Kigali — Africa needs an integrated approach to implement its development agenda. The year 2016 marks a double transition period, from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Agenda 2030, and at the continental level, from the New Economic Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) to Agenda 2063.

This is one of the recommendations of the MDGs to Agenda 2063/SDGs transition report launched today in Kigali, Rwanda by the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme's Regional Bureau for Africa.

Africa as a whole has achieved good progress in five out of eight MDGs, especially in improving net primary enrolment, enhancing gender equality, empowering women, reducing child mortality, combating the spread of HIV and AIDS and ensuring environmental sustainability.

However, the report argues several challenges remain, particularly regarding economic and social inequalities and the incidence of extreme poverty: 42.8% of the African population are still living in poverty. The partial fulfillment of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) commitments by development partners is also an area of concern.

Reflecting on the recent trends on the MDGs, Paul Mpuga, ECA Economic Affairs Officer called on African countries to "accelerate efforts to diversify their economies and add value to their primary commodities so as to expand decent employment opportunities for their population."

To ensure effective implementation of the new global and continental agendas, the report stresses the need for countries to incorporate these agendas into national frameworks. In this regard, the report highlights the example of Rwanda which has made strong progress and managed to integrate the SDGs into the elaboration framework of the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy 3 and the Post-2020 Vision.