Summary
The third session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD 3) convened for its final day in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 19 May 2017. Delegates gathered in the morning to take part in parallel sessions on the six sub-themes of the Forum: eradicating all forms of poverty in Africa; ending hunger and achieving food security in Africa; ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all; promoting gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls; building resilient infrastructure and promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and innovation; and, conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development. Report backs on the parallel sessions began in the morning and continued into the afternoon, including providing initial comments on the draft key messages. The results of these discussions fed into the key messages of ARFSD 3.
Key messages discussed by delegates included that: economic growth is necessary, but insufficient, to eradicate poverty; hunger should be considered as a national and regional security issue; governments should ensure fair and mandatory public financing to build universal and equitable health coverage; gender issues should be reflected in national integrated plans for Agenda 2030 and the African Union Commission’s (AUC) Agenda 2063; green industrialization provides an opportunity for Africa to leapfrog and be competitive in global value chains; and, that sustainable development and poverty alleviation in Africa will depend on sustainable and optimal management of natural capital, including oceans, seas, and marine resources.
Following an adjournment to incorporate the comments and recommendations made and allow time for national consultations, delegations reconvened in the early evening to consider a revised draft. Following discussion, Member States were asked to submit their comments and reservations on the document by Wednesday, 24 May 2017. Delegates adopted the key messages, with this proviso. ARFSD 3 was gavelled to a close at 8:55 pm.
IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, has provided daily web coverage and a summary report from this meeting. The summary is now available in HTML and PDF.
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Parallel panel session on conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development
Parallel panel session on ending hunger and achieving food security in Africa
Parallel panel session on healthy lives and promoting well-being for all
L-R: Boutobba Afef, Algeria; Rosalie Matondo, Minister of Forest Economy, Sustainable Development and Environment, Republic of Congo; Marie-Josée Bonne, Seychelles; Nassim
Oulmane, UNECA; 2017 Bureau Chair Meatchi Tchaou Gervais, Togo; and Nyasha Chikwinya, Minister of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Zimbabwe
L-R: Nassim
Oulmane, UNECA; and 2017 Bureau Chair Meatchi Tchaou Gervais, Togo
Malefu Khanyapa, Lesotho
Dagnachew Wakene, THISAbility Consulting
Marie-Josée Bonne, Seychelles
Chantal Umuhoza, SPECTRA, Rwanda
Otiko Afisah Djaba, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ghana
Noronirina Rakotomanana, Madagascar
Hussein Abaza, Egypt
Mohamed Diaby, Guinea
Raymond Ruyoka, Reproductive Health Uganda
Participants drafting the key messages of ARFSD 3
Ingrid Coetzee, ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, South Africa
Janice Cox, World Animal Net
Emem Omokaro, The Dave Omokaro Foundation
Najla Awad Hassan, Sudan
Saleh Sahboun, League of Arab States
Innocent Maloba, WWF
Jean Ignace Tendelet, Republic of Congo
Fatima Denton, UNECA
Nassim
Oulmane, UNECA
Chair Meatchi Tchaou Gervais, Togo, gavelled the meeting to a close at 8:55 pm
Side Event: ‘Leave No One Behind in the African Context: How can Africa ensure that no one is left behind in the implementation, follow up and review of Agenda 2030
and AUC Agenda 2063’
‘Leave No One Behind’ information video
L-R: Stephen Chacha, Executive Director, Africa Philanthropic Foundation; Ife Falegan, Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Nigeria; Lucia Omoyemen, Centre for Human Rights and Climate Change, Nigeria;
Florence Syevuo, Kenya SDG Forum;
Salina Sanou, Africa Civil Society Working Group; Irenius Ruyobya, Director of Statistical Operations, National Bureau of Statistics, Tanzania; Graciano Nyanguse, Director of Policy Coordination and Planning, Zimbabwe;
Nomaqhawe Gwere, NANGO, Zimbabwe; and
Bartholomew Armah, UNECA