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Giovanie Biha, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), said Thursday that Africa was short of time to ensure the successful implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and called on leaders of the continent take bold steps to ensure that no one is left behind. development process.
In her concluding remarks to the fifth African Regional Forum for Sustainable Development in Marrakesh, Ms. Biha said: "Time is not ours and the need to reduce the poverty gap has never been stronger than it is now, especially because of the growth of our young population ".
She continued, "This is a decisive moment for the continent. Challenges and opportunities present themselves equally and we must meet the challenge, especially when we implement the SDGs. "
The SDGs are a global agenda adopted by countries in 2015 with the vision of ending poverty, protecting the planet and ensuring peace and prosperity for all people.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the 169 Targets are part of the 2030 Agenda which recognizes "that the eradication of poverty in all its forms and in all its dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and a prerequisite for sustainable development ".
By adopting the agenda, countries have decided to take "bold and transformative steps that are urgently needed to ensure that the world adopts a sustainable and resilient path." By embarking on this collective path, we commit ourselves to that nobody is left behind ".
Ms. Biha drew attention to the unprecedented number of participants, more than 800 people from 51 countries.
"I am convinced that this forum has allowed us all to be bold as we return to our various destinations and workplaces to contribute to the achievement of the development goals of the continent, so that when at our next meeting, in 2020, we discussed measurable progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, "she said.
"Let's move from policies and strategies to implementation and execution. It is also a call to all governments and their partners to mobilize resources, mobilize and allocate sufficient resources to support these Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063. "
For her part, Moroccan Secretary of State for Sustainable Development, Nezha El Ouafi, reaffirmed Morocco's commitment, as President of the Bureau, to advance the goals of sustainable development in Africa.
She said Morocco was pleased to have hosted the ARFSD 2019, adding that she hoped that the member states would continue to work together to meet the challenges facing the continent in the implementation. global and regional development programs.
Earlier in the day, participants heard reports of parallel sessions on Africa's contribution to the High-level Political Forum (HLPF):
• SDG 4 (quality education), which emphasized the need to include sustainable development in school curricula and to improve teaching materials and methods for children with special needs;
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), which called for recognizing the contribution of the informal sector and strengthening collaboration with the private sector in targeted training for employment;
• SDG 10 (Reducing Inequality), which warns against the inequalities caused by caste systems that encourage modern forms of slavery, and recommends providing hygiene facilities to improve girls' school attendance. ;
• SDO 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions), which recommended conflict resolution through dialogue and greater involvement of human rights organizations;
• SDG 13 (Climate Action), which focused on raising funds for climate resilient policies; and
• SDG 17 (Partnerships for Goals), which recommended, inter alia, the removal of barriers to trade in Africa and the ratification of the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Delegates also took note of the recommendations of the first African Forum on Innovation in Science and Technology (STI), held prior to the fifth meeting of the Forum, including: providing opportunities for young African innovators; funding for research and development; develop ITS infrastructure; good governance to ensure fair application of technologies; and strengthen institutional skills.
Zimbabwe will host the sixth session of the ARFSD in 2020 in Victoria Falls.
Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
PO Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
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