Dakar, Senegal, September 12, 2017 (IDEP) - Within the framework of the African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (IDEP) development seminar series, a high level round table dialogue on ownership of Agendas 2030 and 2063 by African countries, recently gathered decision makers, officials and experts from African countries and international organisations, private sector, academia and researchers working on issues related to the national ownership of regional and international development agendas.
In her opening remarks, IDEP Director, Ms. Karima Bounemra Ben Soltane, gave an overview of the main conclusions of the analysis of how millennium development goals (MDGs) were implemented before stressing the new development paradigms which underline Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063.
"These new agendas which serve as the frames for structural transformation and sustainable development policies on the continent must not suffer from a lack of national ownership, execution or coordination and M&E mechanisms, funding strategies and efficient use of financial resources," she said.
For the implementation of Agendas 2063 and 2030, lessons must be learned from other laudable African initiatives of the same nature, said Ms. Ben Soltane.
Many issues came up during discussion on ownership of continental and international agendas by African countries, notably: a greater consideration of Agendas 2030 and 2063 in national development plans; adequate coordination mechanisms between the AUC, NEPAD Planning and coordination Agency and national and regional planning bodies; efficient implementation using existing continental and national bodies; domestic resources mobilization and financing African vision, among others.
Ms. Ben Soltane highlighted the need for various stakeholders, including UN agencies, governments, civil society, citizen, development partners and others, to pool their efforts and work to ensure convergence and domestication of the different development agendas.
She went on to highlight that a coordination effort at the continental level through the common African position during the preparation of the SDGs was a welcome development.
Whilst presenting the Senegalese experience through the PSE (Plan Sénégal Émergent), Mr. Pierre Ndiaye, Director of Planning and Economic Policies in the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Planning in Senegal, said his government had established an institutional architecture for monitoring and evaluating the plan and at the same time ensure a refining and anchorage in international agendas.
He went on to say that reforms of the statistical information system and reflections on optimal domestic resources mobilization were ongoing in Senegal with a view to optimize the goals of the policies.
Mr. Bartholomew Armah, Chief Renewal of Planning Section, in the Macroeconomic Policy Division of the Economic Commission for Africa, revealed the need for an integrated approach in the implementation of international development agendas in the interests of guaranteeing coherence between Agendas 2030 and 2063 and achieving their goals.
He said the utilization of integration tools developed by the ECA by The Gambia can serve as an example of alignment of national policies to various development agendas.
Mr. Jean Kebere, a Communications Officer at the NEPAD West Africa sub regional office, recalled the historical perspective for the establishment of the Agency and the importance of its coordination and planning role on behalf of the African Union Commission (AUC) in the implementation of Agenda 2063.
Thus, he said, many of the objectives of the Agenda 2063 action plan will be realised through the NEPAD's 16 infrastructure projects.
From the debate, it emerged particularly that for a correct ownership of international development agendas in Africa and achievement of their objectives, there was need to: (i) define national priorities ; (ii) strengthen national statistical systems to make available sufficient and quality data for better measuring, monitoring and evaluation of progress towards the agendas objectives; (iii) consider the cultural dimension to ensure contextualization, and (iv) develop a strong leadership for an effective implementation of policies.
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