Monrovia — Economic Commission for Africa Executive Secretary, Mr. Carlos Lopes, last week met with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to discuss continental issues including industrialization, regional integration and sustainable development goals, among others.
Mr. Lopes, who also handed over a number of the ECA's key publications to President Sirleaf, was lauded by Liberia for leading efforts through the ECA to help steer growth and development on the continent.
President Sirleaf is the current Chairperson of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), a position Mr. Lopes said the President could use to help boost the sub-region's efforts to industrialize and create jobs for citizens in those countries.
The President expressed her appreciation to Mr. Lopes for the work being done by the ECA not only to support Liberia in various issues but also the rest of the continent.
"You have also given Liberia very quick responses whenever called upon," she pointed out as they began their meeting.
She said Liberia played an important role in the formulation of the new Sustainable Development Goals, adding she expected her country to lead the way in implementing the SDGs to improve the lives of its people.
She said the ECA's support would be greatly appreciated by Liberia as the country pushes towards implementing the SDGs which she said were also tied to the African Union's 50-year development agenda, Vision 2063, and Liberia's own 2030 Vision, thus making the implementation of the SDGs consistent with the National Agenda.
For his part, Mr. Lopes thanked President Sirleaf for the opportunity they had to sit and discuss Liberian and African issues in general.
He said the ECA will always be there for Liberia and Africa as it seeks to fulfil its mandate of promoting the economic and social development of its member States. Mr. Lopes said a team from the ECA was recently in Liberia working with the country's public health sector.
He said the ECA is keen to support Liberia in capacity development, adding the country would also receive the support it requires to implement the SDGs.
Mr. Lopes said African countries now need to blend their national agendas with the SDGs to ensure that progress is made in uplifting the lives of the ordinary people through poverty eradication and education, among others.
He said the ECA is working with the larger African community through the African Union to ensure the SDG agenda is implemented, among many other issues.
