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sid.editor — Thu, 03 Dec 2020 16:04:55 +0000

Sixth session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2020 TO THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2020
Elephant Hills Resort, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Background

The Regional Forum is an intergovernmental platform convened by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and the United Nations system to review progress, share experiences and lessons learned, and build consensus on recommendations in the form of key messages to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 of the African Union. These messages serve as Africa’s collective regional input to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development convened annually under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council. Read more

Fifth session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development

TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2019 TO THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2019
Palais des Congrès de la Palmeraie de Marrakech, Morocco

Background

The Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD), convened by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with regional organizations and the United Nations System, seeks to advance the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda and the goals set out in Africa’s Agenda 2063. The Forum does so by providing a multi-stakeholder platform for follow-up and review of implementation progress and challenges, strengthening learning and advocating effective policy measures and actions to achieve the goals of the two agendas. In so doing the Regional forum makes important contributions to strengthening multi-stakeholder engagement and synergies, and thus promoting concerted efforts to implement and achieve the development goals of the two mutually reinforcing agendas. Four sessions of the Forum have been held since 2015. Read more

Fourth session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2018 TO FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2018
King Fahd Palace Hotel, Dakar, Senegal

Background

Across the globe, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which forms the global development framework around 17 Sustainable Development Goals, began in January 2016. In Africa, the 2030 Agenda is being implemented concurrently and in an integrated manner with the First 10-year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063, a 50-year strategic framework for socioeconomic transformation in Africa, which is aimed at accelerating the implementation initiatives for growth and sustainable development. The 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 are mutually reinforcing and together are focusing attention on and framing efforts at national, subregional and national levels in pursuit of inclusive and sustainable structural transformation and sustainable development in Africa. Read more

Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2017 TO FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2017
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background

The 2017 Africa Regional Forum on sustainable development in preparation for the 2017 High-level political forum on sustainable development (HLPF) will convene at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 17 to 19 May 2017, under the theme: “Ensuring inclusive and sustainable growth and prosperity for all.” This theme is well aligned with that of the 2017 HLPF, which is “Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world”. The theme of the regional Forum is premised on a number of considerations and trends with respect to poverty eradication. For example, that the economic growth in Africa has been inadequate to eradicate poverty is well documented. Additionally, the growth generated has largely been unequal. Seven out of the 10 most unequal countries in the world are in Africa. Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in Africa therefore hinges on fostering inclusive and sustainable growth in region. Achieving gender quality and women empowerment is a critical dimension of inclusion in the region. To restructure their economies and achieve sustained growth, African countries have identified agriculture, resilient infrastructure, industry, innovation, and sustainable management of marine resources as some of the priority areas for domestic and foreign investments. Read more

Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development

17 MAY 2016 TO 19 MAY 2016
Cairo, Egypt

Introduction

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) convened the second session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD 2016) on 17-19 May, in Cairo, Egypt. The ARFSD 2016 met on the theme “Ensuring inclusive and integrated implementation and follow-up of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063”

This year’s conference took place against the backdrop of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, agenda 2030, where African leaders, along with other world leaders, recommitted themselves to the pursuit of a more sustainable development pathway. In this context, African countries are confronted with a dual transition: a global level transition from the Millennium Development Goals to agenda 2030; and a regional level transition to Agenda 2063. By signing onto Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063, African member States demonstrated commitment to the implementation and follow-up on both agendas.

The regional forum was the first following the adoption of the 2030 Agenda in September 2015 and therefore focused on integration Africa’s transformation blueprint, Agenda 2063 with 2030 to ensure seamless implementation of the two.

The conference deliberated on pertinent issues of how countries can harmonise frameworks and establish common mechanisms of implementation, monitoring and evaluation to achieve Africa’s collective goals of sustainable development and transformation. A common development framework for Africa has the potential to be a powerful driver of sustainable pro-poor growth in African countries.

The Forum engaged member States, United Nations institutions and other institutions, major groups and other stakeholders on regional priorities for the implementation of the two agendas 2030. Read more

Ninth Session of the Committee on Sustainable Development and the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development

16 JUNE 2015 TO 18 JUNE 2015
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Introduction

The ninth session of the ECA Committee on Sustainable Development (CSD-9) will deliberate on statutory and programmatic matters related to the ECA subprogramme on innovations, technologies and the management of natural resources under the auspices of the Special Initiatives Division (SID). The session will in addition provide a platform for the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD), which ECA is organizing jointly with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In keeping with the UN General Assembly resolution, the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) will bring together government ministries and agencies, major groups and other stakeholders, to deliberated on and provide Africa’s collective input to HLPF-2015. Read more

Seventh session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development

sid.editor — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 17:11:00 +0000

Building forward better: towards a resilient and green Africa to achieve the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063

1 March 2021 to 4 March 2021

Brazzaville, Republic of Congo

The seventh session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD-7), which will be hosted in Brazzaville by the Government of the Republic of Congo, from 1 to 4 March 2021.

