Rabat, 7 June 2015 (ECA): The Economic Commission for Africa will organize on 9-11 June in Cairo (Egypt) a capacity-building workshop on the theme “Reducing Human Exclusion for Structural Transformation: The African Social Development Index (ASDI)”.
Launched on 29 March 2015 in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) on the margins of the 8th AUC/ECA Conference of Ministers of Finance, Economy and Planning, the African Social Development Index aims to help ensure African growth is also an inclusive one by monitoring progress made to reduce human exclusion. To reach this objective, the Index will focus on the human life cycle by estimating the depth of exclusion in six key dimensions of well-being: survival, health, education, employment, means of subsistence and decent life.
The ASDI aims to provide States with a tool to capture the differential impacts of exclusion on gender, urban/rural and sub-national levels. Depending on available national data, this tool will also help them map and assess the effectiveness of social policies in reducing human exclusion at the national and sub-national level as well as over time (Policy Mapping).
The ASDI index is also to be integrated into the Economic Commission for Africa Country Profiles.
Seven North and West-African countries will take part in this workshop, which aims to train senior officials from ECA member States, Regional Economic Communities and research institutions on the use of the index. Participants will represent each country’s National Statistical Offices and Ministries of Planning and/or Economic Development. The workshop will also be an opportunity to consolidate the first ASDI sub-regional report.
The Economic Commission for Africa is one of the five regional commissions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Its mandate is to promote the economic and social development of its 54 member States, foster intra-regional integration and promote international cooperation for Africa's development. ECA places a special focus on collecting up to date and original regional statistics to ground its policy research and advocacy on clear, objective evidence; promoting policy consensus; providing meaningful capacity development; and advisory services in a number of key areas (more).
Event details
Location: City Stars Intercontinental Hotel, Cairo
Dates: 9-11 June 2015
Starting time: Tuesday 9 June at 8:30 a.m.
UN Photo/John Issac