Executive Secretary

Vera Songwe calls on leaders to protect Africa's intellectual property rights

Windhoek, Namibia, 17 August 2018 (ECA) - The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Ms. Vera Songwe addressed the 38th SADC heads of states summit today in Windhoek, Namibia.

Speaking on the theme of the summit, " Promoting Infrastructure Development and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development", she highlighted the need for countries to look within for resources to finance infrastructural development; including improving tax performance and tackling the flow of illicit financial flows.

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ECA promotes use of disruptive technology to enhance financial inclusion in Africa

Addis Ababa, 6 August 2018 (ECA) –  The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is collaborating with the International Financial Corporation (IFC) and Ant Financial (Ant) to promote digital financial inclusion in Africa, through investment and technical capacity building.

On Friday 3 August 2018, ECA Executive Secretary, Vera Songwe, led Ant Financial’s CEO, Eric Jing, and IFC’s VP and Treasurer, Jingdong Hua, to a meeting with President Mulatu Teshome of Ethiopia.

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Migration and Continental Free Trade Area are levers for Africa's economic prosperity - says Songwe

Addis Ababa, 13 July 2018 (ECA) - The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa has stressed that the aspirations of Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030 "will require tackling the illicit financial flows that are costing the Continent a great deal of resources."

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Global Compact on Migration will require partnership and accountability - says the Africa Group

New York, 13 July 2018 (ECA) - The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Vera Songwe has welcomed the finalization of the intergovernmental negotiations on the Global Compact on Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, which concluded in New York on 13 June 2018.  The three-phase, state-driven process started with the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants started on 19 September 2016.  She lauded the Group of Negotiators for their “full involvement contributions - right from the consultative to intergovernmental negotiation phases.”

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‘Wind blowing in the direction of peace’ in Africa’

Secretary General António Guterres concluded the second annual UN-African Union conference in Addis Ababa, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the relationship between the two organizations. Held on 9-10 July, the meeting covered the issues elaborated in the joint AU-UN development framework, including peace and security.

“We feel a wind blowing in the direction of peace,” he said, referring to recent developments such as the historic visit by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister to rival and neighbour Eritrea, as well as peace talks on South Sudan, where conflict has raged since 2013.

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