to implement relevant measures, particularly to make personal costs greater than personal benefits, will be crucial.
Legal frameworks that clearly outlaw illicit activities and strong legal processes for investigating and prosecuting and punishing perpetrators, are also a necessity.
African countries also need to build the capacity of relevant institutions with human resources, equipment and financial resources, including to target IFF perpetrators beyond national boundaries.
Political will is also needed to name and shame perpetrators and complicit actors, and to include credible deterrents and threats to their individual liberties.
This problem needs to be tackled at the source, in transit and at the destination.
It will require heightened global cooperation.
Silencing the guns and stopping illicit financial flows go hand in hand.
We must no longer allow the sinister effects of these flows compromise human development today and for generations to come.
“Africa Month” at the UN to mobilize actions leveraging science, technology and innovation to transform education in Africa.
Media Advisory
Media accreditation is open until 17 May 2024.
WHAT
Africa Dialogue Series 2024
While the out-of-school population in Africa has significantly dropped in the last 20 years, the work continues across the continent to further accelerate progress. Focusing on the theme “Education through Science, Technology and Innovation toward the Africa We Want,” the 2024 edition of the Africa Dialogue Series (ADS 2024) takes place at a time when a concerted, Africa-centred policy shift is needed to fast-track the transformation of the educational landscape on the continent.
This is in line with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres’ call, as outlined in his “Our Common Agenda” report, to put innovation at the heart of global policymaking and end the business-as-usual approach in addressing the issues of our time.
So, as the global community prepares for a Summit of the Future to demonstrate that international cooperation can effectively tackle current challenges, African leaders, their counterparts and partners around the world will converge online and at the United Nations Headquarters in New York throughout the month of May – the UN’s “Africa Month” – to participate in the ADS 2024 and mobilize actions that leverage the power of Science, Technology and Innovation to boost access to quality education in Africa.
The ADS 2024 will culminate with a High-level Policy Dialogue including the participation of several African ministers, Heads of Regional Economic Communities, young people, senior government and UN officials. This high-level segment will serve as a platform for in-depth exchanges, contributing policy recommendations that seek to accelerate the continent’s progress toward the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Participants will explore this year’s theme from the perspective of the following sub-themes: 1) STEM Education for the Fourth Industrial Revolution – Generating Decent Jobs for Africa's Youth; 2) Transforming Education in Africa by Leveraging Innovative Finance and the Digital Revolution; and 3) Education and Learning in Crisis-affected Areas. These sub-themes will be developed during three international webinars featuring the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General’s input and three youth-focused events.
The United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) and the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations (AUPOM) co-organize the ADS 2024 in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Bank Group (WB).
THEME
Education through Science, Technology and Innovation toward the Africa We Want
H.E. Mr. Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will participate in the High-level Policy Dialogue, delivering closing messages to wrap up “Africa Month.” For their part, H.E. Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed will set the stage, sharing their perspectives during the earlier segments of ADS 2024.
Ms. Monicah Malith, a Youth Representative from the organization “Student Refugee Leaders” will carry the voices and experiences of African youth to the High-level Policy Dialogue.
The following principals and many more will also participate.
H.E. Ms Mariatou Kone, Minister of Education, Côte d’Ivoire
H.E. Mr Ezekiel Machogu, Minister of Education, Kenya
H. E. Dr. Mostafa Rifat, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Universities, Egypt
H.E. Mr. Ayman Hamza Farid, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Egypt
Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, Executive Governor of Borno State, Nigeria (Expected)
H.E. Mr. Elias M. Magosi, Executive Secretary, Southern African Development Community (SADC)
H. E. Mr. Dennis Francis, President of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (Expected)
H.E. Ambassador Paula Narvaez, Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations and President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council
H.E. Professor Mohamed Belhocine, Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, African Union Commission (Expected)
H.E. Ambassador Fatima Kyari Mohammed, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations
Mr. Gilbert F. Houngbo, Director-General, ILO
Ms. Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, ITU
Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General, UNESCO
Mr. Claver Gatete, Executive Secretary, UNECA
Ms. Catherine Russell, Executive Director, UNICEF
Mr. Filippo Grandi, High Commissioner, UNHCR
Ms. Cristina Duarte, Under-Secretary-General and UN Special Adviser on Africa
Ms. Fanfan Rwanyindo Kayirangwa, Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Africa, ILO
Ms. Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO
More details, including the programme and a full list of speakers, are at bit.ly/2024ADS
MEDIA BRIEFING
WHO: The Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations, H.E. Ambassador Fatima Kyari Mohammed, and Ms. Cristina Duarte, Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Africa will brief the media on the ADS 2024.
WHEN: 6 May 2024 at 12.30 p.m. New York local time, after the noon press briefing by the Spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General
WHERE: UN Press Briefing Room, S-0237
Bona fide journalists from Africa and around the world can request to participate remotely in the briefing by getting in touch with the media contacts provided below.
To attend in person during the High-level Policy Dialogue, all media representatives need to be accredited. Media accreditation is open until 17 May 2024.
Media representatives applying independently are required to submit an application form, including a letter of assignment from a bona fide media organization, samples of their work and a government-issued ID. Instructions are available on the website of the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit.
Requests for delegation media, including journalists, official photographers and videographers, should be submitted by Missions and Organizations enrolled in the e-Registration system, which is available through the e-deleGATE portal (instructionsPDF).
Note that ALL media representatives must apply for accreditation in advance, as there will not be on-site accreditation.
For more information, visit the UN Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit’s website or contact them at malu@un.orgor +1 212-963-6934.
