Browsing: Economic Commission for Africa

• Africa is at the center of global sustainability transitions such as decarbonization of production systems.
• The continent is also seeing electrification of transportation infrastructure and accelerated use of renewable energy.
• African Continent Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is an opportunity to bridge the inequality and vulnerability gap while fostering recovery and transformation in Africa.

Africa – pummeled by a combination of crises – should swiftly invest in and implement people-centered strategies to mobilize financial resources and accelerate continental economic recovery, the Economic Commission for Africa now says.

Speaking during the opening of the ministerial segment of the 55th Session of ECA’s Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, in Ethiopia, Executive Secretary Antonio Pedro said Africa was at the center of global sustainability transitions, such as decarbonization of production systems, electrification of transportation infrastructure and accelerated use of renewable energy, which he said should underpin its recovery from …

African Energy Chamber  (www.EnergyChamber.org) Executive Chairman NJ Ayuk will attend the Ninth Conference on Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA-IX) in Cabo Verde on the 13^th – 17^th of September 2021 where he will contribute to and drive a collaborative discussion on what a just energy transition looks like for Africa.

Focused on ensuring Africa’s climate change mitigation strategies coincide with, rather than restrict, Africa’s economic development, Ayuk will bring a valuable perspective to the conference.

Organized by the Economic Commission for Africa and the Government of Cabo Verde, with partners the African Union Commission, the Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank, CCDA-IX will take place under the theme ‘Towards a just transition that delivers jobs, prosperity and climate resilience in Africa: leveraging the green and blue economy.’ The conference serves as a prelude to the Conference of Parties to the United …

A high-level meeting of policymakers, regulators and industry experts in the field of pharmaceuticals and trade has discussed a bold path towards affordable pharmaceuticals through leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area.  The Continent is home to 11% of the world’s population yet it carries 25% of the world’s burden of disease.

If implemented, pooling procurement of essential drugs and products and expanding local pharmaceutical production on the continent is seen as a critical pathway to the prosperity of African citizens, thereby achieving universal healthcare in Africa.

Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa Vera Songwe told the meeting that 50 % of all children who die before the age of 5 in the world are in Africa. “We cannot build a prosperous Africa if we have such a high mortality rate. The pharma initiative seeks to reduce costs and increase healthcare access.”

“The tragedy is that these diseases …

A nation-wide tree planting initiative kicked off on the morning of Monday 29th July aimed at breaking the world record of planting 200 million saplings on a single day. India currently holds the world record. They, however, beat that record and planted 350 million trees with hours.

Officially launched by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in May, the nation-wide reforestation program, also popularly known as green legacy, is aimed at recovering the trees and forests that have been lost over the years.

Getahun Mekuria, Ethiopia’s Minister of Innovation and Technology, tweeted estimates of the number of trees being planted throughout the day Monday. By early evening, he said 353,633,660 tree seedlings were planted in 12 hours.

Staff and representatives from the UN family, African Union, Diplomatic Corps and Ethiopians from all walks of life gathered in Gulele Botanical Gardens and in a park in central Addis Ababa to play their …