A high-level African Development Bank (AfDB) delegation led by its new President, Akinwumi Adesina, will ensure that Africa's voice is heard at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York from September 25-27.
Building on President Adesina's five-point vision, to "Light up and power Africa; Feed Africa; Integrate Africa; Industrialize Africa; and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa", the Bank commits to play a catalytic role to mobilise funds for the Social Development Goals (SDGs).
The post-2015 agenda provides a new global framework for countries to better focus, coordinate and integrate their efforts as they work towards sustainable development, while eradicating poverty in all its forms. The new 17 SDGs are universal set of goals, targets and indicators that UN Member States are expected to use to frame their national development plans and policies over the next 15 years. The SDGs follow, and expand on, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which were agreed by governments in 2000, and which are due to expire at the end of this year.
Aligned to the AfDB's Ten-Year Strategy 2013-2022, the SDGs reflect the development aspirations of African countries that emphasize the need for inclusive and green growth in the quest for sustainable development and poverty eradication.
The AfDB, along with other development partners, will be providing support to its Regional Member Countries in Africa in implementing the SDGs by mobilizing additional resources and providing technical assistance and policy advice.
The Bank is also actively contributing to the development of the SDGs and raising the African voice in the discussions, including through a dedicated Africa Regional Report on the SDGs, jointly produced with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Union.
The UN Summit follows the Addis Ababa Financing for Development Conference held in July 2015, where the broader development community and the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), including the AfDB, were called upon to enhance the leverage and multiplier effects of financing and provide innovative financing solutions in order to help countries to maximize their own resources.
The AfDB co-authored a paper with other MDBs entitled "From Billions to Trillions", which affirms how the SDG goals are ambitious, and how they - in turn - demand equal ambition in using "billions" in official development assistance (ODA) and available development resources to attract, leverage and mobilize "trillions" in investments.
During the visit, President Adesina and his team will participate in a series of multilateral and bilateral meetings and engagements with partners, civil society, media and many eminent persons including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, and Bill Gates.
The Bank delegation will attend the opening debate of the 70th Regular Session of the UN General Assembly on "A new commitment to action"; "Transforming Economies: Empowering Women and Girls", organized by the UK Secretary of State for International Development and UN Women; a high-level event on "Achieving SDG 7 on Energy by 2030 - Implementation and Tracking of Sustainable Energy for All"; a high-level event on Africa's industrialization; and a side event examining the SDGs from an African perspective, which includes the launch of the 2015 Africa MDG Report; among others.
More than 150 world leaders are expected to attend the summit to adopt an ambitious new sustainable development agenda. This momentous agenda will serve as the launch pad for action by the international community and by national governments to promote shared prosperity and well-being for all over the next 15 years.