Unlocking Africa's Financial Potential and Addressing the Continent's Financial Paradox: A Roadmap to Economic Empowerment
Media Advisory
25 April 2024 - Africa finds itself at a crucial juncture in its development journey, grappling with challenges that impede progress towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). At the heart of these challenges lies a perplexing paradox: despite its abundance of financial resources, much of Africa's economic potential remains untapped. This enigma was meticulously dissected in the ‘Solving Paradoxes of Africa’s Development: financing, energy and food systems’ report by the Office of the Special Advisor on Africa (OSAA), shedding light on the underlying causes and proposing actionable recommendations to unlock Africa's financial prowess.
Mr. Utku Teksoz, Programme Management Officer at the United Nations Office of the Special Advisor on Africa, encapsulated the essence of Africa's development challenges succinctly: "Understanding Africa's paradox of abundant resources yet unrealized potential is pivotal to charting a path toward inclusive and sustainable development." This sentiment echoed throughout a recent webinar, organized at the margins of the 10th session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, discussing Africa's financial landscape, underscoring the imperative of unraveling this paradox to unleash Africa's full economic potential.
Presenting some of the report's key messages, Ms. Cristina Duarte, the Undersecretary General and Special Advisor on Africa, emphasized the complex interplay of factors contributing to Africa's financial paradox. "We cannot overlook the gravity of conflict and instability in discussions about Africa's development," noted Duarte. "This instability not only hampers development efforts but also perpetuates a vicious cycle of poverty and underdevelopment."
The report's findings shed light on the multifaceted nature of Africa's financial challenges, attributing them, inter alia, to weak governance structures, lack of transparency, and the scourge of illicit financial flows. Ms. Rui Xu, Associate Economic Affairs Officer, at OSAA and a co- author of the report, highlighted the staggering impact of these issues, "Africa generates significant financial resources, yet much of it remains untapped. Mobilizing these resources effectively is paramount for driving sustainable development."
Key recommendations outlined in the report include enhancing revenue mobilization through efficient tax collection and expenditure management. Ms. Xu also pointed out, "Approximately $46 billion in potential taxes in Africa go uncollected due to redundant tax incentives and poor governance. Addressing these issues would unlock fiscal space for critical investments in sectors like health and education."
In addition to domestic reforms, the report underscored the necessity of international cooperation to combat illicit financial flows and rectify inequities in the global financial system. "Africa loses billions of dollars annually to illicit financial flows, draining vital resources from the continent," emphasized Xu. "Collaborative efforts are essential to stem the tide of illicit financial activities and unlock Africa's full development potential."
Looking forward, the report offers a comprehensive roadmap for leveraging Africa's financial resources to drive sustainable development. Teksoz reiterated, "by implementing the recommendations outlined in the report and fostering international cooperation, Africa can unlock its full potential and pave the way for a brighter future."
As Africa makes further strides on its journey towards economic prosperity and inclusive growth, addressing the financing paradox can be considered a game changer to address other development challenges on the continent. With concerted efforts and collective action, the continent can harness its abundant resources to realize the vision of leaving no one behind.
The presentation was followed by a panel discussion bringing together technical experts from two countries presenting their Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) this year, namely Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe, along with experts from the UN System and think-tank representatives. Also joining the conversation were: Ms. Bindang Ndong Okiri, Adviser to the Presidency of the Government on Planning and Economic Diversification, Equatorial Guinea; Ms. Chaturuka Sylocious, Deputy Director, SDGs and Agenda 2063 Coordination, Ministry of Public Service, Labour, and Social Welfare, Zimbabwe; Mr. Bartholomew Armah, Acting Director, Development Planning, Macroeconomics, and Governance Division, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa; Prof. Teddy Samy, Director, Norman Peterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University & OSAA Knowledge Network; and Mr. Ovigwe Eguegu, Policy Analyst, Development Reimagined.
Drawing from their national and regional experiences, panelists emphasized some of the structural impediments that make it difficult for African economies to access development financing in international capital markets in fair terms. Often, the risk perception around African economies is divorced from the underlying fundamentals, and a handful of global credit rating agencies determine the conditions under which African economies can borrow with their one-size-fits-all models. Furthermore, they observed that Africa needs to increase her voice and representation in the international financial architecture. Against that backdrop, panelists highlighted that the Summit of the Future presents a crucial opportunity to initiate transformative reforms to the international financial architecture to ensure a stronger voice for Africa and a more balanced representation reflecting the current realities of the global economy.
The importance of strong institutions and the necessity for capacity building for effective taxation and revenue generation as well as transparency and accountability in public expenditures were also among the other key themes highlighted by the panelists.
While this event was dedicated entirely to addressing Africa’s financing paradox, the aforementioned report by the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa looks at the financing, food and energy paradoxes holistically and makes a strong case for addressing the triple paradoxes through a nexus value chain to deliver a more resilient and prosperous Africa.
Background:
The Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development discussed the financing paradox in Africa, with a focus on the need for domestic resource mobilization to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The team also highlighted the challenges of illicit financial flows, high-cost external borrowing, and the diversion of resources towards debt servicing, emphasizing the importance of human capital development, economic growth, resilience, and long-term sustainability. Strategies to enhance revenue generation, address economic challenges, and control debts in African countries were also discussed, with a focus on improving taxation, legislation, and rulemaking to support small businesses and formalize the sector.
