Kigali, 20 March 2018 (ECA) - The key to creating an effective free trade area in Africa is to increase production on the continent, to tap on the huge opportunities offered by the African market, which will reach 3.6 trillion dollars by 2025, said Vera Songwe, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission in Africa, ECA.
Kigali, 19 March 2018 (ECA) - “At a time when global trading systems seem so uncertain, it is just common sense for us to look at the opportunities closer to home,” said Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 8 March 2018 (ECA) - Today on March 8th, 2018, we join the entire world, in celebrating the International Women’s Day with the theme of “Time is Now: Rural and Urban activists transforming women’s lives.” This important day offers an opportunity to acknowledge the relentless work undertaken by activists across the world, to learn from their experiences about the challenges and opportunities and to transform ideas into action to empower women everywhere, rural and urban, to achieve gender equality by 2030.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, March 1, 2018 (ECA) – Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) Executive Secretary, Vera Songwe, on Thursday held closed door discussions with visiting United Nations General Assembly President, Miroslav Lajčák, appraising him on on-going African Union reforms that are expected to make the continental body more self-sufficient and effective.
Ms. Songwe, a member of the reforms team that is led by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, said they were currently focusing on a number of issues to ensure the union is run more efficiently for the benefit of its citizens.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 27, 2018 (ECA) – Economic Commission for Africa’s Executive Secretary, Vera Songwe, on Tuesday met with African Ambassadors in Ethiopia for their 19th quarterly briefing which touched on a number of issues affecting the continent and the work of the ECA in supporting the continent’s quest for economic and structural transformation.
Ms. Songwe opened the meeting with an overview of the work done by the ECA in the past three months in implementing its work programme for the biennium 2016-2017.
Addis Ababa, 22 February 2018 (ECA) - The Nile is our strongest potential for transformational development and the most tangible metaphor for bringing together economic growth, environmental preservation and social inclusion. The statement was made by Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) at the opening of the 12th Regional Nile Day Celebrations, held on the theme: “The Nile: Shared River, Collective Action.”