Addis Ababa, November 20, 2021 – African policymakers have recommended strategic policy mandates to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) to help member states tackle poverty and vulnerability for recovery COVID-19 and provide a resilient future for all.

Faced with overlapping global crises, they published their recommendations on November 18 at the end of the fourth session of the Committee on Social Policy, Poverty and Gender – hosted by ECA on the theme “Better progress towards an inclusive future and resilient in the context of COVID-19[FEMININE ‘.

A suitable partner

The mandates will enable ECA to transform itself into a partner better able to respond to the needs of member states in addressing poverty and inequality, while addressing gender inequalities and unsustainable urbanization in the world. over the next two years – ultimately making concrete improvements in living standards for Africans.

With 431 million Africans still living in poverty, policymakers called on ECA to step up efforts to help member countries tackle vulnerabilities associated with poverty, while pushing for greater recognition of unpaid work. , lack of time and decent employment for young people.

They made strong recommendations for ECA’s work on strengthening policies to empower women in areas such as productive entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, retraining for future jobs and mentoring for girls in science and technology.

In view of Africa’s rapid urban growth, policymakers, among other suggestions, urged ECA to continue providing technical assistance to member states to prioritize urbanization in national development planning in order to leverage capitalizes on the immense potential of urban areas to boost productivity, job creation and overall social outcomes.

Upcoming opportunities

In her closing remarks, Ms. Najla Allani, President of the Committee and Director General of Crédif, Ministry of Family, Women, Children and the Elderly, said: “While the challenges are many, there are tremendous opportunities for African countries to address the underlying structural vulnerabilities that have made us so vulnerable in the current pandemic.

“We need to be better prepared for future shocks. As member states, we have high expectations of ECA to support our efforts to cope with the immediate impacts of the pandemic, but also to ensure an inclusive and resilient future. ”

She requested ECA to fully integrate the recommendations of the session into its work and to work closely with Committee participants in their implementation.

The session featured intensive discussions among committee participants, which include officials from ministries of gender, youth, finance, urbanization and social policy as well as observers from UN agencies, d African intergovernmental organizations and civil society.

During the two-day session, ECA reported on its work over the past two years on poverty, gender and social policy, while seeking the advice of the committee on the proposed program plan for 2022 to 2023.

The recommendations will inform the design of policies, products and programs that will be implemented by the Gender, Poverty and Social Policy Division of ECA over the next two years.

Issued by:
Communications Section
Economic Commission for Africa
P.O. Box 3001
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Phone. : +251 11 551 5826
Email: [email protected]