United Nations Academic Conference on Africa 2023 Reshapes Discourse on Africa's Future
Press Release
New York, 8 December 2023 – The 2023 United Nations Academic Conference on Africa that brought prominent African scholars and thought leaders to the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5 to 7 December ignited an open discussion on socio-cultural and economic issues hampering Africa’s development. The conference highlighted solutions that could be harnessed to facilitate Africa-centric policymaking to accelerate the continent’s rise. These scholars outlined the continent’s undeniable potential, firmly grounded in Africa’s demographic dividend and rich cultural heritage, putting the role of strong states, engaged citizens and a level playing academic field as essential ingredients to reclaim Africa’s standing as a global leader.
Nobel Laureate, Playwright, Poet and Activist, Prof. Wole Soyinka, called for “Rearming the University Idea” to re-invigorate Africa’s commitment to education, built on the foundation of the continent’s illustrious academic heritage. The Nobel winner extolled the importance of re-capturing the space of African intellectualism lost during the colonial and post-colonial struggles, leveraging financial support from African philanthropists to rebuild top-tier academic institutions on the continent.
The exchanges during the Conference reaffirmed that a strong state is essential to accelerating Africa’s development. Participants recognized the rise in "ungoverned spaces" occupied by nefarious non-state actors, urging African governments to engage with social justice movements and consider policymaking rooted in equitable governance to reclaim this space. Dr. Awino Okech suggested that the recent "citizen-led contestations of government in Africa, including those [claimed] by the military, [show the derelict] state of the social contract between African governments and their citizens."
For his part, Dr. Kelechi Kalu parallels the "formation of European states out of similar internal contestations," seeing an opportunity to build an Africa based on internal, African requirements rather than external influence. Dr. Matthias Kroenke presented a study proposing a data-driven approach to establishing stronger social contracts between states and their citizens. Kroenke posits that African governments must not only deliver results but also regularly measure the well-being of the communities they serve to maximize the impact of their activities.
Resilience also took centre stage, with participants agreeing that it forms the fabric of African culture and societies. Dr. Zitha Mokomane focused the exchange on "[making] Africans less vulnerable," "de-colonizing" African policymaking and Africanizing education. Dr. Tolbert Nyenswah says, "Political will is needed to create new systems to make Africa less vulnerable," while Dr. Chika Esiobu believes, "Education can take people out of being vulnerable." For his part, Dr. Charles Amo-Agyemang proposed: "Localize resilience and make it democratically controlled, [put it in the hands of the people]."
Echoing earlier suggestions, Esiobu proposed a system that goes beyond the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to measure resilience in the context of African policymaking. She said, "The well-being of [our] people and [our] planet" should be how we assess the impact of our policies, highlighting an approach closer to traditional African value systems. Esiobu added, "For Africa to advance, Africa has to move forward by moving away from [colonial systems]." Amo-Agyemang agreed, suggesting that "Africa needs [its own] space to be able to reimagine, remake and produce African [thought leadership]."
The role of academics in influencing global narratives, fostering cultural context and establishing global agendas for the future was also addressed. Academics were recognized as a vital "issue-based network" committed to disseminating research findings to various stakeholders, including government officials and policymakers. The importance of translating research outcomes into tangible policies for Africa's development was underscored, with participants highlighting academics as key allies in the quest for evidence-based policymaking. Dr. Molefi Kete Asante said the African narrative must be front and centre in academia and policymaking, beginning with the question, "What do Africans think? and what do Africans [say?]"
For her part, Cristina Duarte, Under-Secretary-General and United Nations Special Adviser on Africa, stressed: "Africa is not an empty space or vacuum. It has a wealth of knowledge and cultures that can contribute to its own development. This is where academic research deeply rooted in Africa's reality to inform policymaking comes in." Duarte reiterated her message that building robust country institutions is crucial for Africa to boost transparency, accountability, and good governance and solve the "Triple Paradoxes" hampering the continent’s development: financing, energy and food systems.
The Conference outcomes will be presented to United Nations member states in preparation for the Summit of the Future in 2024, a crucial moment in bringing African leadership to the table towards shaping the future of Africa’s development agenda.
Background
The United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) and the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) organized the Conference, with generous financial support from the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund. Held in a hybrid format under the theme "Redefining African Futures: The State, Resilience, and Pathways to Progress," the conference aimed to mobilize African scholars, academia, and policymakers to contribute insights, accelerate the continent’s progress, elevate Africa’s standing, and influence global perceptions. The event featured panel discussions with Professors Kelechi Kau, Siba Grovogui, Awino Okech, Zachariah Mampilly, Anouar Boukhars, Zitha Mokomane, Charles Agyemang, Dr. Chika Esiobu, Tolbert Nyenswah, Rita Edozie, Molefi Kete Asante, Frieda Ekotto, Toyin Falola, and Dr. Mardia Stone and Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka. Dr. Matthias Kronke, Dr. Cédric Yasser Nzouakeu Nyandjou, Dr. Venance Shillingi, and Ms. Grace Akosua Dankwa presented the results of their research studies.
More information is available on the Conference website, including archived video recording of each sessions and other multimedia materials shared during the conference: https://www.un.org/osaa/academic-conference-2023
UN mobilizes support for African Union initiative to boost intra-African trade and lift millions out of poverty.
Press Release
New York, 1 May – The United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations, and their partners are launching the 2023 edition of the Africa Dialogue Series (ADS 2023) from 1 to 24 May, including a virtual segment from 1 to 19 May and a High-level Policy Dialogue to be held in a hybrid format in New York from 22 to 24 May. Titled “Market and Scale: Unlocking Industrialization through Intra-African Trade,” the event is an interactive platform for stakeholders to come together and look into Africa’s challenges and opportunities in harnessing trade to fast-track industrialization and formulate implementable policy recommendations for the continent’s development.