The Regional Forum is an intergovernmental platform convened by the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and the United Nations system to review progress, share experiences and lessons learned, and build a consensus on policy options and actions in the form of key messages to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 of the African Union. The key messages adopted by ARFSD-7 will serve as Africa’s collective regional input to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development convened annually under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council and that will be held in held in New York from 6 to 15 July 2021.

The theme of the seventh session of the Regional Forum is Building forward better: towards a resilient and green Africa to achieve the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063. The Forum will undertake in-depth review of implementation of nine selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the corresponding goals of Agenda 2063. The selected SDGs are 1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 12, 13, 16 and 17.

The Regional Forum will bring together high-level policymakers and experts from Governments and intergovernmental organizations, the private sector, civil society organizations and other major groups, and international development partners.

The Forum will be held in a hybrid format, allowing both in-person and virtual participation. The details for both options will be availed as soon as finalised. Further information on the Forum, including technical reports and electronic resources, will be posted on this website.

Professor Laban Ayieko Ogallo - Message of Condolences

sid.editor — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 07:07:58 +0000

The Climate Science community in Africa learned with shock of the sudden passing of Professor Laban Ayieko Ogallo on the 20th November 2020 in Nairobi due to sudden illness.

Recalling his wise words of counsel, his patience, humility and openness, it is easy to understand why those he interacted with are so profoundly saddened by his death.

As a trailblazer, a mentor and champion of meteorology, Prof. Ogallo’s leadership in the region will be greatly missed. Prof. Ogallo had a long and distinguished career that started in 1975 with a brief stint at the East African Meteorological Services. He then joined the meteorology department of the University of Nairobi, from where he was seconded to the role of Secretary and CEO of Kenya National Council for Science and Technology before joining the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) between 1996-2000. In 2000, he was appointed project coordinator of the UN regional drought monitoring centre in Nairobi (DMCN). DMCN grew under him to become the IGAD Climate Prediction and Application Centre (ICPAC). Prof. Ogallo was the founding director and led DMCN until 2014. In 2007, he was in the IPCC team of Scientists awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He returned to the Department of Meteorology at the University of Nairobi in January 2019 and retired in January 2020.

Following the 2013 African Climate Conference (ACC-2013) that was held in Arusha, Tanzania, the African climate change fraternity mandated the UN Economic Commission for Africa and WMO to establish the Climate Research for Development (CR4D) programme, to champion Africa’s climate research agenda. Prof. Ogallo was subsequently selected by the CR4D board to sit on the scientific advisory committee. He discharged this role with dedication, commitment and enthusiasm, often mobilizing his peer climate scientists in the region to participate in meetings and to enrich the climate research discourse in support of development.

As an elder and mentor, Prof. Ogallo will be remembered by the youth in the region as a motivating factor and role model for youth involvement in climate science, a cause that he espoused from very early on in his career. He has been awarded the WMO Award for encouragement of young scientists in 1982.

Prof. Ogallo was also a leading light in the development of an African climate change narrative and discourse. An avid participant in the Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA) conferences, he graced a majority of the events where he often took up speaking roles. In October 2016, he was indeed a natural choice to deliver the inaugural Professor Godwin Olu Patrick Obasi Memorial Lecture on Climate Information Services at the 5th CCDA conference.

On behalf of the Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Management Division of UNECA, I send my condolences to Prof. Ogallo’s family, his professional colleagues and associates at this difficult time. May his gentle soul rest in eternal peace.

Mr. Jean-Paul Adam
Director, Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Management Division
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

Gender and Climate Change in Africa Virtual Expert Group Meeting

sid.editor — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 18:49:01 +0000

27 November 2020

VIRTUAL, 9:00am to 11:00am UTC (12:00pm to 2:00pm Addis Time)

Africa Climate Change Policy (ACPC) at the United Nations Economic Commission (ECA) is organizing a validation expert group meeting of a Gender Equality in Climate Change in Africa report. Gender equality and women’s empowerment are critical and should be integral to all development policy-making and NDC processes. There is enough evidence to show that climate change is not gender-neutral; women and girls tend to be disproportionately affected by its impacts than do men and boys. There is evidence to show that climate change is contributing to widening of gaps on gender related division of social roles and deepening of vulnerabilities associated with climate risks.

The main objective of the Expert Group Meeting is to contribute experts’ inputs into finalization of the report. The report will serve to develop a policy framework to guide and inform sustained efforts at putting in place the foundation for Gender Equality in Climate Change in Africa. The experts will review key findings owing to their experience and knowledge of the subject and contribute to policy messages and recommendations to strengthen the report. The EGM will recommend viable policy options for mainstreaming gender in climate change processes in Africa.

Documents

Opening Speech - Jean-Paul Adam

Gender Analysis of Climate Change in Africa Report

Draft Programme

Presentation

Gender in Climate Change Policies, Programs and NDC Processes - Moliehi Shale

Draft Africa Climate Change Strategy Consultation Webinar

sid.editor — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 06:42:00 +0000

5 November 2020

Online, 12:00-2:00pm UTC

Introduction

Much has transpired and more is in the pipeline since the Africa Climate Change Strategy was developed in 2014. The SDGs were promulgated, and the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction were entered in 2015. The implementation phase of the Paris Agreement started this year (2020) with submission of revised or updated NDCs. A global GHG stocktake is planned for 2023. The first Biennial transparency reports (BTR) using the enhanced transparency framework (ETF) will be due by 31st December 2024 for developing countries. All parties to the Paris Agreement are expected to update and enhance their NDC ambitions every 5 years from 2025.

