Africa is a key region for sustainability.

“Africa has the capacity to move towards sustainable development and its integration into the world economy will overcome many of the current obstacles”.

The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, said during the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development, which took place in Tunisia.

young continent

According to Mohammed, the international community must change its perception of Africa from a dependent continent to a key region on the global stage, with the same rights and position as other continents.

More than 1,2 billion people live in Africa. Approximately 60% of the African population is under 35 years of age. Rapid urbanization in African countries promises new opportunities, including in the field of industrialization on the continent.

Amina Mohammed believes the continent can benefit from the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2063 Agenda for Africa moving forward.

The UN representative stressed that, in order to achieve these goals, the international community must jointly reduce the consequences of the numerous crises.

She recalls that the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the aftermath of the war in Ukraine, the climate emergency and the financial crisis are putting already vulnerable populations in even greater challenges.

Amina Mohammed added that the set of crises can create fertile ground to exacerbate existing conflicts and generate unrest, which undermines collective efforts to achieve the SDGs.

The UN Deputy Chief also spoke about the African Free Trade Area, which contributes to the industrialization, diversification and digitization of the economies of the countries in the region, as well as helping to strengthen regional cooperation.

Fronts of action

Amina Mohammed called on the international community to work on three fronts that would benefit African economies and help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

First, it asserts that universal access to energy and a just and equitable transition to renewable energy are needed. In this context, the UN Deputy Chief called for an integrated approach to guide Africa's energy development paths, based on sustainable investments and strong partnerships.

Today, around 600 million people in Africa face electricity shortages. This means that the continent will need mechanisms for the development of clean energy sources.

The current rise in energy prices could also encourage African countries to make the most of the continent's vast renewable energy potential. But this requires timely investments on a large scale.

Second, Africa urgently needs to transform food systems. In the opinion of Amina Mohammed, Africa needs to increase productivity in agriculture and food systems, use new technologies and modern irrigation systems, achieve agricultural mechanization and reduce post-harvest losses.

The diplomat concluded that Africa's problems, caused by interconnected crises, will not be solved without addressing inequalities.

United Nations

Tunisian President Kais Saied met with the Deputy Secretary General and mentioned a new era in the world with Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine, but also in Tunisia with a new Constitution that will establish better accountability for everyone and the society of rights for its people.

He recognized that the UN plays an important role as united nations, nations working together to address the challenges. It is the main aspiration of the UN Charter.

Amina Mohammed recalled the UN Secretary General's invitation to the Tunisian president to participate in the next General Assembly and the important Transformative Education Summit.

As a teacher, President Saied could help redefine and rethink education in Africa. The president confirmed his interest in participating and mentioned that it is essential to adapt education to this new era. He said a supreme council for education and learning is foreseen in Tunisia's new constitution.

accelerate industrialization

The President of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Collen Vixen Kelapile, believes that accelerating industrialization and diversification are the key to changing Africa's course. And, for the first time in a generation, the region has taken decisive action and has the leadership to be the authors of its destiny.

In recent statements, Collen Kelapile also cited Agenda 2063 as “pragmatic and achievable”, with concrete 10-year implementation plans.

With the conclusion of the first phase of the agenda next year, the diplomat believes that this is “the right time to have a prospective dialogue”. Collen Kelapile also praised the active participation of a record number of African countries in the Voluntary National Reviews of the Sustainable Development Goals.

For the diplomat, this is a clear demonstration that the continent is committed to the full realization of both Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063, which are mutually reinforcing and complementary.

Domestic Resources and Regional Integration On financing for development, particularly domestic resource mobilization, Collen Kelapile states that Africa's investment needs to achieve the SDGs were estimated at US$200 billion a year before the crises.

With the pandemic and the financing gap, it increased by more than 145 billion dollars, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Index. As for regional integration: the African Continental Free Trade Area foresees a market of 1,3 billion people, with a combined GDP of USD 3,4 billion, which can make Africa a true global partner.

According to the president of Ecosoc, the most recent estimates by the World Bank and the Free Trade Area Secretariat are that, when fully implemented, the bloc could increase the continent's real income by 9 percent by 2035 and remove another 50 million people from extreme poverty.

Climate changes

Collen Kelapile points out that while Africa is home to 17 percent of the world's population, it is responsible for only about 3,8 percent of global carbon emissions.

Still, the continent is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of global warming in the form of more extreme weather, which leads to more pressures on access to resources and results in a vicious circle of conflict and unrest with negative repercussions for the rest of the world.

However, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) estimates that Africa receives only 5 percent of total financial flows for climate investments. Collen Kelapile recalled that, at COP26, African negotiators proposed a target of USD 1,3 billion in financial flows from 2025 to deal with the challenges of climate change.

The diplomat ended with the issue of strengthening the power of future generations and women, recalling that no one can be left behind in order to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda. :

“Every African citizen has the opportunity to earn a fair income, live a healthy life and contribute to society”.

African narrative

Amina Mohammed stated that the United Nations shares the vision outlined in the African Union's Agenda 2063, of a continent shaped by its own narrative, informed by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force on the global stage.

What do you think of these statements? Is Africa really the continent of the future? We want to know your opinion, do not hesitate to comment and if you liked the article, share and give a “like/like”.

Picture: © 2022 Mark Garten