Building on the African Union’s theme of the year, which is focused on accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the ADS 2023 explores how the AfCFTA could boost Africa’s development through industrialization. This is underpinned by the recognition that the ongoing crises exposed the vulnerability of African economies to external shocks, highlighting the need for their fundamental transformation. Also, that robust intra-African trade could be a driver to improve the socioeconomic conditions of the population across the continent, bringing prosperity and durable peace.
By facilitating trade between African countries, the AfCFTA aims to establish a 1.3 billion consumer-strong unified market comprising countries with a total GDP of US $3.4 trillion. This free trade agreement could lift more than 30 million people out of poverty and increase income across the continent to US $450 billion by 2035, accelerating progress towards achieving the promises of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
Launching the event, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General said the AfCFTA is the only way to deliver industrialization in Africa “by providing market and scale for a revamp of intra-Africa trade.” She called on African countries to focus on science, technology, and innovation, increase access to reliable energy sources, boost regional integration, and implement effective institutions to usher in the continent’s industrialization. This holds enormous potential, including the availability of 12 million new jobs annually that young people could aspire to get without leaving the continent.
For her part, the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission hailed the unprecedented pace at which the AfCFTA is being operationalized in her opening message. “This is a monumental achievement,” she says, and a testament to “African leadership and political will.” While outlining the next steps in implementing the AfCFTA, she also recognized the contribution of women and young people to the process. “Africa’s population is predominantly youth and women,” she mentioned, and they drive transformational change on the continent, including on the AfCFTA implementation.
A key outcome of the ADS 2023 will be the formulation of forward-looking ideas and actionable policy recommendations derived from three sub-themes, namely: 1) Boosting Trade Facilitation and Rethinking the Foundations of Africa’s Export Diversification; 2) Growing Middle Class and Continental Import Substitution: Connecting the Dots to Unlock Made in Africa; and 3) Digital Service Trade: Great Potential but Regulatory Frameworks Are Urgent.
These sub-themes will be explored at the technical level during three international webinars on 3, 10, and 17 May. Youth voices will feed into this outcome through interactive discussions held around the same sub-themes via the Twitter Spaces platform on 4, 11, and 18 May. The event will culminate with a High-level Policy Dialogue attended by high-level participants from Member States, the United Nations System, the African Union, and other entities, including the Regional Economic Communities.
Organizing Entities
The Africa Dialogue Series 2023 is organized by the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) and the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations (AUPOM) in partnership with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
African Heads of State and Government Climate Finance Dialogue concludes, mobilizing greater alignment of public-private finance mandate for Africa
PRESS RELEASE
New York, 4 October 2022 – Creating an environment primed to boost access to private investment, while delivering greater alignment for public-private finance mandate towards fast-tracking the participation of private capital in Africa’s green transition, the African Heads of State and Government-Institutional Investor Climate Finance Dialogue concluded on the margins of the High-Level Segment of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Africa investor (Ai), a leading international investment group, and the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (UN OSAA) jointly organized the dialogue, which also looked at leveraging opportunities from the upcoming 27th Conference of the Parties (COP 27) in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, to accelerate the mobilization of climate finance at all levels and promote institutional investor-public partnerships to accelerate the implementation of African Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Participants agreed the dialogue highlighted Africa’s attractiveness for intra-African institutional co-investments, as well as a new Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) narrative. This is based on Africa elevating the importance of de-risking and addressing the perception of African investment risk and the continent as the world’s climate finance and climate technologies manufacturing hub. For their part, institutional investors welcomed learning more about investment opportunities on the continent.
The Dialogue saw the participation of three African Heads of State, namely H.E Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of The Gambia, H.E. Wavel Ramkalawan, President of the Republic of Seychelles and H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Several senior officials and investment leaders took part in the event, including over 10 African Ministers, Dr. Hubert Danso, CEO and Chairman, Africa investor, Ms. Cristina Duarte, Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on Africa, and Amb. Mary Burce Warlick, Deputy Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA).
Noting the timeliness of the dialogue, Dr. Hubert Danso highlighted the unique opportunity to forge investment partnerships at scale, ahead of Africa’s COP27 presidency, leveraging the engagement between senior government officials from the continent and leaders from the investment community, to forge institutional investor-public partnerships at scale, that promote and deliver bankable NDC projects that accelerate Africa’s climate transition, as well as the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
For her part, Ms. Cristina Duarte emphasized Africa must address “the three paradoxes” to effectively tackle its climate finance challenges. First, is the finance paradox. Africa is rich in financial resources but often seeks financial assistance and debt relief from the international community. Second, is the energy paradox. Africa has an abundance of energy resources, yet it remains a relatively dark continent. Third, is the food systems paradox. Africa experiences chronic food insecurity despite significant agricultural resources.
The Special Adviser on Africa further stressed the importance of energy access, not only in advancing the climate finance agenda but also in creating employment opportunities that tap into the continent’s demographic dividend. She called on African countries to look within and build strong domestic resource mobilization systems that could leverage international financing from a much fairer position.
Aimed at boosting African NDCs’ bankability, the shortlist for the African NDC Investment AwardsOpens a new window was also announced during the dialogue. This shortlist comprises 100 projects representing US $32 billion of NDC financing and investment opportunities from 43 African countries and all 5 African sub-regions.
Participants will continue their engagement through this Heads of State and Government Climate Finance Dialogue platform, including for COP27 and beyond, on the road to an unprecedented stocktaking exercise anticipated to take place at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP 28) in the United Arab Emirates.
