Cairo, 19 May 2016 (ECA) - The two-day meeting of the Africa Regional Forum for Sustainable Development (ARFSD) to discuss Africa's priorities for sustainable development implementation in the context of Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063 wrapped up here today with recommendations for effective implementation, monitoring and follow up of both agendas.
Speaking at the closing ECA Deputy Executive Secretary, Abdalla Hamdok said that while many issues had been deliberated over the two days, of particular note is "that Africa's growth path will continue to be positive despite global challenges." To continue on this path, he underscored the relevance of an integrated framework for both agendas at the level of implementing and reporting.
Mr. Hamdok noted that "Capacity development remains a key issue for the continent”, adding that knowledge products and tools for policy analysis and impact based on good statistics are important.
Held under the theme "Ensuring inclusive and integrated implementation and follow-up of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063" the Forum was the first opportunity, following the global adoption of Agenda 2030 in September, for Africa's governments and other stakeholders to define a roadmap for implementation, monitoring and follow-up on both agendas.
The ARFSD is a regional intergovernmental Forum, with participation from Major Groups and Civil Society established to deliberate on the continent's collective input to the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) which will be convened in New York in July under the theme "Ensuring that no one is left behind".
The HLPF is a global level body mandated the UN General Assembly to ensure effective implementation and monitoring, provide political leadership, and spur coherent policies informed by evidence, science and country experiences; as well as address new and emerging issues.
Recommendations from ARFSD, clustered in 4 areas, are expected to support national implementation efforts and inform global debate. They are: Transition from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); Inclusive transformation for Sustainable Development; Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals: Integrated Implementation and; Integrated follow-up and Review of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 at global, regional and national level implementation.
The main thrust of the recommendations related to the promotion of development pathways that are not only growth-driven but based upon shared prosperity; an integration formula towards increasing the proximity, complementarity and convergence of the two agendas; support for the process and the means of implementation; in particular the need to domesticate both agendas in planning process and; a new set of investments that will enable all the means of implementation to come together, finance, capacity development, and technology.
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