Addis Ababa, February 6, 2020– On the margins of the African Union 33rdOrdinary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, African Union Member States convened to deliberate onThe First Continental Report on the Implementation of Agenda 2063. Moderated by the African Union Commission Deputy Chairperson, H.E Quartey Thomas Kwesi, the ‘Evidence-Based Reporting for Collective Reflection and Coordinated Action on Agenda 2063 Implementation,’ saw reflections on lessons drawn from the implementation and reporting on the Agenda.
“The vision of Agenda 2063 is espoused in inclusive growth, led by its own people. It is a self-authored script. Its effective implementation therefore needs continuous reporting,” the African Union Commission Deputy Chairperson stated.
Speaking on behalf of Côte d'Ivoire’s President Alassane Ouattara, the Agenda 2063 Champion, Minister of Trade and Industry, H.E Souleymane Diarrassouba, said that Agenda 2063 provides a unique opportunity for sustainable development. He added that the Agenda also fosters mutual accountability amongst countries.
“Agenda 2063 is espoused in ‘The Africa We Want,’ as envisioned by our forebears,” Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, South Africa’s Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs remarked. “Our yearning for a united, integrated and peaceful Africa requires the conscious act of planning, as provided by this Agenda,” said Dr Dlamini-Zuma.
The January 2013 African Union Summit adopted Agenda 2063 as Africa’s blueprint and master plan for sustainable development and economic growth of the continent. The continent embarked on this agenda as a 50-year development blueprint through domesticating and implementing it into national and regional development strategies, achieving an aggregate score of 32% against the 2019 targets.
“We would like to thank Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, the “mother of Agenda 2063” for graciously reminding us of the cardinal considerations that framed the development of Africa’s blueprint. Equally importantly is the reassurance of her passion, zeal and unwavering commitment to the implementation of the Agenda. During your term at the African Union Commission, you emphasised the need to always consult the people of Africa, to get their consent and ownership of any policies, plans and programmes that impact on their lives,” Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, CEO of the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD, remarked in his key note address.
During the meeting in Addis Ababa, the Agenda 2063 implementation performance dashboard1was launched.The dashboard showcases quantitative data on the progress made by African Union Member States in the implementation of Agenda 2063 and the global Sustainable Development Goals.
The First Continental Report on the Implementation of Agenda 2063 is a consolidation and evidence-based assessment of country and regional-level progress reports on Agenda 2063, complemented with interventions and results achieved at the regional and continental level.