Maximizing Tourism’s Contribution to Africa’s COVID-19 Recovery
New York, 21 June 2021 – Turning the disruption in tourism into new opportunities for improved competitiveness is essential for Africa’s recovery from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the key overarching message conveyed by Japan, the United Nations, the African Union and representatives of African states at today’s “Boosting Africa’s Transformative Power of Tourism” United Nations online high-level meeting.
UN member states, UN agencies, regional and international organisations, and representatives of the private sector, were gathered ahead of the eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD 8), which will be held in Tunisia next year. Participants also underscored today that active tourism policies will be critical to ensure we capture sustainability as a bedrock for recovery.
In these difficult times, policies to ensure tourism can benefit the communities relying on the sector need to be supported and implemented. These include addressing air transport policies to improve connectivity within the continent, reinforce SMES skills, digitalization and financing, step up marketing and promotion, promote inclusion policies and green investment. In the short term, it is also critical to implement and communicate clear and seamless safety and security protocols regarding entry requirements as well as on the ground to regain travelers’ confidence.
“Tourism is a pillar of prosperity, poverty reduction, sustainable development and stability in Africa,” explained H.E. Tarek Ladeb, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Tunisia to the United Nations and host of TICAD 8. “It contributes to Africa’s recovery and economic integration, boosts its transformative and inclusive growth.”
“As the world reopens, now is the time to deploy innovation and green-led tourism models and policies that unlock competitiveness, identify niche sectors and maximize potential, including for the “One Africa market” in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” emphasized Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, UN Assistant Secretary-General and United Nations Development Programme’s Assistant Administrator & Regional Director for Africa
In 2019, the African continent had the world’s second fastest growing tourism sector. As many as 70 million international tourists visited Africa and travel and tourism brought about US$170 billion to the continent’s gross domestic product. However, the pandemic had a devastating effect on all social and economic sectors, particularly tourism. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), one billion less international tourists travelled globally in 2020 and Africa recorded a 74-percent fall in international tourist arrivals and a decline of 64 percent in tourism related exports. With a recovery that is expected to be slow and uneven among regions, supporting the sector in Africa in these challenging times is critical, while adjusting to a more sustainable and inclusive model.
Ms. Elcia Grandcourt, UNWTO Regional Director for Africa, clarified that “tourism offers communities across Africa the chance to build back better, providing jobs and opportunities for marginalized groups, women and youth. As we continue to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, we must join forces to accelerate the safe and sustainable restart of African tourism.”
Discussions at the high-level panel also focused on the important changes needed within the tourism sector to ensure it benefits the economic recovery of destination communities, while promoting youth and women’s employment and entrepreneurship – all with an eye on sustainability.
“Disruptions in the travel and tourism industry provide new opportunities to revisit the business model and improve competitiveness in Africa. It is crucial to use this momentum to reshape existing travel policies and
frameworks to make tourism an anchor of endogenous and sustainable socio-economic growth,” said Ms. Cristina Duarte, Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to the UN Secretary-General on Africa.
“Young Africans in the tourism sector have continuously shown great talent, creativity and resilience,” underlined Ms. Rica Rwigamba, Rwanda Country Head of the Mastercard Foundation. “Investing in them is both a validation of their tenacity and an act of hope, the hope that we will emerge on the other side of the pandemic stronger.”
Senior Tourism Specialist at the World Bank, Shaun Mann, confirmed that “A competitive tourism sector is too important for countries in Africa not to prioritize a greener, resilient and more inclusive recovery.”
Some countries have started reopening their borders, but the situation remains dire as waves of the pandemic continue to rage through the African continent. The implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is expected to further boost domestic and intra-regional travel. The AfCFTA could potentially ease cross-border movement restrictions and infrastructural and transport challenges, including the high cost of air transport, poor connectivity, and inflexible visa regimes, while fostering regional value chains and the manufacture of value-added products. Hope is firm on tourism as it is one of the priority sectors for the AfCFTA Protocol on Trade in Services.
“One cannot mention tourism without mentioning Africa,” stated H.E. Ms. Fatima Kyari Mohammed, Ambassador and Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations. “The cradle of ancient innovations and human history are interwoven in Africa’s natural and cultural heritage. I am fully convinced that the continent has an opportunity with the AfCFTA, to support future growth of tourism in the continent. We have what it takes to build back better.”
The event was a follow-up high-level panel discussion to this year’s Africa Dialogue Series, which focused on “Cultural Identity and Ownership: Reshaping mindsets” and the African Union Theme of the Year for 2021: “Year of the Arts, Culture and Heritage: Levers for Building an African We Want". It was an opportunity to reimagine the potential of tourism to help societies recover from the pandemic and promote positive changes for all, including sustainable development and sustainable peace.
Recommendations will feed into the global discussions on the preparation of TICAD8, aiming at scaling up the international community’s collective support to Africa’s recovery and building back better.
“The future for tourism in Africa is bright. It is a time for the tourism sector to build forward better. The AfCFTA will open the continent like never before,” stated Mr. Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNDP Administrator. “We must go beyond the mere economic reforms of the sector. We must measure its added value to our natural world, for instance. This is essential to mobilise new stimulus, financial support and investments, and should be underpinned by new efforts to expand access to affordable broadband, at a time when only 80 percent of households enjoy.”
