Representatives of African governments met in Addis Ababa recently and endorsed the ECA 2018-2019 programme of work.

This follows the adjournment in March 2017 of the Bureau of the 10th Joint Annual Meetings of the African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration and the Economic Commission for Africa Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development.

Ambassadors from African States accredited to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia attended a special meeting to deliberate on the proposed progamme of work, the 2016 Annual Report of the Executive Secretary and came up with recommendations and resolutions on how to move the work of the ECA forward as it continues to promote the economic and social development of its member States.

Acting Executive Secretary of the ECA, Abdalla Hamdok presented the 2016 Annual Report of the Executive Secretary to the Ambassadors. Ingrid Cyimana, Director of the Strategic Planning and Operational Quality Division, unveiled the annual report of the ECA.

Mr. Hamdok praised the permanent representatives for the work they do in supporting the ECA to ensure the organization fully supports Member States in their developmental needs.

“The meeting gave us an opportunity to meet with the permanent representatives to discuss various issues that needed to be tackled and we are glad, as always, the Member States are always with us, in particular in the way they guide us so we come up with outputs that support their quest for development on the ground,” he said after the meeting.

“It is through credible and trusted knowledge products and delivery services that the ECA has succeeded to influence national policies, development plans and strategies but we need the endorsement of the Member States to know that we are giving them what they want.”

The meeting was chaired by Senegal’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union and Permanent Representative to the ECA, Baye Moctar, as current chair of the Bureau of the Conference of Ministers.

Mr. Moctar thanked the Ambassadors for deliberating on the key statutory issues of the ECA and endorsing the proposed programme of work for subsequent submission to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).