The predicted impacts of climate change are progressively being felt across the whole of Africa with devastating consequences. Extreme weather events are more frequent and severe threatening to reverse the development gains on the continent and making it harder to attain the ‘Africa we Want’ goal of Agenda 2063, the SDGs, regional and national development goals. These disasters are made more complex by the, yet to be fully understood, impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic currently ravaging all nations on the planet.

It is in this context that the Economic Commission for Africa in partnership with the African Union Commission set out to update the Africa Climate Change Strategy, through consultations with key stakeholders in the region.

Objectives

The objective of the event is to present the draft updated Africa Climate Change Strategy document, and to invite feedback on its content from a cross-section of experts and interest groups drawn from all corners of the continent.

Documents

Draft Africa Climate Change Strategy

Presentation

Africa Climate Change Strategy - Mclay Kanyangarara

In Partnership with

Funded By

Climate change increasingly threatens human health, food and water security and socio- economic development in Africa

eskinder.tsegaye — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 15:04:05 +0000

Language English

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African Climate Policy Centre

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Climate change increasingly threatens human health, food and water security and socio- economic development in Africa

eskinder.tsegaye — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 15:01:08 +0000

Geneva/Addis Ababa, 26 October 2020 – Increasing temperatures and sea levels, changing precipitation patterns and more extreme weather are threatening human health and safety, food and water security and socio-economic development in Africa, according to a new report devoted exclusively to the continent. Read More ...

State of the Climate in Africa

sid.editor — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 03:19:28 +0000

26 October 2020

Online, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM (CEST)

Impacts and risks associated with climate change are felt at regional and local levels. To enable effective action to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change and extreme weather, governments and individuals must have access to science-based knowledge that is regularly updated and derived from robust data.

The State of the Climate in Africa 2019 report is the first report of its kind. It is a multi-agency effort led by the World Meteorological Organization in partnership with key international and continental organizations. It provides a snapshot of climate trends, extreme weather, and associated risks and impacts in key sensitive sectors. The report highlights lessons for climate action in Africa and identifies pathways for addressing critical gaps and challenges.

The high-level launch will bring together scientific organizations, policy and decisions makers, development partners and practitioners to reflect on the urgency of climate action in Africa and the current state of capacity to achieve this.

The launch will start with interventions of Prof. Petteri Taalas, Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), H.E. Josefa Sacko, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission (AUC) and Dr. Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the three co-hosting institutions, followed by the high-level panel discussion. The event will conclude with a Q & A session. Dr James Murombedzi in charge of the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) of UNECA will moderate the event.

Documents

State of the Climate in Africa 2019 Reporr EN

State of the Climate in Africa 2019 Report FR

State of the Climate in Africa 2019 Report AR

Pamphlet EN

Pamphlet FR

Pamphlet AR

Video

State of the Climate in Africa

sid.editor — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 21:19:42 +0000

Temperatures in Africa have been rising in recent decades at a rate comparable to that of most other continents and thus somewhat faster than global mean surface temperature, which incorporates a large ocean component. The year 2019 was among the three warmest years on record for the continent.

Annual rainfall exhibited sharp geographical contrasts in 2019, with totals remarkably below long-term means in Southern Africa and west of the High Atlas Mountains and above-average rainfall recorded in other areas, in particular in Central and East Africa.

There is significant regional variability in sea-level trends around Africa. Sea-level increase reached 5 mm per year in several oceanic areas surrounding the continent and exceeded 5 mm per year in the south-western Indian Ocean from Madagascar eastward towards and beyond Mauritius. This is more than the average global sea-level rise of 3–4 mm per year.

Africa was severely hit by extreme weather and climate events in 2019, including Tropical Cyclone Idai, which was among the most destructive
tropical cyclones ever recorded in the southern hemisphere. Tropical Cyclones Idai and Kenneth resulted in severe humanitarian impacts, including hundreds of casualties and hundreds of thousands of displaced persons.

The areas most severely affected by drought in 2019 were in Southern Africa and were many of the same areas that were also affected by a protracted drought in 2014–2016. In contrast, a dramatic shift in conditions was experienced in the Greater Horn of Africa, from very dry conditions in 2018 and most of 2019 to floods and landslides associated with heavy rainfall in late 2019. Flooding also affected the Sahel and surrounding areas from May to October 2019.

state_of_the_climate_in_africa_2019_6.pdf

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ACPC makes strides in catalyzing climate change learning in Africa

eskinder.tsegaye — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 00:01:33 +0000

Language English

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Focus Group:

African Climate Policy Centre

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ACPC makes strides in catalyzing climate change learning in Africa