Regional Forum’ll Boost Sustainable Dev’t in W/Africa – ECA
The Economic Commission for Africa says the Regional Forum of Intergovernmental Organisations (IGOs) of West Africa will strengthen partnership for sustainable development in the region.
ECA, in a statement on its website, said its Sub-Regional Office for West Africa (UNECA-SRO-WA), in partnership with the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development of Côte d’Ivoire would host the meeting.
The theme of the meeting is “Strengthening the synergy of actions to accelerate regional integration and sustainable development in West Africa in a context of multiple challenge”.
“The objective of this Regional Forum is primarily to strengthen the partnership for sustainable development between the entities of the United Nations system represented by the ECA.
“And the Office of the Resident Coordinator of the Ivory Coast on the one hand, and West African IGOs on the other,’’ ECA said.
Mr Phillipe Lasmel, Director-General, Development Cooperation, Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development, expressed concern that countries in the sub-region may not meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs targets.
He said this was in spite of the economic progress made by these countries. It is therefore urgent to mobilise around all the levers capable of reversing this trend. In this regard, regional integration constitutes.
“An essential lever for achieving the objectives of sustainable development and better responding to the aspirations for well-being of African populations,”Lasmel said.
Representing the Director of ECA Sub-Regional Office for West Africa, Amadou Diouf, he said the sub-region needed concerted efforts from all stakeholders to achieve complete integration and sustainable development, as well as Agenda 2063.
According to Diouf, it is necessary to adopt an approach that allows for strengthening the synergy of interventions around four axes of convergence.
“These include development of rivers and basins for water management and access to energy; and information and data generation.
“Others are financing facilities, promotion of a single currency, integrated payment systems, and strengthening of the macroeconomic framework; and multisectoral and community interventions,’’ Diouf said.
The Government of Côte d’Ivoire, through the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development, inaugurated the annual meeting of the Regional Forum of Intergovernmental Organisations (IGOs) of West Africa in Abidjan. Brent Nears $86 over Crude Oil Supply Tightening
