UN deputy secretary general heads for Zim

Harare (New Ziana) –United Nations deputy secretary general Amina Mohamed is expected in Zimbabwe this weekend to attend the Sixth Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD), a key summit meant to assess progress in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

President Emmerson Mnangagwa will officially open the forum, which is being held in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and will run from February 24 to 27 in Victoria Falls.

The ARFSD is an inter-governmental platform convened by UNECA in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and the United Nations system.

It seeks to review progress, share experiences and lessons learned, and build consensus on recommendations in the form of key messages to accelerate implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 of the African Union.

“The forum takes place at the Elephant Hills Hotel, allowing the continent to take stock of where Africa is in terms of implementing the two agendas and come up with actions needed to accelerate implementation to ensure no one is left behind,” read part of the concept note for the summit.

The Forum will be held under the theme “2020-2030: A Decade to Deliver a Transformed and Prosperous Africa through the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.”

All the 17 Sustainable Development Goals will be under spotlight at the Victoria Falls regional forum.

While in Victoria Falls, Mohammed will also attend an African youth engagement forum dubbed UN@75 – The future is now.

The youth forum will allow Mohammed and other senior UN officials to interact with the youth and map out ways to ensure that they can actively contribute to global agendas.

“The forum is expected to increase interest and determination from young African leaders, in particular young ladies, to be active global citizens, and to contribute to the advancement of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development and Africa’s Agenda 2063 in their communities and at global level.

“The forum will contribute to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) youth forum to be held in New York in April; to the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the UN@75 anniversary in September and the High Level Political Forum (HLPF).”

UN under secretary general and executive secretary of UNECA, Vera Songwe and African Union Commission deputy chairperson, Kwesi Quartey are also expected in the resort town for the important summit.

Other organisations expected at the summit include the African Peer Review Mechanism, the Arab Maghreb Union, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the East African Community and the Economic Community of West African States.

New Ziana