“Let’s seize the opportunities for reshaping Africa’s narrative, unlocking the full potential of Africa’s rich natural and cultural assets and human capital” declared H.E. Mr. Ishikane Kimihiro, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations. “TICAD8 in Tunisia 2022 will boost global collective efforts towards more resilient and vibrant societies and economies across Africa in the post-COVID-19 era.”
###
About TICAD The Tokyo International Conference of African Development (TICAD) was launched in 1993 by the Government of Japan, to promote Africa’s development, peace and security, through the strengthening of relations in multilateral cooperation and partnership
The launch of TICAD was catalytic for refocusing international attention on Africa’s development needs. In the course of the past 20 years, TICAD has evolved into a major global and open and multilateral forum for mobilizing and sustaining international support for Africa’s development under the principles of African “ownership” and international “partnership.
For more information and interview requests, please contact: Eve Sabbagh, Strategic Communication Specialist, UNDP New York, eve.sabbagh@undp.org, +1-484-9045730
Joint Statement on the 20th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325
The African Peer Review Mechanism and the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa call for greater inclusion of women in peace and security processes
(New York/Pretoria): 26 October 2020 – The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the UN Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) have called for greater inclusion of women in peace and security processes if Africa is to meet its development aspirations and enjoy meaningful stability.
To mark the 20th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, OSAA and the APRM, are advocating for the full implementation of UNSCR 1325 in Africa, with women's full, equal and meaningful participation in sustainable development goals (SDGs) planning and domestication at the local, national and regional levels through the effective monitoring and evaluation of SDG 16 within the Decade of Action to deliver the SDGs (2020-2030).
The heads of the two entities, Ms. Cristina Duarte from OSAA and Prof. Eddy Maloka from the APRM, acknowledged progress made towards women’s inclusion to date, but emphasized that more still needs to be done. UNSCR 1325 was adopted in October 2000 and exclusively recognizes women's right to have a leading role in achieving international peace and security.
Among the milestones achieved by African countries in the last 20 years, women's representation in national parliaments has increased, especially with the African Union (AU) 50:50 parity campaign and the AU gender policy in 2010. Rwanda has exceeded this target, with 64% of parliamentary seats occupied by women, followed by the Seychelles, Senegal, South Africa and Namibia1 (from 40-44%). However, the share of parliamentary seats at the regional average remains low at only 22.4% for women and 77.6% for men, with a slightly lower average for ministerial positions occupied by women.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, governance, gender, peace and development have become more interlinked than ever before. The pandemic has scaled back gains, with women and girls being disproportionately affected by its socio-economic impact. A recent report by the APRM Secretariat on Africa's response to COVID-19, sets women's inclusivity in governance, and the fight against gender-based violence (GBV), as some of the urgent prerequisites to curb the pandemic. Further, providing skills, resources and funds for women, especially in fragile and conflict areas, is likely to help avoid further human catastrophes and accelerate recovery and building back better.
“One of the significant lessons learned from the novel coronavirus is that societies led by women in leadership display a sense of transparency and accountability, essential to mitigate disasters,” Ms. Duarte said, while commending the leadership of the 13 African female health ministers who are leading the continent's efforts to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic at national level.
Despite the notable achievements by African women, their contribution to the four pillars of UNSCR 1325, namely conflict prevention, peacekeeping, conflict resolution, and peacebuilding, still needs to be strengthened. For instance, in 16 African peace mediation processes between 1992 to 2011, only two had 5% female signatories, and only three of 16 processes had female led mediators, according to the AU Special Envoy on women, peace, and security. In addition, African countries are lagging behind in developing or adapting National Action Plans (NAPs) on UNSCR 1325. The APRM study on "Governance, Gender and Peacebuilding" reveals that in some African regions, only a quarter of countries have NAPs on UNSCR 1325.
“The conflicts in Africa necessitate women's involvement in the mentioned four pillars, especially conflict prevention. Strengthening the role of women is crucial for the delivery of the SDGs, in line with the goals and aspirations of Agenda 2063 and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” Prof. Maloka said.
Although the state-based conflicts slightly declined, the rise of non-state armed conflicts during the last decade imposes severe implications for the African regional security. By 2018, Africa had 14 of the top 20 most fragile states worldwide. Adding to poverty, inequality, and social challenges in many African countries, mobilising youth – including females – to extremist and terrorist groups became a phenomenal trend.
APRM and OSAA applauded UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's Appeal for a Global Ceasefire and implored AU, UN organs and related bodies to assist African countries with necessary funds to raise women's skills, resources, and infrastructure in fragile and conflict states in Africa. This is in line with OSAA’s mandate on global advocacy on Africa’s strategic priorities.
The two entities urged AU Members States, Civil Society Organizations, the private sector, academia and multilateral organisations to strengthen their collaboration towards fostering the adoption of gender- governance standards; Strengthening capacity and women's resilience; Disseminating best practices, and Monitoring implementation of governance targets through the effective implementation of SDG 5 and SDG 16.
For more information, please contact:
Liziwe Selana, Head of Communications APRM on Liziwe.Masilela@aprm-au.org Matilda Moyo, Public Information Officer, OSAA on moyo1@un.org Francois Charlier, Public Information Officer, OSAA on charlier@un.org
United Nations Academic Conference on Africa 2023 Reshapes Discourse on Africa's Future
Press Release
New York, 8 December 2023 – The 2023 United Nations Academic Conference on Africa that brought prominent African scholars and thought leaders to the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 5 to 7 December ignited an open discussion on socio-cultural and economic issues hampering Africa’s development. The conference highlighted solutions that could be harnessed to facilitate Africa-centric policymaking to accelerate the continent’s rise. These scholars outlined the continent’s undeniable potential, firmly grounded in Africa’s demographic dividend and rich cultural heritage, putting the role of strong states, engaged citizens and a level playing academic field as essential ingredients to reclaim Africa’s standing as a global leader.
