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UNDP Africa presents its latest knowledge products to the African Group of Ambassadors to the UN

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UNDP Africa presents its latest knowledge products to the African Group of Ambassadors to the UN

UNDP Africa presents its latest knowledge products to the African Group of Ambassadors to the UN
Photo credit: UN | Sylvain Liechti

UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa convened a high level event hosted by the African Union Permanent Observer Mission to the United Nations on Tuesday, 16 May 2017.

Billed as a knowledge building and sharing event, the meeting, which was attended by more than 100 participants, including 16 Permanent Representatives of African countries, was marked by the official presentation of the Regional Bureau’s latest publications to the African Group of Ambassadors, experts and stakeholders.

Co-chairing the event’s debate panel with the Regional Director for Africa Abdoulaye Mar Dieye, the Permanent Representative of the African Union H.E Ambassador Tete Antonio underscored the importance of maintaining a strategic dialogue with UNDP Africa, which is viewed as the main development policy guidance provider for the African Ambassadors Group.

Also present on the panel, Ms. Urujeni Bakuramutsa, Deputy Permanent Representative of Rwanda hailed UNDP’s role as a trusted development partner for African Governments; and the organizations’ unique expertise in identifying the degrees of alignment between Africa’s three main development agendas – the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the African Union Agenda 2063, and the African Development Bank’s High Fives.

Echoing them, Mr. Dieye said: “We view the role of the African Group of Ambassadors to the UN to be critical to Africa’s development process. We count on the missions, experts and partners to identify key development priorities that deserve UNDP’s strategic attention and intervention.”

During a follow up discussion led by H.E. Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Permanent Representative of Ghana, Mr. Dieye further highlighted the purpose of the RBA’s knowledge products and said: “Our offering is meant to serve as a platform of convergence and to help governments make policy decisions in a rational way.”

The centerpiece of the 2 hour gathering was the presentation of RBA’s latest policy brief, Strengthening the Strategic Alignment for Africa’s Development: Lessons from the SDGs, Agenda 2063 and AfDB High Fives, by Ayodele Odusola, UNDP Africa’s Chief Economist and Head of Strategy and Analysis.

Mr. Odusola expounded on Africa’s evolving development landscape, and on UNDP’s contribution in shaping it through a series of initiatives and policy products. During his presentation, which ran the gamut of RBA’s most recent knowledge products, Odusola underscored the principle of congruence as the most salient feature of Africa’s development agendas.

“2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 are strategic priorities while High 5s are operation priorities,” said Ayodele Odusola. “Alignment is based on the five principles identified in the Common African Position and the SDGs – People, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership”.

Capping the event, Ambassador Tete Antonio and Regional Director Abdoulaye Mar Dieye officially designated a publication stand stocked with UNDP Africa’s latest publications right by the African Union Nelson Mandela Conference Hall. “This is a celebration of knowledge – the ultimate currency of development. We want to use this opportunity to share our knowledge products to help to advance Africa’s development agenda.”

During the event, it was confirmed that the Regional Bureau for Africa’s newest publication, Income Inequality Trends in sub-Saharan Africa: Divergents, Determinants, and Consequences, would be released by early July 2017.

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