ECA, AUDA-NEPAD Sign MoU On Agenda 2063, 2030 SDGs

The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to achieve Africa’s Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In a statement from the ECA on Tuesday, the MoU was signed at the Africa Union (AU) office in New York City on Monday.

The MoU aims to harness synergies arising from the organisations’ mandates and establish the non-binding and non-exclusive arrangements necessary to ensure effective cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

Mrs Vera Songwe, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and ECA’s Executive Secretary, said the MoU was a show of how much the two organisations can pool together and raise their ambitions to achieve what needs to be done.

“Our collaboration will push Africa’s agenda forward, especially within the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which we all believe in.

“We have done well on advocacy in the areas of sustainable energy, climate change, industrialization, digitalization, and health security. But we need to do better on financing. More advocacy is needed for more financing as we prepare for COP26.”

The objectives of the MoU are to implement the joint work programme for the period 2021 to 2023 in six broad priority areas of their respective mandates and functions.

They also are to build resilience for sustainable development in Africa as per Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030.

Furthermore, the objectives will explore any strategic initiatives that might not be part of ongoing mandate but justified by the importance of unexpected events in line with the six broad priority areas.

Ibrahim Mayaki, AUDA-NEPAD’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “The signing of the MoU shows high level of credibility on issues of development of the continent especially in the areas of priorities on agenda 2030 and 2063."

Mayaki also said the MoU would be a living document that provides deeper cooperation between ECA and NEPAD-AUDA teams.

“To work together, especially as the six areas of cooperation identified in the MoU are in line with what the two organisations have been doing together.”

The operationalisation of the MoU will be guided by the pursuit of a common AU vision through the implementation of the Agenda 2063 in concert with the UN Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

Areas of cooperation under the MoU included, climate resilience and governance; environmental sustainability and natural resources management; sustainable energy, nexus energy-water-food and empowerment of rural communities.

Some others are knowledge management and evaluation, and human and institutional development; science, technology and innovation; economic integration, macroeconomics and governance policy; and wealth creation and industrialisation.

A previous MoU signed with ECA during the time of the then NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency (NPCA) entered into force in Oct. 2014 for three years with possibility to be extended for two more years.

The same will apply to the new MoU.