Nobel Laureate, Playwright, Poet and Activist, Prof. Wole Soyinka, called for “Rearming the University Idea” to re-invigorate Africa’s commitment to education, built on the foundation of the continent’s illustrious academic heritage. The Nobel winner extolled the importance of re-capturing the space of African intellectualism lost during the colonial and post-colonial struggles, leveraging financial support from African philanthropists to rebuild top-tier academic institutions on the continent.
The exchanges during the Conference reaffirmed that a strong state is essential to accelerating Africa’s development. Participants recognized the rise in "ungoverned spaces" occupied by nefarious non-state actors, urging African governments to engage with social justice movements and consider policymaking rooted in equitable governance to reclaim this space. Dr. Awino Okech suggested that the recent "citizen-led contestations of government in Africa, including those [claimed] by the military, [show the derelict] state of the social contract between African governments and their citizens."
For his part, Dr. Kelechi Kalu parallels the "formation of European states out of similar internal contestations," seeing an opportunity to build an Africa based on internal, African requirements rather than external influence. Dr. Matthias Kroenke presented a study proposing a data-driven approach to establishing stronger social contracts between states and their citizens. Kroenke posits that African governments must not only deliver results but also regularly measure the well-being of the communities they serve to maximize the impact of their activities.
Resilience also took centre stage, with participants agreeing that it forms the fabric of African culture and societies. Dr. Zitha Mokomane focused the exchange on "[making] Africans less vulnerable," "de-colonizing" African policymaking and Africanizing education. Dr. Tolbert Nyenswah says, "Political will is needed to create new systems to make Africa less vulnerable," while Dr. Chika Esiobu believes, "Education can take people out of being vulnerable." For his part, Dr. Charles Amo-Agyemang proposed: "Localize resilience and make it democratically controlled, [put it in the hands of the people]."
Echoing earlier suggestions, Esiobu proposed a system that goes beyond the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to measure resilience in the context of African policymaking. She said, "The well-being of [our] people and [our] planet" should be how we assess the impact of our policies, highlighting an approach closer to traditional African value systems. Esiobu added, "For Africa to advance, Africa has to move forward by moving away from [colonial systems]." Amo-Agyemang agreed, suggesting that "Africa needs [its own] space to be able to reimagine, remake and produce African [thought leadership]."
The role of academics in influencing global narratives, fostering cultural context and establishing global agendas for the future was also addressed. Academics were recognized as a vital "issue-based network" committed to disseminating research findings to various stakeholders, including government officials and policymakers. The importance of translating research outcomes into tangible policies for Africa's development was underscored, with participants highlighting academics as key allies in the quest for evidence-based policymaking. Dr. Molefi Kete Asante said the African narrative must be front and centre in academia and policymaking, beginning with the question, "What do Africans think? and what do Africans [say?]"
For her part, Cristina Duarte, Under-Secretary-General and United Nations Special Adviser on Africa, stressed: "Africa is not an empty space or vacuum. It has a wealth of knowledge and cultures that can contribute to its own development. This is where academic research deeply rooted in Africa's reality to inform policymaking comes in." Duarte reiterated her message that building robust country institutions is crucial for Africa to boost transparency, accountability, and good governance and solve the "Triple Paradoxes" hampering the continent’s development: financing, energy and food systems.
The Conference outcomes will be presented to United Nations member states in preparation for the Summit of the Future in 2024, a crucial moment in bringing African leadership to the table towards shaping the future of Africa’s development agenda.
Background
The United Nations Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) and the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) organized the Conference, with generous financial support from the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund. Held in a hybrid format under the theme "Redefining African Futures: The State, Resilience, and Pathways to Progress," the conference aimed to mobilize African scholars, academia, and policymakers to contribute insights, accelerate the continent’s progress, elevate Africa’s standing, and influence global perceptions. The event featured panel discussions with Professors Kelechi Kau, Siba Grovogui, Awino Okech, Zachariah Mampilly, Anouar Boukhars, Zitha Mokomane, Charles Agyemang, Dr. Chika Esiobu, Tolbert Nyenswah, Rita Edozie, Molefi Kete Asante, Frieda Ekotto, Toyin Falola, and Dr. Mardia Stone and Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka. Dr. Matthias Kronke, Dr. Cédric Yasser Nzouakeu Nyandjou, Dr. Venance Shillingi, and Ms. Grace Akosua Dankwa presented the results of their research studies.
More information is available on the Conference website, including archived video recording of each sessions and other multimedia materials shared during the conference: https://www.un.org/osaa/academic-conference-2023
Addressing the closing session of the Summit following the adoption of the landmark Pact for the Future on Sunday, Philémon Yang, President of the 79th session of the General Assembly, expressed hope that the ideas exchanged would inspire further initiatives at national, regional and the global levels.
“As we close the Summit of the Future, I urge all Member States to continue to push for decisive action and to create meaningful progress,” he said.
He reminded delegates not to lose sight of ongoing global challenges like poverty, hunger, and the suffering of those caught in conflicts, violence, and deprivation.
Special coverage
United Nations News and Web TV are providing special coverage of the Summit of the Future.
Briefing on 'Summit of the Future' by Mr. Guy Ryder, Under-Secretary-General for Policy in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General at the United Nations in Geneva. (00:16:13)
Experts with deep experience across government, the private sector, technology, civil society, and academia have been tasked with supporting UN efforts to ensure Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used for the greater good of humanity.
