Economic Commission for Africa’s (ECA) Executive Secretary, Vera Songwe has called for joint efforts with UN agencies in Ethiopia, especially strong cooperation and collaboration in all their work and highlighted the need for collective, coherent and aligned reporting on their work.
The call comes as the UN chiefs discussed on Wednesday how they can work better together in light of ongoing UN reforms as they seek to fully support the African Union’s quest for peace and sustainable development on the continent.
“We need to do our best in supporting the African Union, especially as we implement the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development and the AU’s Agenda 2063,” she said.
In particular, the meeting discussed the implementation of the UN-AU Joint Framework for Enhanced Partnership in Peace and Security and the AU-UN Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Songwe, who also updated her colleagues on ECA reforms, also highlighted the importance of the agencies and ECA coordination and cooperation on issues connected to climate change, women empowerment, education, agriculture, technology, capacity development, the peace-security-development nexus, energy, and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), among others.
ECA officials also presented the Joint Monitoring and Reporting Tool of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda; the Joint AU-UN Framework for the Implementation of Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda; and the Regional CoordinationMechanisms.
The meeting follows the Third African Union-United Nations Annual Conference convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and AUC Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat on May 6, 2019, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
MG/as/APA