ECA, Key UN Agencies Discuss on Ways of Enhancing Coordination for Better Delivery in Africa

Addis Ababa  May  30/2019 Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and key heads of United Nations agencies in Ethiopia discussed on how the UN in the region can coordinate better and deliver as one.

The UN chiefs discussed 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.

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.

UNECA, UNESCO Liaison Office in Addis Ababa, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and Unesco International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa were the agencies that discussed on ways of enhancing cooperation.

Executive Secretary of ECA Vera Songwe reinforced the need for joint efforts by the ECA and 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.

“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.

She also highlighted the importance of the coordination and cooperation in 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.

The UN agency heads who were present concurred with the Executive Secretary on the need for better coordination and collaboration between the ECA and its sister agencies in their work, in particular supporting the African Union Commission in the critical areas the union has flagged.