Global leaders issued a resounding call for reform and renewed multilateral cooperation during the General Assembly’s crunch week, the UN chief told top diplomats meeting in New York on Wednesday.
The President of the UN General Assembly told foreign ministers gathered in New York on Thursday that forecasts predicting the death of effective diplomacy are premature.
Working towards better results on the ground and focused on the future, the UN family is undergoing a reset that will give rise to more agile, tech-savvy and impactful UN organizations.
Developing countries are buckling under high debt and exorbitant borrowing costs, that prevent them from reviving their economies, said UN chief António Guterres.
The UN Secretary-General on Thursday launched a new policy brief outlining his vision of a more robust multilateral framework to boost peace and security, for a world in flux.
Countries must address the “grave global harm” caused by the proliferation of hate and lies online, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, launching a key report designed to shore up information integrity on digital platforms.
Effective governance of outer space is necessary to propel innovation and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in a new policy brief published on Wednesday.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are “slipping from our grasp” amid cascading global crises, highlighting the need to reform the global financial system, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said in Washington, DC, on Thursday.
The UN on Thursday launched new policy initiatives to ensure the international community delivers on its promises today, for future generations, and that the world is ready to properly respond to “complex shocks” like the COVID-19 pandemic.
* Links to external websites are provided for information only. The United Nations is not responsible for the content of external websites.
Young people took centre stage at UN Headquarters on Friday in the lead-up to the Summit of the Future – an unprecedented opportunity for world leaders to address current and emerging global challenges, and reform outdated international institutions.
Scores of youth from across the world packed into the UN General Assembly Hall for the start of two “action days” ahead of the Summit, which begins on Sunday.
Felipe Paullier, the first-ever UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, described the Summit of the Future as a once-in-a-generation chance to reshape the multilateral system and put young people at its heart.
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Felipe Paullier, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, speaks during the opening of Summit of the Future Action Days.
Preparing the landscape
“Ten years ago, a day like today would have been unimaginable: a day on the official programme of the United Nations dedicated to youth,” he said.
“A day when this house recognizes that any agenda - whether it's gender, climate, peace and security, sustainable development or human rights - has the youth agenda as a cross-cutting element of it.”
Young people have been “instrumental in shaping the landscape” in preparation for the Summit, said Terry Otieno, a social advocate from Kenya and member of the Major Group for Children and Youth at the UN.
Shaping the future
Leaders are expected to adopt a Pact for the Future that covers sustainable development and related financing; peace and security; science, technology and innovation; youth and future generations, and transformation of global governance.
They are also examining proposals to reform the international financial architecture and the UN Security Council, which were established some eight decades ago, at a time when many countries were still under colonial rule.
Young activist Areej from Yemen remarked that children born years from now will be affected by decisions made today.
“What we do now will shape their world, whether that world is defined by conflict, poverty and fear, or by hope, security and opportunity,” she said. “We must ask ourselves: are we ready to take action so that every child can flourish?”
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Secretary-General António Guterres (centre) has a dialogue with Caleb Brathwaite (left) and Daphne Frias during the opening of Summit of the Future Action Days.
Against youth ‘tokenism’
Young people believe that their participation in UN affairs is best described as “tokenism”, according to a live poll taken in the room prior to a dialogue with Secretary-General António Guterres.
Caleb Brathwaite, president of the Barbados Youth Development Council, was not surprised by the results, recalling that the Secretary-General recently said the current multilateral system “was built by our grandparents”.
He feared that the Pact for the Future will be “a mere agreement”, and appealed for action, including establishing branches of the UN Youth Office across the globe.
He also urged young people to “keep our governments’ feet to the fire” to ensure that the chapter of the Pact that covers youth and future generations is realized.
Listen to us
“The most sort of insidious thing about tokenism is that our stories get to be shared with others, but they don't actually inform action going forward,” said Daphne Frias, a youth activist and organizer.
“Our voices occupy rooms, but then they fall on silent ears.”
Daphne said it is truly time to listen to her generation. She also pointed out that not only do young people face obstacles in engaging with the UN, they also encounter barriers in seeking employment with the global body in terms of education, language and other requirements.
Committed to reform
The Secretary-General noted that currently “there is a growing interest and the creation of some mechanisms to listen to young people”, but added “there is a lot yet to be done.”
Having young people participate in decision-making processes requires implementing several reforms, which he said is “not easy” in an intergovernmental organization like the UN.
Mr. Guterres said guaranteeing that young people, civil society and others can participate in decision-making processes is a central aspect of the Summit of the Future and the proposed reforms.
“This is the task that our Office now has to engage very strongly,” he said, expressing total commitment to the days of negotiation and consensus-building ahead.
The Summit of the Future will be held from 22-23 September, just prior to the start of the annual debate in the UN General Assembly Hall.
♦ Receive daily updates directly in your inbox - Subscribe here to a topic.
♦ Download the UN News app for your iOS or Android devices.
Is there another way the world could be run? And in the face so much global turmoil, how can we make the future fairer? This September, a major event at UN Headquarters is being billed as once in a generation opportunity for the international community to grapple with these questions, and forge a new path, for the benefit of all.
To get content containing either thought or leadership enter:
To get content containing both thought and leadership enter:
To get content containing the expression thought leadership enter:
You can enter several keywords and you can refine them whenever you want. Our suggestion engine uses more signals but entering a few keywords here will rapidly give you great content to curate.
Your new post is loading...
